Federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) are public-private partnerships that conduct research and development for the United States Government. Under Federal Acquisition Regulation § 35.017, FFRDCs are operated by universities and corporations to fulfill certain long-term needs of the government that "...cannot be met as effectively by existing in-house or contractor resources." While similar in many ways to University Affiliated Research Centers, FFRDCs are prohibited from competing for work.[1][2] There are currently 42 FFRDCs, each sponsored by one or more U.S. government departments or agencies.[3]
During World War II scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and other specialists became part of the massive United States war effort—leading to evolutions in radar, aircraft, computing and, most famously, the development of nuclear weapons through the Manhattan Project.[5] The end of armed conflict did not end the need for organized research and development in support of the government.
As the Cold War became the new reality, government officials and their scientific advisors advanced the idea of a systematic approach to research, development, and acquisitions—one independent of the ups and downs of the marketplace and free of the restrictions on civil service. From this idea arose the concept of FFRDCs—private entities that would work almost exclusively on behalf of the government—free of organizational conflicts of interest and with a stable workforce of highly trained technical talent.
The U.S. Air Force created the first FFRDC, the RAND Corporation, in 1947. Others grew directly out of their wartime roles. For example, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, founded in 1951, originated as the Radiation Laboratory at MIT, and the Navy's Operation Research Group evolved into the Center for Naval Analyses. The first FFRDCs served the Department of Defense. Since then, other government organizations have sponsored FFRDCs to meet their specific needs. In 1969, the number of FFRDCs peaked at 74.[5][6]
The following list includes all current FFRDCs:
Facility
Administrator
Location
Sponsor
El Segundo, California;
Chantilly, Virginia;
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force
Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Department of Defense, Department of the Army
Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration
Institute for Defense Analyses
Department of Defense, National Security Agency
Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service;
Department of Veterans Affairs;
Social Security Administration
The CNA Corporation
Department of Defense, Department of the Navy
San Antonio, Texas
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC
Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health
Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Science and Technology
Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Science and Technology
California Institute of Technology
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Triad National Security, LLC
Battelle National Biodefense Institute
Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Science and Technology
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
Socorro, New Mexico;
Charlottesville, Virginia
Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
Bedford, Massachusetts;
McLean, Virginia
Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force
National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Livermore, CA
Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC
Institute for Defense Analyses
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Institute for Defense Analyses
Department of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Jefferson Science Associates, LLC
NSF 23-339
