Michelle Marie Cecilia

Michelle Marie Cecilia serves as a key procurement lead within the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), supporting the agency’s mission to advance scientific research on substance use disorders through strategic acquisition of specialized scientific and technical services. She manages a portfolio of research-supporting contracts focused on translating laboratory findings into clinical and public health applications, ensuring that NIDA’s funding priorities are operationalized through compliant, high-impact acquisitions. Her work primarily involves soliciting and awarding contracts for testing laboratory services and scientific consulting, aligning procurement strategy with NIDA’s research agenda in neurobiology, behavioral science, and addiction treatment innovation. She maintains strong, sustained relationships with leading academic and research institutions, including The McLean Hospital Corporation, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Miami, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These partnerships reflect a preference for high-caliber academic research entities capable of delivering rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific support, often under cooperative agreements or research contracts requiring specialized expertise in addiction neuroscience, clinical trial design, and data analysis. Cecilia demonstrates balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with approximately equal portions of her portfolio allocated to open competitions and Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This pattern underscores a deliberate strategy to foster innovation through small business participation while maintaining access to elite research capabilities. Her contracting approach consistently prioritizes small businesses capable of delivering niche scientific services without compromising technical rigor. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), reflecting deep expertise in acquiring analytical testing, biomarker validation, behavioral assessment tools, and expert consultation in addiction science. She routinely procures services that support clinical translation, longitudinal data collection, and evidence-based intervention development, ensuring NIDA’s research ecosystem remains agile, compliant, and scientifically robust.