University Of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., doing business as UGA Research Foundation, is the sponsored research and technology transfer arm of the University of Georgia, operating as a tax-exempt non-profit foundation that competes as a federal research prime recipient and prime contractor across diverse scientific disciplines. UGA Research Foundation holds a multi-billion-dollar Missile Defense Agency Indefinite Delivery contract (SHIELD, $151 billion ceiling, through December 2035) alongside a substantial federal research footprint concentrated in basic and applied research, with no set-asides characterizing the prime award portfolio—the organization competes in full-and-open federal solicitations and performs research across 238 federal customer agencies.

The foundation delivers biomedical research, agricultural science, environmental research, and advanced instrumentation and laboratory services. Recent representative work includes a $1.023 billion National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases award to produce and distribute filarial research reagents through the Filariasis Research Reagent Resource Center; a $800 million Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture award to develop novel molecular resistance to root-knot nematodes in peanuts; a $750.765 million National Institute on Aging award for the TechReserve Cohort Study on technological engagement and cognitive health in older adults; collaborative research with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital under the NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response contract; and multiple Department of Agriculture cooperative agreements worth $1.7–$2 million each to evaluate natural compounds and develop vaccines against highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.

Customer concentration is fragmented across a large federal research base. The top customer by award count is the National Science Foundation (773 awards), followed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (263 awards, $433.1 million combined potential value). When ranked by dollar magnitude, NIAID dominates at $433.1 million across 263 awards, substantially ahead of NASA Shared Services Center ($19.1 million across 102 awards) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ($4.6 million across 115 awards). The portfolio shows concentration in infectious disease research, agricultural biotechnology, environmental science, and foundational STEM research: the top NAICS categories are Testing Laboratories and Services, Research and Development in the Physical/Engineering/Life Sciences, and Biotechnology R&D.

Activity has declined in the recent period—awards per year dropped from 373 in 2024 to 210 in 2026, with only 2 awards recorded in 2027 to date (a function of source date cutoff in October 2026). Within the next twenty-four months, 353 awards worth $220.9 million combined potential value reach ultimate completion, creating recompete exposure. The organization sat on the SHIELD IDIQ as a multiple-award prime (awarded January 2026, $151 billion ceiling, through December 2035), positioning it to issue or receive task orders across Missile Defense Agency and Department of Defense customers; other parent vehicle activity included smaller BPAs under Department of Agriculture and a limited number of task orders against existing IDIQs.

SCI-reported federal service contract invoicing across FY2022–FY2025 totaled $66.7 million (prime contracts only), roughly $16–$17 million per fiscal year, with contractor FTE counts ranging from 20.5 to 33 FTEs depending on year. Government-paid hourly rates on SCI-reportable prime contracts ran median $122.76/hr, with 10th percentile at $50.70/hr and 90th percentile at $199.56/hr, indicating a mixed-skill labor model with both support and specialized scientific labor. Across SCI-reportable prime contracts, subcontractors performed an average of 18% of total hours, with 81 named subcontractors engaged across the prime footprint, signaling a hybrid delivery model in which UGA Research Foundation builds internal research teams while leveraging specialized subs for discrete technical and analytical work.

The foundation performs work nationwide and at international sites (grant awards fund work in Sierra Leone, Guatemala, and other locations). As a non-profit research entity embedded within the University of Georgia, the organization operates as a prime in full-and-open federal research competitions, with no characteristic set-aside posture. Sub-awards flow through established prime relationships: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (CEIRR contract), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (ENIGMA program under DOE), and academic and commercial research partners across life sciences, agricultural sciences, and engineering. The recompete exposure of $220.9 million in the next twenty-four months represents a material refresh of the portfolio and a near-term pipeline decision point for continuation and growth in high-value research programs.