Cynthia Martin

Cynthia Martin serves as the primary procurement lead within the FDA Office of Acquisition and Grant Services, overseeing strategic acquisitions that support the agency’s mission to safeguard public health through scientific integrity and regulatory excellence. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on laboratory infrastructure, analytical instrumentation, and professional scientific services critical to FDA’s regulatory science functions. Her work ensures the agency maintains cutting-edge capabilities in drug safety evaluation, medical device testing, and biological product analysis, aligning procurement decisions with mission-critical operational needs and federal acquisition regulations. Martin maintains enduring partnerships with specialized contractors including Tranquil Clinical and Research Consulting Services LLC, Toxicologic Pathology Associates Inc., and Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., reflecting a preference for niche vendors with deep expertise in preclinical research, toxicology, and pharmaceutical development services. These relationships are characterized by long-term, performance-based engagements that prioritize technical proficiency, regulatory compliance, and scientific rigor over broad-scale vendor participation. Her contracting approach emphasizes quality, continuity, and domain-specific capability over volume. Her procurement patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with 87.5% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on selecting the most qualified providers regardless of socioeconomic status. However, she consistently allocates 12.5% of awards to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising technical requirements. Martin’s acquisitions are heavily concentrated in NAICS 923120 (Administration of Public Health Programs) and 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), underscoring her expertise in procuring high-precision analytical equipment and scientific support services essential for FDA’s regulatory decision-making. Her work directly enables the agency’s capacity to conduct rigorous product evaluations, maintain laboratory accreditation standards, and advance regulatory science through targeted technical procurement.