University Of Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island is a public research institution and 1862 land grant college located in Kingston, Rhode Island, registered with the federal government since January 2002. As a state-controlled institution of higher learning, URI provides comprehensive educational, research, and support services to federal agencies and has served as both a prime contractor and subcontractor across multiple government entities. The university delivers a diverse portfolio of services including educational programs, scientific research, technical expertise, and operational support that advance federal priorities in defense, environmental science, agriculture, health, and national security.

Through federal contract awards, URI has provided a wide range of specialized services and support across multiple agencies and programs. The university has received delivery orders from the Department of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and Naval Education and Training Command for tuition and fees supporting military personnel and dependent education, with contract values ranging from approximately $5,000 to $17,000 per order. URI has engaged in significant engineering and research services with the Naval Sea Systems Command, including a sole-source contract valued at $249,950 for deep sea data collection and at-sea engineering support for deep scattering layer research over a two-year performance period, and a separate $16,000 purchase order for implosion testing services. The university has supported the Department of the Army and Rhode Island National Guard through multiple sole-source and competitive purchase orders for lodging, meals, and conference services related to the LEAPFEST military skills competition, with contract values of approximately $115,425 to $123,406. Additionally, URI provided molecular and bioinformatic analysis services to the Smithsonian Institution valued at $74,371.90 for invertebrate zoology research. The university has also served as a sub-awardee under prime contractors including HDR Environmental, Pact Inc., Institute of International Education, and Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions, supporting activities ranging from biodiversity management in Madagascar to viral disease research at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. All contract awards to URI have been firm fixed price arrangements with no set-aside designations, indicating the university's competitive selection based on technical capability and cost-effectiveness.

Through federal grant programs, URI has established itself as a significant research and educational partner for federal agencies, with substantial funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and other agencies. The university has received numerous NSF grants totaling over $5 million across multiple research areas, including a $1,053,775 grant for investigating metabolic activities of diatom-diazotroph associations, a $716,649 grant on ocean acidification drivers in Narragansett Bay, a $607,500 CAREER grant for multimodal single entity electrochemistry, and funding for underwater robotics, smart grid cybersecurity, and coral symbiosis research. URI has secured significant USDA funding, including a $749,950 grant for the Rhode Island Agriculture and Food Systems Fellowship Program and a $649,803 grant examining land conservation preferences and voting behavior. The university has received substantial defense and national security funding, including a $1,403,224 FEMA grant for countering violent extremism, an Air Force Research Laboratory grant of $243,102 for optical fiber-based time-of-arrival systems, and Office of Naval Research grants supporting underwater composite structures and spectroscopy research. Additionally, URI manages cooperative agreements and formula grants from the Administration on Aging for developmental disabilities support, with recent awards of $176,250 for fiscal year 2026. The university serves as a sub-grantee on numerous federally-funded projects led by institutions including Brown University, University of Connecticut, University of California Davis, Columbia University, and others, contributing specialized research expertise in areas ranging from Alzheimer's disease and pediatric nutrition to coastal ecosystem management and marine biology. These grant awards support workforce development, student training, and cutting-edge research that advances scientific knowledge and federal mission objectives across multiple disciplines and geographic regions.