Federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) are owned by the federal government, but operated by contractors, including universities, other nonprofit organizations, and industrial firms. FFRDCs are intended to provide federal agencies with research and development (R&D) capabilities that cannot be effectively met by the federal government or private sector alone.
An FFRDC may be given special access to government and supplier data, employees, and facilities. This access is beyond what is typical in a normal contractual relationship and may include access to sensitive and proprietary information.
NSF maintains a comprehensive list of all FFRDCs.
FFRDCs in UCLA Proposals
- Review the funding opportunity and sponsor guidelines to
- Ensure FFRDCS are permitted to collaborate on research and whether they are allowed to received grant funds directly or via a subaward
- Determine whether the funding agency requires the applicant (UCLA) obtain written authorization from the FFRDC's cognizant contracting officer even when the FFRDC is not receiving funding
- Whether there is a separate budget line item for FFRDC costs and funding related to the FFRDC scope of work
- UCLA, as the Prime Recipient, must flow down certain terms and conditions to subrecipients
- The FFRDC may not be able to accept the flow down terms and conditions as they may be contrary to the FFRDC's FAR contract terms
- The FFRDC may provide a template contract with terms that UCLA is unable to accept
- The FFRDC may to be able to use its available funds to cover work and may require an advance payment
Contact OCGA as soon as possible if the funding agency guidelines are silent or vague on including and FFRDC or the payment mechanism.
OCGA will work with the funding agency at proposal stage to attempt to have the FFRDC paid directly.
Best Practices
- Include OCGA as early as possible if the PI wants to include a FFRDC in the proposal
- OCGA can work with the federal funder to try to negotiate direct payment to the FFRDC
- Direct payment between the federal funder and the FFRDC will almost always allow the FFRDC to commence work earlier than if UCLA must try to negotiate a subaward with the FFRDC