Leila Hemenway

Leila Hemenway serves as a key procurement professional within the Office of Naval Research, supporting the agency’s mission to translate fundamental scientific discoveries into operational capabilities for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. She manages a portfolio of research and development contracts focused on physical, engineering, and life sciences, ensuring that cutting-edge innovations in autonomous systems, maritime sensing, and advanced propulsion are effectively funded and executed. Her acquisitions are primarily awarded through competitive, full-and-open solicitations under the National Institutes of Health and Defense Research and Engineering Network frameworks, emphasizing technical rigor and mission alignment over socioeconomic set-asides. Hemenway maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense and scientific contractors including CHEROKEE STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC., SKYDWELLER US INC., and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established prime contractors with proven expertise in complex R&D environments, particularly those capable of integrating multidisciplinary science teams and delivering prototype systems under tight technical and schedule constraints. Her procurement approach prioritizes technical merit, past performance, and institutional capability over vendor size or certification status. Her contracting patterns show a 100% focus on full-and-open competitions, with no use of 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic set-asides. This reflects a mission-driven emphasis on securing the most technically qualified performers, regardless of business size or certification, to meet the Navy’s urgent science and technology needs. Her primary NAICS classification is 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—underscoring her specialization in procuring advanced scientific services such as computational modeling, sensor development, materials science, and systems integration for naval platforms. She routinely supports projects requiring deep domain expertise in naval engineering, non-classified defense R&D, and transition-ready prototypes.