Cheryl R Burkhardt

Cheryl R. Burkhardt serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex research and development acquisitions that directly support naval and national security innovation. Her portfolio centers on high-technology procurements in physical sciences, advanced instrumentation, and electronic systems, ensuring alignment with NRL’s mission to develop next-generation maritime capabilities. She manages full lifecycle contracting for scientific R&D services, sensor systems, signal processing technologies, and specialized instrumentation, often navigating technical requirements that demand deep domain expertise and compliance with federal acquisition regulations for classified and unclassified programs. Burkhardt maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of specialized contractors, including Assurance Technology Corp, L3Harris NexGen Communications LLC, Envisioneering Inc, Integration Innovation Inc, and Analex Corporation. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven capabilities in electronic warfare components, autonomous navigation systems, and high-precision sensor integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term collaboration with firms possessing niche technical expertise, fostering agile, responsive procurement cycles that accommodate the evolving nature of NRL’s R&D projects. Her set-aside preferences are heavily skewed toward open competition, with 84.6% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides, reflecting the specialized and often classified nature of NRL’s work. However, she consistently allocates 15.4% of contracts to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation where technical requirements permit. Burkhardt’s procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 541712 (R&D in physical and engineering sciences), with significant activity in 334511 (navigation and guidance systems), 334515 (electrical signal measurement instruments), and 334413 (semiconductor manufacturing). Her work supports the acquisition of advanced hardware and software systems critical to maritime surveillance, electronic countermeasures, and autonomous platform integration, requiring deep familiarity with defense-grade technical specifications and compliance standards.