Work For Others

National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research and Development Center: Strengthening Public Sector Cybersecurity

To address today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges, government agencies can now access the unique facilities, cybersecurity technologies, and expertise of the National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research and Development Center (NCF). The NCF is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of secure technolo­gies.

The NCF supports the mission of the NCCoE at NIST—to collaborate with innovators to provide real- world, standards-based cybersecurity capabilities that address business needs. NIST sponsors the NCF to meet cybersecurity research and development needs— and to help demonstrate integrated cybersecurity that is cost-effective, repeatable, and scalable. As an FFRDC, NCF operates in the public interest with objectivity and no organizational conflicts of interest. The Work for Others Program, governed by the Program Management Office (PMO) at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE), facilitates engagement with the NCF for contributions to complex and critical cyber programs and initiatives.

Who May Use the NCF?

  • Federal Agencies
  • State Governments
  • Municipal Governments
  • Not-for-Profit Organizations

Task Areas

NCF provides research, development, engineering, and technical support, such as:

  • Frameworks and implementation strategies to encourage and expedite adoption of effective cybersecurity controls and mechanisms
  • Collaboration across government, industry, and academia to accelerate effective innovation
  • Systems engineering and technology testing to accelerate adoption of cyber- security technologies by government and private sectors
  • Support for technology transfer of cybersecurity solutions

How to Get Started

  1. Submit A Request

Request a needs assessment form by emailing the NCCoE PMO at FFRDC_Requests@NIST.gov.

  1. Requests Reviewed

Needs assessment is reviewed to ensure it is within scope of the NCF IDIQ contract* and meets the additional criteria shown below.

  1. Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) Prepared

This is an assisted acquisition. The NCCoE PMO will collaborate with your agency to prepare any necessary documentation for an IAA (e.g., SOW; IGCE; Market Research Report; FMS Forms 7600A and B.)

  1. Proposal Submission and Task Order Award

The NIST Acquisition Management Division will issue an RFP to The MITRE Corporation. We will work with your agency to negotiate for the best value in terms of cost and technical approaches. A Task Order will be awarded to MITRE for the approved work proposal.

For more information, please email FFRDC_Requests@NIST.gov.

*NIST Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract no. SB1341-14-CQ-0010.