Lauren Rice

Lauren Rice serves as a key procurement professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), supporting the development and acquisition of advanced space and aerospace technologies. She manages competitive contracting actions focused on foundational research, rapid prototyping, and high-performance instrumentation critical to U.S. space domain awareness, resilient computing, and autonomous satellite operations. Her work directly enables the division’s mission to accelerate innovation in next-generation propulsion systems, space-based sensing, and secure data architectures, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority in contested orbital environments. Her contractor relationships are primarily with research-intensive firms and engineering service providers specializing in aerospace systems, computational modeling, and advanced materials. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing deep expertise in rocket propulsion dynamics, hypersonic testing, and space-qualified electronics. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical merit, innovation capacity, and past performance in high-risk, high-reward R&D environments, fostering long-term partnerships with contractors capable of delivering rapid iteration and prototype validation under tight timelines. Lauren Rice’s contracting activity shows no preference for socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects the specialized nature of the research and development work she oversees, where technical capability and domain expertise take precedence over socioeconomic criteria. While small business participation is not formally prioritized, qualified small firms with proven capabilities in propulsion systems or space instrumentation remain eligible and competitive through standard solicitation processes. Her primary procurement focus is under NAICS 541715, encompassing research and development in physical and engineering sciences. She routinely acquires services related to computational fluid dynamics, propulsion system modeling, thermal management for space environments, and autonomous guidance algorithms. Her technical domain expertise lies in advanced rocket propulsion, space-based instrumentation, and high-fidelity simulation tools essential to next-generation space system development.