University Of Utah

The University of Utah, operating through its Office of Sponsored Projects Division, is a state-supported research institution that receives federal research grants and contracts as a prime recipient and subcontractor across a broad portfolio of biomedical, engineering, physical sciences, and educational research. The institution competes in full-and-open federal procurements and is not designated under small-business set-asides. As a comprehensive research university, the University of Utah does not operate under profit-seeking constraints; instead, its federal engagement reflects its mission as a research and educational institution serving civilian and defense agencies.

The University of Utah's federal footprint spans 7,687 awards (87% prime, 13% sub) totaling $2.2 billion in combined potential value, with $8.98 billion obligated across all awards since 1965. Recent activity shows decline: from 637 awards in 2024 to 341 in 2026, though the institution maintains active engagement across 289 distinct federal customer agencies. The top four funding agencies by award count—the National Science Foundation (954 awards), the National Institutes of Health parent organization (742 awards), the National Cancer Institute (335 awards, $820.9 million combined potential value), and the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integrated Service Network 19 (254 awards, $313.3 million combined potential value)—account for roughly one-third of recent awards. By dollar magnitude, the National Cancer Institute, VISN 19, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ($229.9 million across 195 awards), and NASA's Shared Services Center dominate the portfolio, collectively representing 67% of combined potential value. The concentration split reveals tension between volume and dollars: NSF leads in award count but not in value; cancer research dollars anchor the portfolio despite moderate award frequency.

Representative federal contract work reflects the institution's role as a specialized research and clinical services provider. The University of Utah holds a single-award indefinite-delivery contract with Veterans Integrated Service Network 19 valued at $11.188 million through July 31, 2030, supporting heart transplant services, MRI research support, medical research cores, radiopharmaceutical services, and histocompatability testing—work performed cost-no-fee at Salt Lake City, Utah. A May 2026 delivery order for $7.489 million in heart transplant services represents the dominant task-order activity under this vehicle. The U.S. Geological Survey issued a $34,187.76 delivery order on September 17, 2026, for laboratory analytical services supporting the Utah Water Science Center's water supply mission, including analysis of Pinyon Plain plant and dust samples—firm fixed-price work running through September 17, 2027. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded a definitive contract valued at $7.991 million on April 1, 2026, for NEMSIS TAC—Bridge emergency medical services research delivery, cost-no-fee through March 31, 2027. These contracts reflect the institution's established capability in research infrastructure, clinical services, and federally funded science delivery, with no set-asides applied across recent prime contract awards.

Federal grant work dominates the University of Utah's portfolio and reflects its identity as a research institution. The National Science Foundation Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation awarded $290,050 on January 1, 2027 (CFDA 47.041) to develop and validate multimodal orthotropic shear field theory for mass timber structure design, combining laboratory testing with theoretical modeling to strengthen national design standards and support tall wood building safety. The Defense Health Agency awarded $2.986 million on September 30, 2026 (CFDA 12.420) to improve musculoskeletal health for midlife women through holistic care. The National Institute of Nursing Research awarded $566,093 on September 2, 2026 (CFDA 93.361) to develop and test methods for communicating clinical uncertainty in shared decision-making for children with medical complexity. Recent grant work spans basic biomedical research (neuroscience, immunology, cardiovascular biology), clinical implementation science, engineering research, materials science, and education innovation. The National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, and NSF fund the majority of grant awards by value.

SCI-reported invoiced revenue from federal service contracts (prime contracts above the $150,000 threshold) totaled $43.3 million across FY2022–FY2025, with annual variation: $13.1 million in FY2022 (59.9 FTEs), $8.1 million in FY2023 (42.9 FTEs), $12.9 million in FY2024 (66.5 FTEs), and $9.1 million in FY2025 (53.4 FTEs). Median government-paid hourly rates on federal services contracts ran $73.44 per hour, with 10th-percentile rates at $43.96/hr and 90th-percentile rates at $335.96/hr, reflecting a workforce mix spanning research technicians through senior faculty and specialized clinical personnel. The FTE trajectory shows volatility, peaking at 72.2 FTEs in FY2024 before declining to 55.8 FTEs in FY2025, with no significant engagement of named subcontractors on SCI-reportable prime contracts (average sub-hours share: 0%). This signals that the University of Utah delivers most federal service work through its own staff rather than through subcontractors.

The institution operates subsidiaries including ARUP Laboratories Inc. (a not-for-profit), reflecting its integrated research and clinical diagnostic capabilities. In its subcontractor role, the University of Utah receives sub-awards from research universities and medical centers, including Johns Hopkins (secondary data analysis), University of Denver (co-investigator support), Georgia State University (racism-related health disparities research), University of Pittsburgh (WNK signaling pathway research), and Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (obesity neural vulnerabilities research). These sub-awards reflect the institution's role as a research partner delivering specialized expertise—statistical analysis, site-specific recruitment, data collection, and subject matter consultation—to larger federal research consortia.

The recompete landscape presents material exposure: 610 awards (combined potential value $87.1 million) reach ultimate completion inside the next 24 months, creating recompete opportunities across research and medical services domains. NSF research, NIH grants (particularly from NCI, NICHD, and NHLBI), and VA medical services contracts represent the highest-value recompete risk. The institution's broad federal footprint—spanning 289 agencies and $2.2 billion in combined potential value—positions it as a comprehensive research and clinical services partner to federal civilian, defense, and research agencies nationwide, with primary strength in biomedical research, clinical services delivery, and engineering and physical sciences research.