Connie Grounds

Connie Grounds serves as a Contracts Specialist within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she manages complex acquisition strategies for advanced aerospace propulsion, hypersonics, and high-performance materials research. Her role centers on executing full lifecycle contract actions for federally funded R&D initiatives that support U.S. air and space dominance, including sole-source, competitive, and other-than-full-and-open procurements under FAR and DFARS guidelines. She ensures alignment with AFRL’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge technologies from laboratory prototypes to operational systems, frequently overseeing contracts for experimental design, materials testing, and flight-ready component development. Grounds maintains long-standing relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with vendors providing specialized expertise in propulsion system integration, adaptive flight control software, and advanced composite manufacturing. Her procurement approach emphasizes sustained engagement with vendors possessing proven capabilities in high-risk, high-reward R&D environments, often involving technical proposals, cost analysis, and performance-based contract structures. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strict focus on unrestricted competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a mission-driven preference for selecting the most technically qualified offeror regardless of business size or socioeconomic status, prioritizing capability over certification. While small business participation is not mandated through set-asides, she actively encourages subcontracting opportunities with qualified small entities as part of prime contractor performance plans. Grounds specializes exclusively in NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—procuring services related to computational fluid dynamics, thermal protection systems, fuel injection technologies, and structural materials for extreme environments. Her domain expertise spans hypersonic vehicle integration, propulsion system survivability, and next-generation combustor design, ensuring acquisitions directly enable AFRL’s strategic objectives in next-generation airpower.