Patty Matyskiela

Patty Matyskiela serves as a Contract Specialist at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where she plays a pivotal role in executing high-stakes, mission-critical acquisitions that support transformative defense technologies. Her work is central to DARPA’s mandate of accelerating breakthroughs in physical, engineering, and life sciences through rapid, agile contracting. She specializes in managing research and development contracts under flexible, non-traditional acquisition pathways, often utilizing Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and competitive prototyping mechanisms to engage non-traditional defense contractors and academic institutions. Her portfolio focuses on early-stage innovation with high technical risk and potential for strategic impact. Matyskiela maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LLC, and ABBOTT LABORATORIES INC., reflecting her focus on advanced computing, autonomous systems, and bio-integrated technologies. She engages primarily with established technical firms possessing deep domain expertise in defense-relevant R&D, often partnering with organizations that bring cutting-edge capabilities from commercial sectors into the national security ecosystem. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical excellence, speed-to-market, and adaptability over traditional procurement rigidity. Matyskiela’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores her alignment with DARPA’s mission to source the most capable innovators regardless of size or socioeconomic status, prioritizing technical merit and capability over socioeconomic targeting. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in her portfolio, she remains responsive to qualified small firms that demonstrate exceptional technical innovation. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced materials, next-generation computing architectures, neurotechnologies, and autonomous system prototypes. She also engages NAICS 541990 for specialized technical services supporting experimental development, demonstrating deep expertise in managing complex, multidisciplinary R&D contracts aligned with DARPA’s most ambitious programs.