Top DoD research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the Department of Defense obligated $837.0M in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541710, up 67.7% from $499.1M in the preceding 12 months. 9 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 2 of them accounted for 80% of that spend.
Prime contracts funded by the Department of Defense. Latest 12 months: Oct 6, 2025 to Oct 5, 2026. Source: USAspending.gov.
DoD publishes contract data to USAspending with a 90-day delay, so the most recent months understate DoD activity.
Obligations by fiscal year
Net prime contract obligations by federal fiscal year (October to September).
Top DoD contractors for NAICS 541710
Ranked by positive obligations in the latest 12 months. Share is of all positive obligations in this market.
| # | Contractor | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Share | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | $665.5M | $407.2M | 79.4% | — |
| 2 | Uchicago Argonne, LLC | $87.6M | $9.9M | 10.4% | ▲ 2 |
| 3 | The Regents of the University of California | $59.9M | $48.2M | 7.1% | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | The Leland Stanford Junior University | $18.7M | $26.0M | 2.2% | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | MTA Inc | $6.0M | $9.2M | 0.7% | — |
| 6 | The Boeing Company | $731K | $0 | 0.1% | New |
| 7 | The Pennsylvania State University | $7K | $0 | 0.0% | New |
| 8 | Metatech Corp | $1K | $0 | 0.0% | New |
| 9 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $509 | $0 | 0.0% | New |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC$407.2M → $665.5M (+$258.3M) · now #1
- Uchicago Argonne, LLC$9.9M → $87.6M (+$77.7M) · now #2
- The Regents of the University of California$48.2M → $59.9M (+$11.8M) · now #3
Largest declines
- The Leland Stanford Junior University$26.0M → $18.7M (−$7.3M) · now #4
- MTA Inc$9.2M → $6.0M (−$3.1M) · now #5
- Raytheon Company$0 → −$1.3M (−$1.3M) · no latest-period obligations
New to this market
3 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| The Boeing Company | May 19, 2026 | $731K |
| The Pennsylvania State University | May 20, 2026 | $7K |
| Metatech Corp | Jun 15, 2026 | $1K |
Where the money comes from
Funding sub-agencies within the Department of Defense, latest 12 months. The funding organization can differ from the office that runs the requirement.
| Funding sub-agency | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | $274.6M | $9.8M | Up $264.8M (2696.7%) |
| Department of the Air Force | $156.4M | $107.4M | Up $48.9M (45.6%) |
| Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense | $132.8M | $105.7M | Up $27.1M (25.7%) |
| Department of the Army | $121.5M | $160.0M | Down $38.5M (24.1%) |
| Defense Health Agency | $114.2M | $48.2M | Up $66.1M (137.2%) |
| Defense Threat Reduction Agency | $38.3M | $39.1M | Down $774K (2.0%) |
Potential recompetes
Large awards in this market whose current period of performance ends in the next 18 months. Treat these as research leads: options, extensions, and follow-on vehicles often change the timing.
| Award | Incumbent | Obligated | Current end |
|---|---|---|---|
| W31P4Q21FC003 | MTA Inc PROVIDE ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN PLANNING, DEVELOPING, AND MANAGING RAM AND SA PROGRAMS FOR WEAPON SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE | $44.4M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| DEAC0276SF00515 | The Leland Stanford Junior University OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE LINEAR ACCELLERATOR | $83.2M | Sep 30, 2027 |
Common questions
Who are the top DoD contractors for NAICS 541710?
In the latest 12 months, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC ($665.5M), Uchicago Argonne, LLC ($87.6M), The Regents of the University of California ($59.9M) received the most DoD obligations for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 100.0% of positive obligations, and Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC alone held 79.4%. 3 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large DoD NAICS 541710 contracts ending soon?
2 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is W31P4Q21FC003 (MTA Inc, $44.4M obligated), ending Dec 31, 2026. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
Related markets
NAICS 541710 across all agencies
NASA · NAICS 541710
$436.5MFigures are net obligations on prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending.gov, grouped by funding agency and the NAICS code on each award. Net obligations include deobligations and corrections, so they can differ from positive-obligation totals. See methodology.
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