Kelly Ashworth

Kelly Ashworth serves as a Contract Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she manages the acquisition of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance materials critical to maintaining U.S. air and space dominance. Her role encompasses the full lifecycle of complex R&D contracts, from solicitation and source selection to contract execution and performance monitoring, ensuring alignment with national defense priorities and technical innovation goals. She specializes in procuring scientific and technical services that support fundamental and applied research in propulsion physics, adaptive flight control, and advanced material systems. Ashworth maintains consistent partnerships with industry leaders including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships reflect a focus on high-caliber engineering firms with proven expertise in propulsion system development, computational modeling, and composite materials fabrication. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical excellence, mission-critical performance, and long-term collaboration with contractors capable of delivering cutting-edge solutions under stringent aerospace standards. Ashworth’s contracting portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical capability rather than socioeconomic set-asides, prioritizing mission need and technical readiness over socioeconomic classifications. While small business participation is not formally mandated in her portfolio, vendors of all sizes are evaluated solely on technical merit and past performance. Her primary procurement focus is under NAICS 541990—All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services—encompassing advanced engineering analysis, materials characterization, propulsion system prototyping, and hypersonic flight testing services. She routinely acquires specialized technical services requiring deep domain expertise in gas dynamics, thermal protection systems, and high-temperature material performance, supporting the Air Force’s next-generation propulsion roadmap.