The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is going back to school, at least until 2029 and to the Pennsylvania State University (State College, Pa.). The DoD awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $460 million to use the Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory (PSU-ARL) as a University Affiliated Research Center. No funds are obligated at the time of the contract.
The school’s research facility (see image above) will help examine problems affecting U.S. national security and provide analytical assessments as well as recommend solutions to senior defense leaders.
The sole-source contract to PSU-ARL provides funding for essential engineering, research, and development capability for the DoD at a research organization within a university or college. Work per the contract will be performed at the Applied Research Laboratory within the college. The estimated contract completion date is July 8, 2029. The contract is issued and managed by Washington Headquarters Services (Arlington, Va.).