Melissa A. Schroeder

Melissa A. Schroeder serves as a Contract Specialist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where she plays a pivotal role in executing procurements that support the agency’s mission to advance measurement science, standards, and technological innovation. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions focused on high-precision analytical instrumentation, industrial process control systems, and specialized manufacturing components critical to semiconductor development and advanced metrology. Her work ensures NIST maintains cutting-edge laboratory capabilities to support national priorities in economic competitiveness and scientific integrity, adhering strictly to FAR guidelines and federal acquisition best practices. Schroeder maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including Quality Biological, Inc., ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND LABORATORIES (ATL) INTERNATIONAL, INC., and PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS USA, INC., among others. These partnerships center on the procurement of specialized laboratory equipment, calibration standards, and precision components used in NIST’s research and validation activities. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical alignment, vendor reliability, and long-term service support, fostering collaborative relationships with vendors who demonstrate deep domain expertise in scientific instrumentation and metrology. Her procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 88.2% of awards issued without set-aside designations. Nevertheless, she actively supports small business participation, consistently awarding 11.8% of contracts under Total Small Business Set-Asides in accordance with FAR 19.5, ensuring opportunities for qualified small businesses in the scientific and technical supply chain. Schroeder’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), reflecting her specialization in procuring mass spectrometers, spectrophotometers, and other high-accuracy measurement systems. She also regularly sources products under NAICS 334513 and 334515, covering industrial process control and electrical testing instrumentation, underscoring her technical fluency in metrology, materials characterization, and precision engineering domains.