Lori Shirdon

Lori J. Shirdon 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 adaptive flight control and mission-critical material science by ensuring timely, compliant, and technically sound procurement outcomes. Shirdon manages the full lifecycle of R&D acquisitions, from solicitation through contract award and administration, with a focus on technical feasibility, risk mitigation, and mission alignment. She maintains strategic relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by long-term collaboration on high-complexity, engineering-intensive projects requiring deep domain expertise in propulsion systems, composite materials, and aerodynamic integration. Shirdon’s negotiation approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and alignment with DoD acquisition regulations, fostering trust and consistency with industry partners who deliver cutting-edge solutions under tight developmental timelines. Shirdon’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside categories. While she does not currently utilize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her contracting patterns prioritize technical capability and mission readiness over socioeconomic criteria, aligning with the high-specialization demands of AFRL’s propulsion research. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced engineering services, materials testing, computational modeling, and prototype development for aerospace propulsion systems. Her expertise lies in securing R&D contracts for hypersonics, turbine propulsion, thermal management materials, and adaptive control architectures, making her a key conduit between government science and industrial innovation.