Matthew Zawisza

Matthew Zawisza serves as a primary contracting professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s FA8750 organization, driving the acquisition of advanced research and development capabilities to support next-generation aerospace and defense systems. He manages a portfolio focused on foundational scientific innovation in physical, engineering, and life sciences, with an emphasis on autonomous systems, resilient communications, AI-enabled battle-space awareness, and quantum-enabled technologies. His acquisitions are primarily awarded under non-set-aside mechanisms, reflecting the technical complexity and national security sensitivity of the work. Zawisza routinely oversees sole-source and competitive research contracts under FAR Part 35 and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) frameworks, ensuring alignment with AFRL’s mission to transition cutting-edge science into operational capability. He maintains strategic partnerships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin, Eaton Corporation, Technergetics, LLC, and Caelight, Inc., engaging them for high-performance R&D, sensor systems, and advanced instrumentation. His procurement patterns reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven technical expertise in classified and unclassified defense research environments, often leveraging long-term collaborative relationships to accelerate innovation cycles and mitigate technical risk. While the majority of his acquisitions are open competition (87.5%), he consistently reserves 12.5% for total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but deliberate commitment to small business participation in high-technology domains. His socioeconomic contracting approach prioritizes capability over size, ensuring small firms with niche expertise in instrumentation and applied physics are integrated into the broader innovation ecosystem. Zawisza’s primary NAICS focus is 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting his deep specialization in foundational science and systems engineering. He procures advanced test and measurement instruments, free-space optical systems, AI/ML-enabled signal processors, and quantum sensor prototypes, ensuring AFRL maintains technological superiority in critical defense domains.