Cindy Hargett

Cindy Hargett serves as a primary procurement lead within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), overseeing the acquisition of critical research and development services essential to advancing biomedical countermeasures against infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. She manages a portfolio of high-stakes contracts focused on laboratory infrastructure, diagnostic tool development, and biosafety research capabilities, aligning acquisitions with NIAID’s mission to respond to emerging public health threats. Her work ensures timely procurement of scientific services that support high-containment research environments and accelerate the translation of laboratory innovations into operational readiness. Hargett maintains a consistent working relationship with Quality Biological, Inc., a key provider of biological reference materials and assay reagents, and Genomic Labs Ltd., a specialist in genomic sequencing and analysis services. These partnerships reflect her focus on securing specialized, high-integrity scientific inputs critical to infectious disease research. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term, performance-based agreements with vendors demonstrating technical expertise in biospecimen handling, pathogen characterization, and biocontainment-compliant laboratory operations. Hargett’s procurement strategy shows no reliance on socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven emphasis on technical capability and scientific rigor over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing the most qualified providers regardless of business size or certification status. Her primary procurement activity centers on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing contract research organizations, diagnostic assay development, and laboratory support services. She specializes in procuring advanced biological research services, including pathogen isolation, biosafety level 3/4 laboratory operations, and molecular characterization technologies, demonstrating deep domain expertise in infectious disease R&D procurement.