Carmen Carney

Carmen Carney serves as Program Manager within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she leads the acquisition and technical integration of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials. She plays a pivotal role in translating laboratory innovations into operational capabilities by managing complex research and development contracts that bridge fundamental science with flight-ready hardware. Her acquisitions focus on early-stage prototyping, materials characterization, and adaptive control system development, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority in air and space domains. Carney maintains strategic partnerships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are built on long-term collaboration in propulsion system design, thermal protection materials, and advanced manufacturing processes. She favors established aerospace primes and specialized materials firms with proven technical depth, often engaging them through multiple-phase R&D contracts that include both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price elements to mitigate technical risk while driving innovation. Carney’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards competed openly under full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate strategy to prioritize technical excellence and mission-critical capability over socioeconomic preferences, ensuring access to the most qualified and capable industry partners for high-stakes propulsion research. While small business participation is not structurally mandated, vendors of all sizes compete on technical merit and past performance. Her primary procurement focus is NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced propulsion modeling, hypersonic wind tunnel testing, ceramic matrix composites, and additive manufacturing of turbine components. Her expertise lies in managing technically complex, multi-year R&D efforts that demand deep domain knowledge in aerospace propulsion systems and high-temperature materials science.