Darlene Dorsey-Coen

Darlene Dorsey-Coen serves as a key procurement professional within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), supporting the agency’s mission to advance measurement science and technological innovation. She manages acquisitions for high-precision analytical laboratory instruments and specialized equipment critical to NIST’s research in semiconductor metrology, advanced materials characterization, and quantum technologies. Her work ensures that NIST’s scientific infrastructure remains at the forefront of global standards development, enabling precision in national security, industrial competitiveness, and emerging technology sectors. She oversees full-and-open competitions under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, focusing on complex technical procurements requiring rigorous performance specifications and validation protocols. Her primary contractor relationships include Quality Biological, Inc., ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND LABORATORIES (ATL) INTERNATIONAL, INC., and PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS USA, INC.—vendors with proven expertise in manufacturing and servicing analytical instrumentation such as mass spectrometers, X-ray diffractometers, and surface analysis systems. These partnerships reflect a preference for established suppliers with deep technical capabilities in laboratory-grade equipment, often involving customized configurations and calibration services aligned with NIST’s traceability requirements. Her contracting patterns emphasize performance-based outcomes and technical compliance over cost alone. Dorsey-Coen’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects NIST’s need for specialized, high-performance equipment only available from a limited pool of qualified vendors with the technical capacity to meet exacting scientific standards. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, all procurements remain compliant with federal socioeconomic requirements. Her primary focus is NAICS 334516—Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing—where she procures advanced instrumentation for spectroscopy, chromatography, and nanoscale metrology. Her expertise lies in acquiring mission-critical devices that support NIST’s role as the nation’s authoritative source for measurement standards, ensuring scientific integrity across federal, industrial, and academic research ecosystems.