Towson University

Towson University is a public, state-controlled institution of higher learning located in Towson, Maryland, and serves as a comprehensive university with extensive experience delivering federal grants focused on STEM education, scientific research, and innovative approaches to serve students with special needs. The institution maintains a strong presence in research and education across multiple scientific and engineering disciplines while maintaining active partnerships with federal agencies and other academic institutions to advance national research and educational priorities.

Towson University has received federal contract sub-awards in limited capacity, participating as a subcontractor on defense and research initiatives. Notably, the university served as a sub-awardee to Prometheus Computing, LLC on a Department of Defense contract focused on machine learning for industrial Internet of Things communications, specifically investigating the application of spatial-temporal deep learning to improve power grid resilience. This contract work demonstrates the university's technical capabilities in advanced computing and systems research. Additionally, Towson University has been identified as a sub-awardee on a Cloud-based Cyber Investigation Case Simulator project in partnership with the University of Baltimore, where the institution contributed expertise in computer forensics and digital evidence education curriculum development and enhancement. These contract engagements reflect the university's growing involvement in cybersecurity and advanced technology research areas, though the institution's primary federal involvement remains concentrated in the grant sector.

Towson University has established itself as a significant recipient of federal grants across diverse research and educational initiatives, with prime grant awards totaling millions of dollars from multiple federal agencies. The institution has received substantial grants from the National Science Foundation across numerous programs, including the Biological Sciences division (supporting research on marsh bird habitat restoration and phylogenetic comparative methods for studying biological sequence evolution), the Computer and Information Science and Engineering division (funding edge-assisted mobile augmented reality systems and secure edge intelligence frameworks for cyber-physical systems), the Mathematical and Physical Sciences division (supporting turbulence modeling research, mathematical drug delivery modeling, graph theory applications, and single-particle tracking studies), and the STEM Education program (funding curriculum development for edge artificial intelligence, mathematics education research, faculty mentoring models, and professional development for video-based teacher learning). The Department of Education has awarded multiple grants through its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the PROJECT LINC initiatives addressing autism education and leadership training, through the Office of Postsecondary Education for teacher preparation and international education programs, and through its Division of Undergraduate Education for spatial thinking research and integrated STEM self-efficacy studies. The National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, has funded research on bacterial virulence mechanisms, herpesvirus biology, and biomedical workforce development through the Bridges to the Doctorate and Bridges to the Baccalaureate programs. The Department of Defense has provided grants for cybersecurity education and scholarships through the Cyber Service Academy program. Additional funding has come from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for archival outreach and Holocaust education initiatives, the National Endowment for the Arts for artistic programming, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau for maternal health research, the Department of the Interior for archaeological and wildlife research on federal lands including Jamestown Island, the National Institute of Standards and Technology for forensic DNA training curriculum development, and the Office of Science for artificial intelligence community building. Many of these grants involve collaborative partnerships with institutions such as the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, Central Michigan University, Georgia State University, and various community colleges. The grants support course-based undergraduate research experiences, faculty professional development, student scholarships and mentoring, curriculum development, and original research investigations that advance knowledge across STEM disciplines and education.