This FPDS NAICS page summarizes obligations for research and development in the social sciences and humanities, a category used for studies in areas such as behavior, education, economics, policy, and related fields. In the last full year, agencies obligated $650,980,999.53 across 2,032 award actions, for an average action value of $320,364.66.
NAICS Industry
NAICS 541720 Federal Contract Obligations (Last Year)
Federal procurement activity under NAICS 541720 covers research and development in the social sciences and humanities, totaling $650.98 million across 2,032 awards in the last full year.
The agency and vendor rankings reflect the top reported obligors and recipients for the analysis window, with CMS, the Department of Education, and Mathematica Inc. among the largest participants.
NAICS Code
541720
Industry
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
Total Obligated
650.98 million
650,980,999.53
Award Actions
2,032
Average Action Value
320,364.66
About NAICS 541720 federal contract activity
In the last full year, FPDS recorded $650.98 million in obligations across 2,032 awards under NAICS 541720, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES. The average award value was $320,364.66, indicating a portfolio dominated by comparatively smaller obligations rather than a few very large awards.
Agency demand and leading federal buyers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services led spending at $163.30 million across 311 awards, followed by the Department of Education at $113.14 million across 388 awards. The Department of the Air Force, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Missile Defense Agency also ranked among the top obligators, showing demand from both civilian and defense agencies.
Vendor concentration and leading contractors
Mathematica Inc. was the leading recipient with $92.76 million across 83 awards, followed by Educational Testing Service at $60.40 million and Westat, Inc. at $57.80 million. The MITRE Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation also appear among the top vendors, reflecting a mix of research, testing, and technical support contractors.
Annual contract trend over the analysis window
The annual trend for 2025 totals $650.98 million in obligations across 2,032 awards, matching the full-year aggregate shown for this analysis window. Because only one year is provided, the dataset supports a point-in-time view rather than a multi-year directional trend.
How to interpret this page
This page summarizes FPDS obligations reported under NAICS 541720 for the last full year. Metrics reflect total obligated dollars, award counts, and averages derived from the reported FPDS records; vendor and agency rankings are based on total obligated value within the same period.
Top Agencies
SELECT
agency_id,
agency_name,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID AS agency_id,
anyHeavy(content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID__name) AS agency_name,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541720'
AND content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID IS NOT NULL
AND content__award__purchaserInformation__contractingOfficeAgencyID != ''
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 1 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY agency_id
)
ORDER BY total_obligated DESC
LIMIT 10| Agency ID | Agency Name | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7530 | CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES | 163,295,522.84 | 163.30 million | 311 |
| 9100 | EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF | 113,142,222.51 | 113.14 million | 388 |
| 5700 | DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE | 56,957,517.60 | 56.96 million | 55 |
| 1341 | NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY | 56,697,009.95 | 56.70 million | 34 |
| 97JC | MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY (MDA) | 54,400,533.29 | 54.40 million | 21 |
| 97F5 | WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES (WHS) | 36,950,190.24 | 36.95 million | 134 |
| 4732 | FEDERAL ACQUISITION SERVICE | 34,184,480.53 | 34.18 million | 48 |
| 2100 | DEPT OF THE ARMY | 25,170,618.59 | 25.17 million | 235 |
| 9748 | DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIVITY | 11,396,606.89 | 11.40 million | 21 |
| 7529 | NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH | 11,230,421.53 | 11.23 million | 15 |
Insight
Obligations in NAICS 541720 totaled $650.98 million across 2,032 awards in the last full year, with spending concentrated among a small set of agencies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services led with $163.30 million, followed by the Department of Education at $113.14 million; together they accounted for roughly 42.4% of total obligations. A second tier of Defense and science agencies, including the Department of the Air Force, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Missile Defense Agency, contributed another substantial share, while the remaining top agencies were more fragmented and generally lower in obligation value.
Top Vendors
SELECT
vendor_name,
cage_code,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName AS vendor_name,
anyHeavy(content__award__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode) AS cage_code,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541720'
AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName IS NOT NULL
AND content__award__vendor__vendorHeader__vendorName != ''
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 1 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY vendor_name
)
ORDER BY total_obligated DESC
LIMIT 10| Vendor | CAGE Code | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATHEMATICA INC. | 1EFX9 | 92,758,330.94 | 92.76 million | 83 |
| EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE | 9A596 | 60,397,859.58 | 60.40 million | 25 |
| WESTAT, INC. | 1D075 | 57,801,811.92 | 57.80 million | 43 |
| THE MITRE CORPORATION | 7L030 | 56,697,009.95 | 56.70 million | 34 |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION | 06887 | 54,400,533.29 | 54.40 million | 21 |
| NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER | 8A395 | 52,000,467.64 | 52.00 million | 63 |
| RAND CORPORATION, THE | 11578 | 40,296,373.15 | 40.30 million | 138 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK | 0UB92 | 36,270,799.50 | 36.27 million | 40 |
| FORS MARSH GROUP LLC | 360C2 | 36,037,052.57 | 36.04 million | 64 |
| ACUMEN, LLC | 3MQD9 | 16,066,009.17 | 16.07 million | 11 |
Insight
In the last full year, NAICS 541720 obligated $650.98 million across 2,032 awards, with an average award value of $320,364.66. Obligations are concentrated among a small set of vendors: Mathematica Inc. led with $92.76 million across 83 awards, followed by Educational Testing Service, Westat, Inc., The MITRE Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation, each above $54 million. The remaining top vendors show a broader distribution by award count, with The RAND Corporation receiving 138 awards but $40.30 million, indicating a mix of high-value and higher-volume award patterns.
Annual Trend
SELECT
year,
total_obligated,
award_count,
formatReadableQuantity(total_obligated) AS total_obligated_readable
FROM
(
SELECT
toYear(parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate)) AS year,
sum(content__award__dollarValues__obligatedAmount) AS total_obligated,
count() AS award_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE
contract_type = 1
AND content__award__productOrServiceInformation__principalNAICSCode = '541720'
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) >= toStartOfYear(now()) - INTERVAL 1 YEAR
AND parseDateTimeBestEffortOrNull(content__award__relevantContractDates__signedDate) < toStartOfYear(now())
GROUP BY year
)
ORDER BY year DESC| Year | Total Obligated | Readable | Award Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 650,980,999.53 | 650.98 million | 2,032 |
Insight
For the last full year, NAICS 541720 recorded $650.98 million in obligated spend across 2,032 awards, with an average award value of $320,364.66. The annual trend is concentrated in a single year in the provided window, so this section reflects the full observed obligation level rather than a multi-year pattern. The award volume indicates a relatively broad distribution of obligations across many actions, while the average award value suggests a moderate award size profile for this R&D category.
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