Nibir Dhar

Nibir Dhar serves as a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where they oversee the acquisition of high-risk, high-reward research and development initiatives aligned with DARPA’s mission to advance transformative military technologies. In this role, Dhar manages the full lifecycle of competitive procurements for cutting-edge scientific projects, from solicitation and evaluation to contract award and performance oversight. Their portfolio emphasizes foundational innovation in physical, engineering, and life sciences, with a focus on enabling next-generation capabilities in autonomous systems, bio-integrated technologies, and advanced computing architectures. Dhar plays a pivotal role in translating strategic technical objectives into actionable contracting strategies that attract top-tier research institutions and industrial innovators. Dhar maintains consistent procurement relationships with leading R&D contractors including AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC, and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC., reflecting a preference for organizations with proven expertise in defense-critical science and engineering. These partnerships are typically structured as cost-reimbursement or fixed-price incentive contracts under broad agency announcements or phased research programs, emphasizing technical rigor, rapid prototyping, and milestone-driven delivery. The working relationships are characterized by collaborative engagement, iterative feedback loops, and a strong emphasis on intellectual property frameworks that support both national security and innovation. Dhar’s procurement portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven focus on technical excellence and capability acceleration over socioeconomic targeting, aligning with DARPA’s mandate to secure the most capable performers regardless of firm size or certification status. The primary NAICS classification for Dhar’s acquisitions is 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). Their contracts routinely support advanced materials development, neurotechnology, quantum-enabled systems, and high-performance computing architectures, requiring deep domain expertise in interdisciplinary science and defense-relevant innovation pathways.