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. There are currently 42 FFRDCs, each sponsored by one or more U.S. government departments or agencies.
HINT:
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Federally funded research and development center
- Federally funded research and development center in the context of Institute for Defense Analyses
- Federally funded research and development center in the context of National Center for Atmospheric Research
- Federally funded research and development center in the context of National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Federally funded research and development center in the context of NOIRLab
Federally funded research and development center in the context of Institute for Defense Analyses
The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is an American non-profit corporation that administers three federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) – the Systems and Analyses Center (SAC), the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), and the Center for Communications and Computing (C&C) – to assist the United States government in addressing national security issues, particularly those requiring scientific and technical expertise. It is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
View the full Wikipedia page for Institute for Defense AnalysesFederally funded research and development center in the context of National Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR /ˈɛnkɑːr/) is a US federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). NCAR has multiple facilities, including the I. M. Pei-designed Mesa Laboratory headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. Studies include meteorology, climate science, atmospheric chemistry, solar-terrestrial interactions, environmental and societal impacts.
View the full Wikipedia page for National Center for Atmospheric ResearchFederally funded research and development center in the context of National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation. NREL is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Department of Energy and operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, a joint venture between MRIGlobal and Battelle. Located in Golden, Colorado, NREL is home to the National Center for Photovoltaics, the National Bioenergy Center, and the National Wind Technology Center. On December 1, 2025, the Department of Energy announced a new name for NREL, the National Laboratory of the Rockies, pending Congressional authorization.
View the full Wikipedia page for National Renewable Energy LaboratoryFederally funded research and development center in the context of NOIRLab
The National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) is the United States' national facility for ground-based, night-time optical and infrared astronomy. It is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), as a federally funded research and development center.
NOIRLab runs four observatories and a center for scientific software and research data archiving. It provides access to observing time for astronomers affiliated with any US institution.
View the full Wikipedia page for NOIRLab