Rider University A New Jersey Non-Profit Corp

Rider University, a tax-exempt private educational institution based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, operates as a federal grant recipient (93% prime, 7% sub) rather than as a contractor, serving the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, Department of the Army, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Arts primarily through project grants that fund undergraduate research, STEM workforce development, and student support services.

Rider's recent federal grant footprint spans seven active prime awards across five distinct grantor agencies. The institution received $217,779 from NSF's Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CFDA 47.070) in October 2026 to develop curriculum-integrated undergraduate research modules in AI security and privacy, running through September 2029, with modules designed for computer vision, speech and audio, and network systems vulnerabilities across the AI lifecycle. A $199,646 award from NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education (CFDA 47.076) in August 2026 funds a two-year planning grant to analyze circumstances and unmet needs of low-income STEM students, comparing Pell-eligible and non-Pell outcomes at Rider and peer institutions across the Mid-Atlantic. The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education funded a $361,922 TRIO Student Support Services grant (CFDA 84.042) for September 2025 through August 2026 delivering academic development and motivational support to disadvantaged students. NSF's Division of Computer and Network Systems supported a collaborative research project (award date June 2023, completion May 2027) investigating active learning strategies for broadening participation in computing across six institutions, including two Hispanic-serving institutions and two historically black universities. NSF's Division of Emerging Frontiers awarded $503,000 (award date August 2022, completion July 2025) for research on interactive effects of climate warming and drought on tree seedling growth, paired with a course-based undergraduate research experience in plant biology. The Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education also funds a Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program grant (award date October 2022, completion September 2026). The National Endowment for the Arts granted a 2023 award supporting inclusive theater performances for young audiences.

Top customer agencies by award count comprise Department of Education (12 awards), Department of the Army (12 awards), and National Science Foundation (10 awards), representing 76% of all awards. Activity remains steady at two awards per year over the past five years; only two awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. Rider holds a sub-award position on Smithsonian Institution research examining coastal wetland plant species responses to warming and elevated CO2, and on Arizona State University projects concerning AI-powered smart camera traffic analysis. The institution also received a sub-award from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety for COVID crisis counseling and emergency protective measures. Work is performed in Trenton, New Jersey, with place of performance at partner institutions across the Mid-Atlantic region for collaborative research efforts. Rider's capability portfolio centers on undergraduate STEM curriculum development, climate and environmental science research, workforce development for underrepresented students in computing and STEM fields, and federally funded student support services addressing retention and degree completion for low-income, first-generation, and disabled student populations.