Emily O'Connor

Emily O’Connor serves as a key procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Physical Sciences Directorate, supporting the Air Force Materiel Command’s mission to advance foundational and applied research for air, space, and cyberspace dominance. She manages complex research and development acquisitions focused on directed energy bioeffects, cognitive warfare, human-machine teaming, and battle management systems, ensuring alignment with national security priorities. Her work bridges scientific innovation with federal contracting, facilitating the transition of cutting-edge physical sciences research from laboratory to operational capability through competitive, performance-based contracts. O’Connor collaborates with a broad ecosystem of research institutions, defense contractors, and academic partners specializing in high-energy physics, optical radiation safety, and advanced sensor development. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven expertise in experimental physics, computational modeling, and systems integration for military applications. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical merit, innovation, and rigorous performance metrics, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward R&D solutions under tight technical and schedule constraints. Her procurement activity reflects a strong preference for unrestricted competition, with 100% of awards issued under non-set-aside conditions. This indicates a strategic focus on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical expertise rather than prioritizing socioeconomic programs. While small business participation is not formally mandated in her portfolio, she remains open to qualified small firms demonstrating exceptional technical capability in specialized domains. O’Connor’s primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting deep expertise in fundamental and applied research contracting. She routinely procures services related to optical radiation bioeffects testing, electromagnetic modeling, human performance analysis, and autonomous system integration, supporting the lab’s mission to pioneer next-generation defense technologies through scientifically rigorous, mission-driven acquisitions.