University System Of New Hampshire

University System of New Hampshire, University of New Hampshire Division, operating as the New Hampshire School of Law, is a tax-exempt 1862 land-grant research institution that serves as a prime recipient on federal research grants and contracts across civilian science and space agencies, with no federal contracting vehicles held as a prime. The institution competes in full-and-open federal grant and contract competitions, primarily with civilian agencies; no set-aside categories apply.

UNH's recent federal footprint reflects a research-intensive profile centered on space science, ocean and marine research, environmental science, and STEM education. The institution holds 2,302 prime awards (91% of its 2,539 total awards) and 237 sub-awards across contracts and grants. Recent representative work includes a $24.3 million definitive contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for design, development, and fabrication of two Solar Wind Plasma Sensor flight instruments (awarded October 2024, completing January 2034); a $14.6 million cost-no-fee definitive contract with NASA Ames for Helioswarm program support (October 2024); an $8.5 million Cooperative Agreement from NOAA for continuation of the Joint Hydrographic Center providing hydrographic surveying, ocean mapping research, and education (October 2025–September 2030); and a $4.95 million project grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for design and construction of "THE EDGE," a 70,500 sq ft research and innovation facility (September 2024). Grant-side recipients include $750 thousand cooperative agreement with NASA's Office of STEM Engagement for STEM education and workforce development (September 2025–August 2028); $6.24 million from the Office of Naval Research for "Smart Acoustics from Shelf to Shore in the Gulf of Maine" acoustic monitoring research (October 2025–September 2028); and multiple National Science Foundation CAREER and project grants in chemistry, materials science, computer science, and environmental biology.

Customer concentration is dominated by civilian research agencies. NASA (via Shared Services Center and Goddard Space Flight Center) accounts for approximately 31% of combined potential value, NOAA represents 7%, NSF is the second-largest funder by award count (423 awards), and EPA Region 1 maintains a stormwater and environmental partnerships. The top five customers by dollar value represent 56% of combined potential value. Activity has grown to 191 awards in 2024, though 2025–2026 shows a seasonal decline (121 and 34 awards respectively, the latter reflecting incomplete-year reporting as of July 2026). Recompete exposure in the next twenty-four months is $34.5 million across 186 awards.

UNH operates as a prime recipient on federal grants across NSF (CAREER and project awards), NASA Science and STEM Engagement programs, NOAA, EPA, Office of Naval Research, Department of Energy Office of Science, and NIH. Teaming on the prime side is light; the institution subcontracts with specialized research entities (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Southwest Research Institute, and peer universities) for hardware integration, instrument development, and component research tasks. In its sub role, UNH participates as a research subcontractor to Princeton University (IMAP instrument work), University of Iowa (TRACERS heliophysics), and Pennsylvania State University (buried object detection and seafloor scattering research). SCI reporting is minimal (13 records across FY2022–2024, with near-zero invoiced revenue and 0.2–1.3 FTEs), reflecting the institution's grant-and-research-contract posture rather than service-contract business model. The institution holds a single indefinite delivery contract with EPA Region 1 for stormwater management and technical assistance (through September 2026, ceiling $815 thousand).

UNH's federal grant activity spans research, workforce development, and infrastructure. It serves as prime recipient on competitive research grants (NSF, NASA, NOAA, DOE, NIH, ONR, and NIST) and administers formula grants for extension education (Cooperative Extension Smith-Lever, EFNEP, renewable resources extension), student support services (TRIO Student Support Services), transit infrastructure (Federal Transit Administration), and highway workforce development (Federal Highway Administration LTAP). The institution also operates the NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center as a national cooperative research center and hosts the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, managing EPA-funded estuary conservation and water quality implementation work with multiple sub-awardees. Federal sub-award activity shows UNH distributing funds to peer universities (Stevens Institute, UCLA, Dartmouth, University of Hawaii, Penn State), state and local governments (New Hampshire Fish & Game, NHDES, Vermont Agency of Transportation), non-profits (Southeast Land Trust, Seabrook-Hampton Estuary Alliance), and specialized research entities (Marine Biological Laboratory, VIMS, Auburn University) for component research, habitat restoration, workforce development, and technical assistance tasks.

Corporate structure: UNH is a division of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH), a parent non-profit tax-exempt 1862 land-grant college. The system operates multiple divisions; federal awards to UNH are administratively tracked through its parent, University System of New Hampshire, which holds UEI Z2QKFRGLGNL3. The UNH division uses the "New Hampshire School of Law" doing-business-as designation in some federal documentation, though this reflects an internal administrative unit rather than a separate legal entity. The institution maintains facilities and administrative oversight in Lee, New Hampshire (primary research location) and Durham, New Hampshire (main campus). Federal contract performance occurs at Lee and at subordinate research centers including the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, Joint Hydrographic Center, and multiple marine and environmental science facilities distributed across coastal and lake research sites in New Hampshire.