Crystal M. Price

Crystal M. Price serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of foundational science into operational capabilities, ensuring timely and technically sound acquisition outcomes for mission-critical programs. She routinely handles sole-source and competitive acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and 36, with a focus on engineering services, prototype development, and advanced materials testing. Crystal maintains sustained working 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, long-term contract performance, and a shared commitment to innovation in propulsion and materials science. Her negotiation approach emphasizes technical risk mitigation, performance-based specifications, and milestone-driven delivery frameworks, fostering trust and accountability with prime contractors who deliver high-complexity R&D solutions. Crystal’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under no set-aside categories. She does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead focusing on technical excellence and mission readiness as the primary selection criteria. While small business participation is not structurally mandated in her portfolio, she evaluates all offerors based on capability, past performance, and technical merit, ensuring the most qualified entities are selected regardless of size. Her primary NAICS classification is 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her exclusive focus on fundamental and applied R&D in aerospace propulsion, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composites. She procures services ranging from computational fluid dynamics modeling to high-temperature material characterization, supporting the development of next-generation jet engines, scramjets, and thermal protection systems essential to future air dominance.