The University Of Rhode Island Research Foundation

The University of Rhode Island Research Foundation (URIRF), doing business as Urirs, is a non-profit research and economic development organization registered in SAM.gov since October 2, 2012, and headquartered in Kingston, Rhode Island. URIRF serves as a critical research and development engine for the University of Rhode Island, facilitating advanced research initiatives, technology commercialization, and workforce development programs. The organization specializes in supporting innovation and economic growth across strategic sectors including maritime technology, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and the emerging blue economy.

Through federal contract awards, URIRF has engaged in specialized services as a subcontractor under prime contracts with large defense contractors. Specifically, the organization has worked as a subcontractor to CACI, Inc. – Federal on two separate occasions in March 2025, providing subcontracting services related to labor and Overhead/Dependent Cost (ODC) expenses. These subcontracting arrangements demonstrate URIRF's capacity to support federal defense and technology initiatives through specialized staffing and project support services, though the organization's primary activity in the federal contracting space remains limited compared to its substantial grant portfolio.

URIRF's federal grant activity is extensive and diverse, reflecting its role as a premier research and economic development institution. The organization has received multiple prime federal grant awards totaling approximately $20 million across numerous federal agencies and programs. Recent significant awards include a $7.77 million Economic Development Administration grant for the Ocean Tech Works initiative (workforce development for ocean robotics, sensors, and materials industries in partnership with Polaris MEP), a $3 million NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Cooperative Agreement for the MEP National Advanced Tech Team, a $2.85 million Office of Naval Research grant for Rhode Island RISEUP 3.0 (advanced naval research), and a $2.89 million ONR award for Rhode Island RISEUP 2.0. Additional awards include a $1.27 million EDA grant for the 401 Tech Bridge Advanced Materials and Technology Center, a $271,000 Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration grant for workforce development (CFDA 17.289), a $400,000 NIST MEP Cooperative Agreement for supply chain optimization, and a $500,000 EDA Economic Adjustment Assistance grant for the Blue Economy Tech Cluster Coalition. URIRF also operates as the lead for a NIST MEP Hollings Center Cooperative Agreement through December 2027 and manages an EDA Blue Technology Innovation Center initiative. The organization's grant work encompasses manufacturing extension services, workforce training and development (particularly for underserved populations), supply chain optimization, advanced materials research, renewable energy research, technology commercialization, small business assistance, and economic development planning. URIRF has served as a prime grantee while also functioning as a subrecipient on grants from partners such as Polaris MEP and Missouri Incutech Foundation, demonstrating its collaborative approach to federal research and development initiatives across multiple federal agencies including the Department of Energy, Department of the Navy, Department of Labor, Economic Development Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.