Top DoD research and development in the social sciences and humanities contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the Department of Defense obligated $139.5M in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541720, down 53.0% from $296.8M in the preceding 12 months. 79 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 7 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 541720
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 | The Rand Corporation | $40.2M | $44.8M | 28.6% | ▲ 2 |
| 2 | Fors Marsh Group LLC | $35.1M | $36.7M | 25.0% | ▲ 2 |
| 3 | University of Maryland, College Park | $21.3M | $60.6M | 15.1% | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Soar 365 | $5.1M | −$89K | 3.6% | New |
| 5 | The MITRE Corporation | $4.4M | $4.9M | 3.1% | ▲ 4 |
| 6 | Peraton Inc. | $3.8M | $5.8M | 2.7% | ▲ 1 |
| 7 | National Opinion Research Center | $3.1M | $5.0M | 2.2% | ▲ 1 |
| 8 | Telemus Group LLC | $2.5M | $3.3M | 1.8% | ▲ 2 |
| 9 | ICF Incorporated, L.L.C. | $2.3M | $2.3M | 1.7% | ▲ 4 |
| 10 | Baron Public Affairs LLC | $1.8M | $2.5M | 1.3% | ▲ 2 |
| 11 | Dynamis, Inc. | $1.7M | $1.7M | 1.2% | ▲ 9 |
| 12 | Stratevarious Inc | $1.6M | $1.8M | 1.1% | ▲ 5 |
| 13 | University of Rochester | $1.5M | $211K | 1.1% | ▲ 43 |
| 14 | Cherokee Insights LLC | $1.5M | $0 | 1.0% | New |
| 15 | Lockheed Martin Corp | $1.2M | $79.7M | 0.9% | ▼ 14 |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Soar 365−$89K → $5.1M (+$5.2M) · now #4
- Cherokee Insights LLC$0 → $1.5M (+$1.5M) · now #14
- University of Rochester$211K → $1.5M (+$1.3M) · now #13
Largest declines
- Lockheed Martin Corp$79.7M → $1.2M (−$78.5M) · now #15
- University of Maryland, College Park$60.6M → $21.3M (−$39.4M) · now #3
- New South Associates, Inc.$7.9M → $465K (−$7.5M) · now #23
New to this market
25 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Insights LLC | Mar 25, 2026 | $1.5M |
| Topsarge Business Solutions, LLC | May 21, 2026 | $460K |
| Bluedrop USA Inc. | May 15, 2026 | $396K |
| Lone Pine Geoeconomics Inc. | Jun 30, 2026 | $389K |
| Perceptum LLC | May 21, 2026 | $250K |
| Tier 1 Performance Solutions LLC | May 1, 2026 | $250K |
| Cognitive Performance Group of Florida, LLC | Jan 28, 2026 | $171K |
| Kairos Research LLC | Jun 17, 2026 | $140K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of the Air Force | $48.1M | $79.3M | Down $31.1M (39.3%) |
| Defense Human Resources Activity | $40.8M | $46.3M | Down $5.5M (11.8%) |
| Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense | $22.7M | $21.1M | Up $1.6M (7.6%) |
| Department of the Army | $7.5M | $25.2M | Down $17.6M (70.2%) |
| Defense Logistics Agency | $5.1M | −$275K | Up $5.4M (1967.0%) |
| Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | $4.8M | $5.4M | Down $645K (11.8%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HT001123C0060 | Deloitte Consulting LLP PROGRAM AND SURVEY MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR QUICK TURNAROUND SURVEYS AND POLLS | $5.8M | Dec 30, 2026 |
| FA701425F0325 | The Rand Corporation PROJECT AIR FORCE (PAF) - FY26 CORE RESEARCH PROJECTS - 72 STAFF-YEAR OF TECHNICAL EFFORTS | $33.0M | Mar 30, 2027 |
| FA714625F0001 | University of Maryland, College Park SECURING EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM COMPUTING USAGE IN RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS (SEQCURE) QUANTUM COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT QUANTUM COMPUTER AND QIST RESEARCH (PHASE 2) | $27.1M | Mar 31, 2027 |
| HR001126FE003 | University of Maryland, College Park QUANTUM BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE (QBI) EFFORT UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND (UMD) APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY (ARLIS) UNIVERSITY AFFILIATE… | $8.7M | Apr 5, 2027 |
| HT942524C0036 | University of Maryland, College Park DHP- DEVELOPMENT OF AI/ML TOOLS | $8.1M | Apr 14, 2027 |
| HQ003424F0423 | University of Maryland, College Park RESEARCH FOR INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY CHALLENGES INTERNS | $10.7M | May 14, 2027 |
| 47QFPA25F0032 | Fors Marsh Group LLC ANALYTICS TO 15 DPAC FY25 ANALYTICAL SUPPORT SERVICES | $6.5M | Jun 14, 2027 |
| HQ003425FE160 | University of Maryland, College Park RESEARCH THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN INDIVIDUALS AFFLICTED WITH SYMPTOMS OF EMERGING HEALTH THREATS. | $6.9M | Jun 17, 2027 |
| 47QFPA25F0006 | Fors Marsh Group LLC ANALYTICS TASK ORDER 10 DPAC FY 2025 ANALYTICAL SUPPORT SERVICES | $7.8M | Jun 24, 2027 |
| 47QFPA26F0042 | Fors Marsh Group LLC ANALYTICS TASK ORDER 36 FY26 DSPO SPIRC | $5.3M | Sep 14, 2027 |
Common questions
Who are the top DoD contractors for NAICS 541720?
In the latest 12 months, The Rand Corporation ($40.2M), Fors Marsh Group LLC ($35.1M), University of Maryland, College Park ($21.3M) received the most DoD obligations for research and development in the social sciences and humanities.
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 82.1% of positive obligations, and The Rand Corporation alone held 28.6%. 25 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large DoD NAICS 541720 contracts ending soon?
10 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is HT001123C0060 (Deloitte Consulting LLP, $5.8M obligated), ending Dec 30, 2026. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
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$14.3MFigures 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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