United States Coast Guard Academy Sponsored Programs And Research, Inc.

United States Coast Guard Academy Sponsored Programs And Research, Inc. (SPRI) is a non-profit educational institution affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy located in New London, Connecticut. SPRI serves as a research and program management entity that facilitates collaborative projects between the Coast Guard Academy, federal agencies, and academic institutions. The organization specializes in conducting applied research, managing federal research grants and contracts, and providing administrative support for sponsored programs across multiple scientific and technological domains relevant to the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security missions.

Through federal contract awards, SPRI has demonstrated extensive expertise in conducting specialized research and development work for the U.S. Coast Guard. The organization has received firm fixed-price purchase orders and definitive contracts totaling over $1.2 million across diverse research initiatives. Notable contract work includes research on the fate and transport of synthetic oils and their impact on the Great Lakes ($69,230), oil spill response knowledge and techniques in freshwater and icy water environments ($249,811.29), and artificial intelligence and machine learning research collaborations involving Coast Guard Academy faculty and Vanderbilt University ($249,000). Additional contract awards have addressed studies on dielectric fluid characteristics ($32,095), postdoctoral research fellowships examining COVID-19 learning loss and equitable outcomes ($88,235), space and energy research collaborations ($90,000), fuel testing services ($11,037.05), and NSA-funded artificial intelligence and machine learning sensor fusion initiatives ($249,000 and $171,714). All of these contracts were awarded by the U.S. Coast Guard with no small business set-asides applied. SPRI's contract portfolio reflects its role as a prime contractor managing research initiatives that directly support Coast Guard operational readiness, environmental stewardship, and technological advancement.

SPRI has also served as a prime recipient of federal grant awards from the National Science Foundation, demonstrating its capacity to manage significant research and education initiatives. The organization received a $389,334 project grant under the NSF Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to develop an open-source toolkit and database for improving temperature measurement accuracy in laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments, with work extending through May 2029. Additionally, SPRI was awarded a $399,131 project grant under the NSF STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop the "STRESSCURE: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Toolkit" for creating laboratory courses investigating biological stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. Both grants support postdoctoral researchers and undergraduate students while creating educational resources and research tools for broader academic and scientific communities. These grant awards demonstrate SPRI's expertise in managing complex federally funded research projects, developing educational curricula, and conducting fundamental scientific research with national impact.