South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University, a public land-grant research institution located in Brookings, South Dakota, serves as a comprehensive research and educational partner to federal agencies through an extensive portfolio of contract and grant awards. As an 1862 Land Grant College and educational institution registered with SAM.gov since November 2001, SDSU delivers specialized scientific, diagnostic, technical, and research services across multiple domains including agriculture, animal health, environmental monitoring, space science, and engineering. The university's mission encompasses research, education, and extension activities that directly support federal objectives in national security, food safety, animal disease prevention, and scientific advancement.

South Dakota State University has established itself as a critical federal contractor, particularly through delivery orders and task orders with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services. Under a $20 million indefinite delivery contract, SDSU provides comprehensive diagnostic testing services for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), delivering specialized testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), classical swine fever, antimicrobial resistance, and other foreign animal diseases. The university has executed numerous delivery orders valued between $1,000 and $100,000 for these diagnostic services, with recent awards including $50,000 for HPAI diagnostic testing services in January 2026 and $100,000 for HPAI cattle emerging event testing in August 2025. Beyond APHIS work, SDSU has contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for soil moisture monitoring in the Upper Missouri Basin, delivering comprehensive environmental monitoring services valued at over $1.6 million for facility installation and maintenance. The university also holds a $250,000 Blanket Purchase Agreement with the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management Idaho Region for seed laboratory testing services, with multiple call orders issued since April 2024. Additionally, SDSU has provided services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for Upper Missouri River Basin projects, the U.S. Geological Survey for water resource research, and NASA for science mission directorate work, demonstrating broad federal engagement across civilian and defense agencies with no set-aside designations utilized.

Through federal grant awards, South Dakota State University demonstrates exceptional research and educational leadership across scientific disciplines. The university has received substantial funding from the National Science Foundation for projects including a $451,379 REU Site grant for "PIONEERING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN ENERGY & RESOURCE SYSTEMS FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (POWER-UP)," a $2,190,786 collaborative research award on artificial intelligence and machine learning for discovering small molecules to combat antibiotic resistance and biofilms, and a $200,000 engineering research initiation grant on battery monitoring algorithms. NASA funding includes a $3.41 million cooperative agreement for the Office of STEM Engagement and a $447,547 grant for balanced science program execution focused on lunar and Mars exploration research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded SDSU multiple grants totaling millions, including $2,801,160 for the Sun Grant regional center program, $1,755,588 for the "Double Up Dakota Bucks" nutrition incentive program targeting rural food insecurity, and $1,000,000 for American Indian student pathways to higher education. The Department of Health and Human Services has funded nursing education expansion through a $1,000,000 grant and has supported workforce development initiatives. The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides annual cooperative agreements for workplace safety consultation services. Additional grant support comes from the U.S. Geological Survey for water resources research ($620,000), the National Institute of Justice for forensic statistics research, and the National Institute on Aging for stress and inflammation studies in older adults. SDSU also manages numerous sub-grant awards from partner institutions including Cornell University, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska, and others, demonstrating extensive collaborative research capacity.

South Dakota State University holds a single $250,000 Blanket Purchase Agreement with the Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Idaho Region, effective from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2029, for the provision of seed laboratory testing services. This five-year BPA does not utilize any set-aside designations and represents SDSU's established capability in specialized agricultural testing and diagnostic services. Under this vehicle, SDSU has issued and completed multiple call orders for seed testing work to be performed at the university's facilities in Brookings, South Dakota, with a $15,000 call order issued in April 2024 and subsequent orders placed throughout the agreement period. The seed laboratory testing services provided under this BPA leverage SDSU's expertise as a land-grant research institution and align with the Department of Interior's natural resource management and land stewardship objectives. Additionally, SDSU operates under a $20 million single-award Indefinite Delivery Contract with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services for National Animal Health Laboratory Network diagnostic testing services, under which numerous delivery orders have been issued for animal disease diagnostics including HPAI testing, antimicrobial resistance testing, and foreign animal disease diagnostics. These IDV vehicles demonstrate SDSU's sustained federal partnership and capacity to respond rapidly to emerging diagnostic and testing requirements across multiple geographic regions and mission areas.