University Of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma, operating through its Office of Research Administration, is a state-controlled institution of higher learning that acts as a prime recipient of federal research grants and a prime contractor on federal research and development awards across civilian agencies, with no set-aside designations—competing exclusively on merit and technical qualifications in open competition.

The institution functions primarily as a comprehensive research university delivering basic and applied research services across atmospheric sciences, meteorology, geophysics, engineering, life sciences, and health sciences. Recent representative work includes a $10 million cost-no-fee delivery order from the Federal Aviation Administration's Southwestern Region (awarded July 2026, extending through June 2029) for research supporting integration of counter-UAS technologies into National Airspace System operations; a $1.05 million firm fixed-price delivery order from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (awarded March 2026) for technical support services on the NWS/OBS/RADAR NEXT program; and an $8.8 million cost-no-fee definitive contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (awarded July 2025) for operationalizing additive manufacturing for sustainment and modernization research. The institution also receives federal funds for educational services, including delivery orders from the Bureau of Naval Personnel for Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps tuition and allowable fees, and holds a position on a $10 million single-award Indefinite Delivery Contract with NOAA (issued February 2026, extending through February 2031) for research and development services supporting the Radar Next Program.

Customer concentration reflects a broad civilian agency footprint. The top five funding sources by award count include the National Science Foundation (541 awards), NASA Shared Services Center (215 awards, $43.8 million combined potential value), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (153 awards, $12.5 million), the U.S. Geological Survey (106 awards, $798 thousand), and the National Institutes of Health (47 awards). By combined potential value, NASA and NOAA dominate, followed by the Navy, USGS, and the Army. The awards-per-year trend shows growth through 2024 (186 awards) followed by a decline into 2025 (152 awards), with 32 awards recorded through November 2026. One hundred ninety-two awards carrying combined potential value of $13.6 million are scheduled for ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, establishing recompete exposure across the institution's grant pipeline.

The institution's parent IDV position includes the Navy's Indefinite Delivery Contract N0014006G0042 (32 task orders, $7.8 million combined potential value) and Basic Ordering Agreement N0018919GZ026 (22 task orders, $1.9 million). These vehicles represent research support work for the Department of the Navy across contract obligations spanning multiple years.

Service Contract Inventory activity is limited, with four SCI records (three as prime, one as subcontractor) spanning fiscal years 2022 through 2024. SCI-reported invoiced revenue totaled $204.4 million across the reporting period, with FY2023 anchoring the activity at $166.9 million across 44 FTEs—a significant spike that likely reflects a single large contract award. FY2022 invoicing was $32.4 million (24 FTEs), and FY2024 dropped to $5 million (6.7 FTEs). On federal services contracts captured in SCI, government-paid hourly rates ranged from roughly $419/hr at the 10th percentile to $1,588/hr at the 90th percentile, with median pricing around $649/hr. Across SCI-reportable prime contracts, subcontractors performed approximately 85% of total contractor hours, indicating that the university relies heavily on a network of six named subcontractors to deliver services—a posture consistent with a major research institution that assembles specialized teams for individual research initiatives rather than maintaining an in-house delivery force.

The institution's federal grant footprint spans multiple agencies and programs. Representative recent recipients awards include a $20 million Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Transportation (awarded February 2026) for the Autonomous Cargo Carriers for Enhanced Logistics in Rural and Tribal Areas (ACCEL-RT) program, conducting research and deployment of rural autonomous vehicles for freight movement; a $2.5 million Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (awarded May 2026) establishing the Oklahoma Center of Immunoengineering (OCIE) to consolidate immunoengineering and omics data science resources; a $28.2 million Project Grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (awarded April 2026) under the Airport Improvement Program for comprehensive airport infrastructure improvements at Norman; a $20.4 million Project Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (awarded September 2025) to operate the Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and a $19.98 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Science Foundation (awarded October 2025) for the development of two mobile Ka-Band Rapid-Scan Volumetric Imaging Radars (KARVIR). Across the visible grant portfolio, the institution acts as prime recipient on all awards; subgrants are issued to other universities, research institutes, and partner organizations but do not represent the institution's primary role in federal grant transactions.

The corporate structure identifies University of Oklahoma as the parent vendor, with the Office of Research Administration operating as a child entity managing research contracting and grant administration on behalf of the institution. The separation reflects standard university research management practice, where a dedicated office handles federal transactions while the parent institution retains overall governance and fiduciary responsibility.