NAICS 541715Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
Size Standard
1,000 employees
CMMC Level
Level 2–3 (varies by program)
Key Agencies
DARPA, DoD, Army Research Lab, Naval Research Lab
Overview
Establishments primarily engaged in conducting research and experimental development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, such as agriculture, electronics, environmental, biology, botany, computers, chemistry, food, fisheries, forests, geology, health, mathematics, medicine, oceanography, pharmacy, physics, veterinary, and other allied subjects.
Common Contract Types
Recent Contract Awards
Total Awards
65,528
Last 30 Days
85
30-Day Value
$3.2B
Avg Amount
$41.8M
All-Time Value
$279.5B
FPDS
| Contract | Awardee | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BARRIOS TECHNOLOGY, LLC | $3.8M | |
| RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE | $1.9M | |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | $6.6M | |
| BARRIOS TECHNOLOGY, LLC | $64.7M | |
| ODYSSEY SPACE, LLC | $240K | |
| ACADIAN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LLC | $400K | |
| THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC | $3.6M | |
| AXNANO INC | $400K | |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | $1.5M | |
| CYNNOVATIVE, LLC | $1.8M | |
| 2026 NIAID DMID Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement | UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE | $9.3M |
| Multiple Award Schedule | Quantatronics, LLC | $10.0M |
| Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER) | Arete Associates | $1.5M |
| Award Notice Under 2026 ERDC Broad Agency Announcement | MVB Engineering, LLC | $389K |
| Multiple Award Schedule | POLOLEI SOLUTIONS, LLC | $400K |
| Research and Development Efforts for High Performance Computing | ANALEX CORPORATION | $12.5M |
| 2026 NIAID DMID Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement | ARISAN THERAPEUTICS INC | $23.9M |
| Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER) | SAAZ MICRO, INC. | $1.9M |
| Designing Natural Infrastructure for the Coastal Zone Around Tidal Rivers | RECTOR & VISITORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | $1.1M |
| Multi-Spectral Sensing Technologies Research and Development (MUSTER) | RADIAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LTD | $6.0M |
Top Awardees
Top Contractors (FPDS)
| Contractor | Total Obligation |
|---|---|
| FLUOR MARINE PROPULSION, LLC | $29.7B |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | $20.4B |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP | $17.5B |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | $16.3B |
| THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION | $9.4B |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What CMMC level is required for NAICS 541715?
CMMC Level 2 is the baseline for most R&D contracts involving CUI. Programs with ITAR-controlled research or sensitive prototype data may require Level 3. Basic research contracts funded through broad agency announcements may only require Level 1.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 541715?
The size standard is 1,000 employees, making it one of the few professional services codes measured by employee count rather than revenue.
What defense R&D programs use NAICS 541715?
This code is used for DARPA programs, Service Research Lab contracts, SBIR/STTR awards, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements for prototype development, and basic research grants across all science and engineering disciplines.
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