Chris Shih

Chris Shih serves as a key procurement professional within the National Cancer Institute, supporting the agency’s mission to accelerate cancer research through strategic acquisition of scientific and technical services. He manages a portfolio of contracts focused on administrative management consulting, computing infrastructure, and life sciences research support, ensuring alignment with NCI’s priorities in genomic analysis, data-driven diagnostics, and precision medicine. His acquisitions are designed to enable high-performance research environments, facilitating data processing, bioinformatics, and laboratory operations critical to translational oncology. Shih maintains a consistent working relationship with Roche Diagnostics Corporation, a primary contractor providing advanced diagnostic platforms and integrated laboratory solutions. His procurement approach favors established industry partners with proven capacity in scientific services and scalable IT infrastructure, reflecting a preference for proven technical expertise over emerging vendors. While he engages with large, high-capability firms, his contracting patterns also incorporate 8(a) certified small businesses, particularly in management consulting and specialized research support roles. His set-aside preferences reveal a strong orientation toward open competition, with 90% of acquisitions conducted without socioeconomic set-asides. However, he consistently reserves 10% of opportunities for 8(a) program participants, demonstrating a measured but intentional commitment to small business inclusion within high-complexity technical domains. This pattern underscores a balance between mission-critical performance requirements and federal socioeconomic objectives. Shih’s procurement focus is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541611 (administrative management consulting) and 518210 (computing infrastructure and data services), reflecting the NCI’s reliance on operational efficiency and scalable data systems. He routinely procures cloud-based data hosting, bioinformatics platforms, and research management services, demonstrating deep expertise in supporting complex, data-intensive scientific workflows essential to modern cancer research.