Justin Woodworth

Justin Woodworth serves as Chief of Specialized Contracting for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR/PKS), where he leads the acquisition strategy for cutting-edge scientific and technical research services critical to national defense innovation. In this role, he oversees the full lifecycle of complex, high-risk contracts designed to advance foundational research in emerging technologies, ensuring alignment with AFOSR’s mission to fund high-payoff scientific exploration. His portfolio is exclusively focused on professional consulting services that support advanced R&D across physics, engineering, and computational sciences, requiring deep technical acumen and agile contracting approaches to meet the evolving needs of government laboratories and academic partners. Mr. Woodworth cultivates partnerships with a broad spectrum of specialized technical consultants, including university-affiliated research entities, independent scientific firms, and niche defense contractors with proven expertise in fundamental research. His contracting patterns emphasize performance-based outcomes and technical merit over traditional commercial delivery models, fostering collaborative relationships with vendors capable of delivering non-standard, exploratory solutions under flexible contract vehicles such as Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) instruments. His procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for unrestricted competition, with 100% of awards issued under the “No Set-Aside” category, indicating a focus on technical capability rather than socioeconomic criteria. While he does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, his approach ensures open access to the most qualified technical experts regardless of business size or certification status. The primary NAICS code under his purview is 541690 — Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services — encompassing a wide array of research support functions including modeling and simulation, data analytics, systems engineering, and advanced materials research. His domain expertise lies in procuring foundational science services that bridge the gap between academic innovation and military application.