Cincinnati Univ Of

Cincinnati Univ Of Sponsored Research Services Division, a state-controlled public research institution headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operates as a prime recipient of federal research grants and a prime contractor on federal research agreements, delivering pre-clinical infectious disease research, biomedical research, environmental science, materials science, and engineering services across more than 200 federal agencies. The Division does not compete under small-business set-asides and competes exclusively on full-and-open and merit-based selection.

The Division's federal footprint spans 3,524 awards (88% prime, 12% sub) with a combined potential value of $673.7 million and obligated dollars of $3.61 billion across roughly sixty years of federal engagement. Recent activity shows volatility—177 awards in 2023, rising to 270 in 2024, then declining to 178 in 2025 and 116 in 2026, with only three awards recorded as of the current snapshot date. Awards reaching ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months total 201 with a combined potential value of $11.8 million, representing moderate recompete exposure.

Customer concentration is diffuse across research agencies. The National Science Foundation leads by award count (402 awards), followed by the National Institutes of Health (362 awards). By potential value, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases anchors the portfolio at $237.9 million across 84 awards, supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 ($63.1 million, 119 awards) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ($49.3 million, 56 awards). These three customers account for 56% of combined potential value; the top five account for roughly that share.

The Division's flagship vehicle is a single-award indefinite-delivery contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for pre-clinical models of infectious diseases, valued at $146.3 million with an ultimate completion date of July 14, 2031. This IDIQ funds development, refinement, and employment of animal and cell-based pre-clinical models supporting screening and evaluation of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for emerging pathogens, antimicrobial-resistant organisms, and neglected tropical diseases. Additional parent vehicles include five numbered IDIQs (N0014098G2432, 68C00159, 68C70057, V539P4471, V539P4285), collectively accounting for 226 task orders and $24.3 million in combined potential value.

The Division acts as a major academic research enterprise with distinctive strengths in infectious disease pre-clinical research, cardiovascular research, neuroscience, oncology, materials science, and engineering education. Representative prime awards include a $3.872 million NIEHS R01 on hepatotoxicity of PFAS compounds (June 2026, through June 2030); a $960,712 NASA grant for water quality and carbon biogeochemistry research (September 2024, through August 2028); and a $1.57 million NHLBI R01 on cardiac fibrosis and cell reprogramming following myocardial infarction (July 2026, through May 2028). The Division also holds substantial NIH grant training and infrastructure awards, including a $13.9 million NCATS Cooperative Agreement for the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training (CCTST 4.0, August 2025 through May 2032) and a $4.5 million K12 scholars program in clinical and translational research (August 2025 through May 2030).

The Division functions as a prime or sub-recipient across federal grant programs spanning NIH (NIH/NIAID infectious disease research, NIH/NHLBI cardiovascular disease, NIH/NCI oncology, NIH/NSF STEM education), NSF (engineering, materials science, geosciences, mathematics), NASA (Earth science, water resources), the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Department of Education (FIPSE), OSHA, and the Department of Defense (Defense Health Agency, Air Force Research Laboratory). Grant work is performed at the Cincinnati campus and subordinate research locations. The Division passes sub-awards to Johns Hopkins, Emory, National Jewish Health, University of Florida, Ohio State University, University of Pennsylvania, and other research institutions, typically in support of collaborative multi-site clinical trials (CAPTIVA stroke trial, SISTER trial, VERIFY trial) and mechanistic or translational research partnerships.

SCI-reported federal service contract invoicing totaled $2.4 million across FY2022–FY2025 (8 prime records, 5 sub records), with $1.1 million in FY2022 and $1.3 million in FY2024. Median government-paid hourly rates on prime contracts ran around $3,181/hr, with 10th-percentile rates at $1,913/hr and 90th-percentile rates at $23,152/hr, reflecting a mix of administrative, research support, and senior faculty labor. FTE trajectory shows minimal scale (0.1–0.4 FTEs per fiscal year on SCI-reportable contracts), a reflection of the Division's federal revenue model, which is dominated by research grants and institutional infrastructure agreements rather than billable services contracts. The Division does not employ subcontractors on its SCI-reportable service contracts (0% average sub-hours share).