UMD, US Army Garrison Fort Meade Sign Maryland’s First Intergovernmental Support Agreement

Smith School expertise and student talent to strengthen Fort Meade’s modernization efforts and expand Maryland’s skilled workforce pipeline.

The University of Maryland and U.S. Army Garrison Fort George G. Meade have formally entered into Maryland’s first Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA), establishing a landmark umbrella partnership that enables UMD faculty, staff and students to support Fort Meade’s installation operations and workforce modernization. 

Under the agreement, UMD interdisciplinary teams—assembled by Frank Goertner, director for Federal and Veteran Affairs and director of Technology Management Graduate Programs at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business—will collaborate with Fort Meade staff on jointly defined objectives and task orders. “The agreement enables rapid, iterative support for the Army team hosting Maryland’s largest collocated workforce while also creating hands-on learning opportunities for Maryland students and applied research pathways for Maryland faculty,” says Goertner.

Fort Meade Garrison Commander Yolanda Gore says the agreement “strengthens Fort Meade’s ability to modernize rapidly while deepening our partnership with the University of Maryland. By working directly with UMD talent, we gain innovative, cost-effective, community-driven solutions that enhance Army Mission, Soldier and Family Readiness at our installation.” 

The IGSA creates a standardized, one-on-one process for UMD to deliver funded research, services, projects and experiential learning opportunities that benefit both Fort Meade—home to Maryland’s largest collocated workforce—and the university community. Army Installations Command initiated discussions with UMD last summer to address an anticipated gap in services on the installation, including data analytics, operations research, operations planning support, process automation, IT upskilling and customized assessment solutions.

“This IGSA establishes a significant new channel for the University of Maryland to apply research expertise in service of a critical national mission,” says UMD Vice President and Chief Research Officer Patrick O’Shea. “It allows our faculty, staff and students to contribute meaningfully to Fort Meade’s operational needs while expanding opportunities for applied scholarship and experiential learning.”

IGSAs offer a range of advantages over traditional contracts, including:

• Cost efficiencies and shared-service partnerships among public enterprises
• Strategic project planning over an annual renewal timeline of up to a decade
• Streamlined approval and modification procedures

“This partnership exemplifies how public universities and business schools can deliver real-world impact through data, analytics and operational innovation,” says Smith School Dean Prabhudev Konana. “Our world-class faculty and students will help solve complex challenges for Fort Meade, gaining hands-on experience that strengthens Maryland’s talent pipeline and advances the region’s economic and national security ecosystem.”

Authorized under 10 USC 2679, IGSAs allow Army installations to partner with state, local, or tribal government entities to deliver installation-support services more rapidly and cost-effectively than traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracting mechanisms.

The Army has previously signed IGSAs with public universities in Alabama, Alaska, Tennessee, Montana, and Texas; today’s agreement marks the first in Maryland and is expected to serve as a template for future partnerships across the University System of Maryland.

“Our university has supported the U.S. armed forces since its founding, and our business school was a proud partner in the Army Specialized Training Program that helped our nation’s soldiers and civil servants win World War II,” Goertner notes. “This new agreement offers both UMD and Fort Meade an exciting tool to extend that rich legacy.”