Crystal Price

Crystal Price serves as a Contract Specialist within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RDK division (FA9451), supporting the Department of the Air Force’s mission to advance next-generation aerospace technologies through targeted research and development. She manages the full lifecycle of complex acquisition actions, primarily for physical, engineering, and life sciences R&D contracts, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while aligning procurements with strategic priorities in directed energy, electro-optics, laser systems, and advanced instrumentation. Her work directly enables the development of critical capabilities for air dominance and national security, bridging technical requirements with compliant contracting practices. Crystal works with a diverse pool of contractors, including defense prime contractors, research institutions, and specialized technology firms engaged in high-risk, high-reward R&D. Her procurement patterns reflect a preference for performance-based, cost-reimbursement, and time-and-materials contracts suited to exploratory and prototype-level efforts. She maintains collaborative relationships with vendors possessing deep expertise in laser vulnerability analysis, optical system design, and advanced sensor development, often engaging through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated acquisitions to foster innovation and technical excellence. Crystal demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic goals, with 20% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate focus on enabling small businesses with specialized technical capabilities to contribute to classified and unclassified R&D programs. While the majority of her portfolio remains open to all competitors, she actively encourages participation from small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, and other eligible entities with niche expertise in physical sciences and engineering. Her procurement portfolio is exclusively focused on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting a deep specialization in procuring advanced scientific services, prototype development, test and evaluation support, and instrumentation engineering. She routinely sources capabilities in laser physics, electro-optical system integration, and high-energy system validation, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority through cutting-edge, mission-critical R&D partnerships.