Margaret H Bradshaw

Margaret H. Bradshaw 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 manages the negotiation and award of complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge engineering solutions from laboratory innovation to operational capability, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and technical performance requirements. Bradshaw maintains strategic relationships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, partnering with firms possessing deep expertise in propulsion system design, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite manufacturing. She fosters collaborative, performance-based contracting environments that emphasize technical innovation, rapid prototyping, and rigorous systems integration, often engaging contractors through cost-reimbursable and time-and-materials mechanisms to accommodate the inherent uncertainty of foundational R&D. Her contracting portfolio reflects a balanced commitment to socioeconomic objectives, with approximately half of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate focus on enabling small businesses with specialized technical capabilities to contribute to national defense priorities. She consistently prioritizes small business participation without compromising technical rigor, ensuring equitable access to high-value R&D opportunities. Bradshaw’s procurement activity is exclusively aligned with NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her deep specialization in engineering sciences related to aerospace propulsion, materials science, and advanced system integration. She procures services involving computational fluid dynamics, high-temperature material characterization, and propulsion system validation, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority in mission-critical domains.