Franklin Friedl

Franklin Friedl serves as the RP21 Secretariat, a pivotal role in coordinating and advancing federal research and development procurement initiatives focused on physical, engineering, and life sciences. In this capacity, Friedl facilitates the planning, solicitation, and execution of acquisitions aimed at supporting cutting-edge scientific innovation, ensuring alignment with national priorities in STEM research. His work bridges technical requirements with acquisition strategy, enabling the timely deployment of R&D services and analytical tools critical to public-sector scientific advancement. He typically manages complex, performance-based contracts for non-clinical research, data modeling, and laboratory support services, often requiring specialized technical expertise and rigorous compliance with federal research standards. Friedl’s contractor relationships are characterized by engagement with a broad spectrum of research institutions, independent scientific consultants, and technical service providers specializing in experimental design, analytical instrumentation, and computational modeling. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently works with entities possessing deep domain knowledge in experimental sciences and engineering R&D. His procurement approach emphasizes merit-based selection, technical capability, and past performance over vendor size, fostering collaborative partnerships grounded in scientific rigor and innovation. Friedl’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations. This underscores a focus on selecting the most technically qualified performers regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing scientific outcomes over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, vendors of all sizes compete on equal footing based on technical merit and capacity to deliver high-quality research outcomes. His primary NAICS focus is 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—indicating deep specialization in non-biotech scientific inquiry. He procures services including laboratory analysis, materials testing, computational simulations, and engineering prototyping, often requiring advanced instrumentation and peer-reviewed methodological rigor. Friedl’s expertise lies in translating complex scientific objectives into actionable acquisition strategies that support national research infrastructure.