Research Foundation Of The City University Of New York

Research Foundation of The City University of New York, doing business as Rfcuny - Queens College, is a non-profit research administration and fiscal intermediary for Queens College (part of the CUNY system) operating as a prime recipient of federal research grants across academic and scientific disciplines. Located in Flushing, New York, the foundation administers federal research funding and manages grants for faculty-led projects spanning life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, education, and materials research, with no set-aside designations across its footprint.

RFCUNY's grant portfolio reflects a university research institution. The foundation has received recent grants including $846,287 from the National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs (CFDA 47.078) for investigating marine-terminating outlet glacier stability in Southwest Alaska with undergraduate research and public outreach components; $151,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855) for artificial intelligence-driven computational modeling of SARS-CoV-2 RNA proofreading mechanisms; $1.03 million from NASA under Congressionally Directed Programs (CFDA 43.014) for GLOBE teacher certification workshops serving elementary and secondary educators in the metropolitan area; and $491,790 from NSF's Division of Chemistry (CFDA 47.049) for theoretical and computational research on quantum sensing. Smaller grant work includes a $69,986 NASA award for balanced science program execution supporting exploration initiatives focused on lunar, Mars, and planetary research.

Customer concentration is diverse across federal research agencies. The top five funding sources by award count account for 46 percent of recent awards, led by the National Science Foundation (55 awards), the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (31 awards), and the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (20 awards). The National Institute on Aging, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Department of Defense Office of the Secretary each appear in the active portfolio. The dollars concentration is sparse: only 7 percent of combined potential value flows to the top customer agencies, with NASA's Shared Services Center accounting for $120 thousand across seven awards. Most awards carry sub-million or low-million ceilings typical of academic research grants.

RFCUNY acts as prime recipient on 92 percent of recent awards and subrecipient on 8 percent. Named sub-award relationships include collaborative work with Albert Einstein College of Medicine on the Remote Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research (R-CARE) Toolbox validation, Oregon Health & Science University on cardiometabolic risk biomarkers, and Northeastern University on longevity pathway research in C. elegans. Sub-contract work includes a water quality and health risk analysis with Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory examining precipitation impacts on urban coastal watersheds.

Activity is consistent but modest in volume. The foundation managed 21 awards in 2022, 24 in 2023, and 27 in 2024, with 12 awards in 2025 and 11 so far in 2026. Thirty awards reach ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months and face recompete. Recent federal grant awards have focused on fundamental research in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and geosciences, with significant education and workforce development components. A $1.465 million Small Business Administration Congressional Grants award (CFDA 59.059) runs through August 2027 to support small business development and entrepreneurship initiatives.

RFCUNY is the subsidiary research administration arm of the City University of New York, the parent entity, and does not compete for federal contracts as a prime vendor or occupy GWACs, BPAs, or agency-wide IDIQs. The foundation's role is fiscal agent and grant manager for Queens College faculty research across the federal grant ecosystem, anchored in life sciences, physical sciences, and STEM education.