Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison serves as a key procurement professional within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), supporting the agency’s mission to counter weapons of mass destruction through technical acquisition and research-driven contracting. She manages complex contracts for advanced scientific research, threat detection systems, and operational support capabilities, primarily focused on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive defense technologies. Her work directly enables HDTRA1’s strategic priorities by ensuring timely delivery of cutting-edge analytical tools, modeling and simulation platforms, and field-deployable detection systems. Harrison’s acquisitions are mission-critical, requiring deep technical oversight and rigorous compliance with DoD acquisition regulations. She maintains strong, long-term relationships with leading technical contractors including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for high-caliber, mission-aligned firms with proven expertise in defense science and advanced computing. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical innovation, and sustained collaboration with contractors capable of delivering classified and unclassified R&D solutions under tight operational timelines. Harrison’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most technically capable providers regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing mission readiness and capability over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not structurally mandated, her awards frequently involve small firms embedded within larger teaming arrangements, indicating an indirect but pragmatic engagement with the small business ecosystem. Her primary procurement focus is NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing advanced threat modeling, forensic analysis, sensor development, and computational chemistry. She consistently procures high-end scientific services, data analytics platforms, and engineered systems designed to enhance national security through technical superiority and rapid innovation.