Kelly Ashworth

Kelly Ashworth serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation in propulsion and adaptive flight control through strategic partnerships with industry leaders and research institutions, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities under FAR and DFARS compliance. Ashworth maintains enduring relationships with key contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, reflecting a preference for established aerospace and defense technology providers with proven expertise in propulsion systems, composite materials, and systems integration. She collaborates closely with these vendors on technical proposal evaluations, performance-based contracting structures, and cost realism analyses, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in technical rigor and mission alignment. Her procurement strategy reflects a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with 20% of her awards designated for 8(a) competed set-asides and another 20% allocated to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While the majority of her portfolio remains open to full and open competition, she actively prioritizes opportunities for small businesses with specialized technical capabilities in advanced materials and systems engineering, ensuring broad innovation input while maintaining mission readiness. Ashworth’s portfolio is overwhelmingly focused on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her deep engagement with cutting-edge R&D in propulsion, hypersonics, and advanced materials. She routinely procures services involving computational fluid dynamics, additive manufacturing, thermal protection systems, and high-temperature composite development, requiring contractors with deep domain expertise in aerospace engineering and experimental validation. Her work ensures the Air Force remains at the forefront of propulsion innovation through technically sound, competitively awarded contracts.