Leah Haugen

Leah Haugen serves as a secondary procurement contact within the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), supporting the agency’s mission to advance foundational scientific discovery for next-generation aerospace and defense capabilities. Though not a primary contracting officer, she plays a critical role in facilitating the acquisition of high-risk, high-reward basic research services, particularly in computational science, autonomous systems, and human-machine collaboration. Her responsibilities include coordinating contract actions, ensuring alignment with AFOSR’s strategic research priorities, and supporting the lifecycle of scientific and technical consulting engagements that bridge academic innovation with national security needs. While no primary contractor relationships are currently identified in the data, Haugen’s procurement activities consistently engage a broad ecosystem of research institutions, university-affiliated laboratories, and specialized technical consultants. She supports vendor partnerships that emphasize scientific rigor, intellectual agility, and the translation of theoretical breakthroughs into defense-relevant applications, often working with entities capable of rapid prototyping and interdisciplinary research execution. Haugen’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside,” indicating a focus on technical merit over socioeconomic preferences. This approach prioritizes access to the highest-caliber scientific talent regardless of business size or certification status, aligning with AFOSR’s mission-driven emphasis on innovation over compliance-based sourcing. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), which accounts for 75% of activity, and NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), representing 25%. These categories encompass services such as advanced algorithm development, sensor modeling, quantum computing research, and autonomous system validation—domains requiring deep domain expertise and academic-industry collaboration to meet evolving Air Force scientific imperatives.