Request for Information: Lead Institutional Partner
SSPI seeks Lead Institutional Partners for one of the nation’s most respected STEM programs
A select number of institutions will have the opportunity to serve as Lead Institutional Partners for one of the nation’s most respected STEM programs—bringing high-achieving students, meaningful faculty engagement, and significant summer activation to campus. SSP International is seeking partners capable of hosting a minimum of five concurrent residential science programs during the summer term, beginning in Summer 2027. We are specifically looking for institutions with significant available summer laboratory capacity and interest in a high-impact, multi-year partnership. At full implementation, this partnership represents significant summer activation of campus facilities and an estimated $500,000+ in annual institutional revenue.
Institutions should assume near-continuous use, dedicated of designated laboratory and academic spaces for 5–6 weeks during the summer term (flexible dates, spanning June through August). For smaller institutions, this may represent substantial summer activation of lab facilities. For larger institutions, this may involve dedicating a defined cluster of labs and academic space exclusively to SSPI.
Our Ideal Partnership
- Full implementation of 5+ concurrent programs, including at least four laboratory-based programs and one or more additional programs
- Meaningful engagement opportunities for partner faculty and increasing institutional visibility among high-achieving STEM students
- Potential to provide summer salary support for university faculty who commit to six consecutive weeks of full-time teaching and program delivery, subject to qualifications and mutual agreement
- Dedicated, exclusive-use laboratory capacity sufficient to support at least four full lab-based programs running simultaneously
- Additional academic, research, prep, storage, and support space, including capacity for non-lab-intensive programs (e.g., astrophysics)
- Residential and dining capacity aligned with this scale
Download the full RFP to review detailed requirements, partnership structure, and next steps.
Lead Institutional Partner FAQ
SSPI is seeking a long-term institutional partner capable of hosting at least five concurrent residential programs beginning in Summer 2027. At full scale, this includes approximately 180 students and 40 staff on campus for 5–6 weeks, with near-continuous use of labs, classrooms, and housing.
Institutions must provide at least four wet labs, each able to support approximately 12 student workstations running simultaneously, plus additional spaces for a potential fifth (or sixth) program. SSPI has had success splitting cohorts (18 participants in each) into adjacent labs in cases where fire or safety code restricts capacity. A full equipment list is available, but for our biochemistry program a teaching lab equipped to move from protein expression through characterization is often sufficient and a molecular microbiology lab is often sufficient for our cell biology and bacterial genomics programs. All lab and academic spaces should be dedicated exclusively to SSPI for the full 5–6-week period.
Institutions must be able to house approximately 180 students (double occupancy) and 40 staff (a mix of single rooms and apartment-style housing for instructional staff). Dining must be able to provide three meals daily for the full program duration, accommodate dietary restrictions, and align with academic schedules.
At full implementation, the partnership represents approximately $500,000 or more in predictable annual summer revenue, while also increasing utilization of campus facilities during typically low-use months.
Proposals should demonstrate clear support from both academic departments and institutional leadership, as well as readiness to dedicate space and resources for a multi-year partnership. Submissions should clearly outline institutional capacity, available facilities, pricing (housing, dining, labs, and services), and relevant experience, along with references and compliance information. Responses are reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submissions are encouraged. Submissions must be emailed to rfp@ssp.org
In addition to housing, dining, and classroom needs, institutions must provide reliable Wi-Fi, classroom A/V, IT support, environmental health and safety coordination, procurement and receiving support, and custodial and security services.
SSPI prioritizes partners willing to enter a 3–5 year agreement, contingent on successful operations each summer, with the potential to expand beyond five programs over time.
The ideal partner institution should be able to host at least four concurrent wet lab science programs (some combination of biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and cell biology) plus at least one more project in astrophysics (no wet lab component, more flexible academic space requirements). Proposals should include concurrent hosting capacity for each project.
Current equipment inventory, including functionality and availability during the summer, should be included as part of the proposal, as well as any equipment that would have to be purchased or repaired. Prospective partners with all or most of the equipment required will be prioritized over campuses that will need significant equipment investment, but some supplementation is expected and equipment needs will not be disqualifying.
SSPI will not directly cover personnel costs, but internal projections for additional personnel requirements should be included as part of the institution’s overall proposal.
Faculty and students of institutional partners are welcome and encouraged to apply for suitable summer opportunities such as teaching roles and Teaching Assistant/Residential Mentors with SSPI, but it is not a requirement. Institutional faculty and students may also apply for opportunities and request to be placed at another campus to get a different type of summer experience, if preferred.
No, SSPI assumes responsibility for hiring, onboarding, and training of all program faculty.
SSPI carries insurance which includes general liability plus umbrella coverage, damage to rented premises, auto liability, and Sexual Abuse and Molestation (SAM) coverage.