Michael Duckworth

Michael Duckworth serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing complex acquisition programs centered on scientific and technical research and development. In this role, he ensures compliance with federal procurement regulations while advancing mission-critical R&D initiatives across the physical, engineering, and life sciences domains. He oversees the full lifecycle of contracts—from market research and solicitation to award and performance monitoring—specializing in sole-source and competitive procurements for advanced scientific services, laboratory support, and engineering analysis. His work directly supports the development of innovative technologies and data-driven solutions critical to national research priorities. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable in the procurement record, Duckworth routinely engages with a diverse pool of qualified vendors, including research institutions, technical consulting firms, and specialized service providers capable of delivering high-complexity scientific solutions. His contracting approach emphasizes technical merit, past performance, and regulatory compliance, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors who demonstrate deep domain expertise and proven capabilities in R&D execution. Duckworth’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of his awards issued under the “No Set-Aside” category. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically qualified offerors regardless of socioeconomic status, consistent with mission requirements that prioritize specialized expertise over socioeconomic preferences. While he does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, his approach remains fully compliant with all statutory obligations and emphasizes merit-based selection. His primary NAICS focus is 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—reflecting deep expertise in procuring services such as applied physics research, materials testing, environmental modeling, and engineering prototyping. He regularly acquires contract support for laboratory operations, data analysis systems, and technical instrumentation development, demonstrating a command of scientific procurement standards and technical evaluation criteria essential to high-stakes R&D environments.