Deirdre Hughes

Deirdre Hughes supports the Naval Research Laboratory’s mission by managing complex research and development acquisitions that advance naval technological superiority. She oversees the procurement of high-precision sensors, electronic warfare components, signal processing systems, and autonomous navigation technologies, ensuring alignment with the lab’s strategic focus on foundational science and next-generation maritime capabilities. Her work bridges scientific innovation with acquisition compliance, facilitating rapid delivery of mission-critical R&D solutions under FAR and DFARS frameworks. She routinely handles sole-source and competitive negotiated contracts for classified and unclassified technical projects requiring specialized expertise and stringent security protocols. Hughes maintains enduring relationships with key contractors including Assurance Technology Corp, L3Harris NexGen Communications LLC, Envisioneering Inc, Integration Innovation Inc, and Analex Corporation. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven experience in defense-oriented physical sciences, analytical instrumentation, and systems integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, past performance evaluation, and iterative collaboration with contractor engineering teams to meet evolving operational requirements. She prioritizes vendors capable of rapid prototyping, field validation, and seamless transition from laboratory prototypes to naval platform integration. Her procurement portfolio is overwhelmingly non-set-aside, with 90% of awards issued under full and open competition, reflecting the specialized nature of the technical work. However, she consistently allocates 10% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising mission-critical capabilities. Her socioeconomic strategy balances access to niche technical talent with compliance to federal small business goals. Her primary NAICS focus is 541715 for research and development in physical and engineering sciences, complemented by 334516 for analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing and 541611 for management consulting supporting R&D programs. She procures advanced instrumentation, embedded signal processing hardware, autonomous system software, and facilities support services essential to maintaining the lab’s cutting-edge test and evaluation infrastructure.