Sarah E. Bell

Sarah E. Bell serves as a key procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate, overseeing the acquisition of advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation in adaptive flight control, thermal management systems, and mission-critical components through fundamental and applied R&D. Bell specializes in securing technical solutions from industry partners capable of delivering cutting-edge engineering capabilities under stringent performance and security requirements. She maintains consistent, long-term relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving joint prototyping, materials qualification, and systems integration efforts. Bell prioritizes vendors with proven expertise in propulsion system design, composite material development, and hypersonics testing, fostering enduring vendor relationships grounded in technical excellence and mission alignment. Bell’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside categories. This indicates a deliberate emphasis on technical capability over socioeconomic preferences, ensuring access to the most qualified industrial partners for high-risk, high-reward R&D efforts. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, contractors of all sizes are evaluated strictly on technical merit and past performance. Her primary contracting activity falls under NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her specialization in advanced propulsion systems, materials science, and flight control technologies. She procures services ranging from computational fluid dynamics modeling and hypersonic wind tunnel testing to the development of lightweight, high-temperature composite structures essential for next-generation air and space platforms.