John Lewers

John Lewers serves as a key procurement lead within the Office of Naval Research, managing the acquisition of advanced scientific research and development services critical to maintaining U.S. naval technological superiority. He oversees the solicitation and award of contracts for fundamental and applied R&D across physical, engineering, and life sciences, ensuring alignment with the Navy’s strategic priorities in autonomous systems, advanced propulsion, and maritime sensing. His role is central to translating laboratory innovations into operational capabilities, coordinating with scientific stakeholders to define technical requirements and select high-impact research partners through competitive and non-competitive procurement pathways. Lewers maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense and science contractors including CHEROKEE STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC., SKYDWELLER US INC., and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC. These partnerships reflect a focus on integrated research teams capable of delivering complex, multi-disciplinary solutions—from sensor development and autonomous platform design to biomedical engineering for naval personnel. His procurement approach emphasizes technical excellence, proven performance, and the ability to operate within classified and sensitive environments. Lewers’ contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven priority to secure the highest-caliber scientific and engineering capabilities, regardless of vendor size or socioeconomic status. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides, his portfolio may include small businesses as subcontractors within larger prime contracts. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing basic and applied research, prototyping, modeling and simulation, and systems integration. He specializes in acquiring advanced technical services that support next-generation naval platforms, including autonomous underwater systems, next-generation sensors, and advanced materials research.