Quantum Applied Science & Research Inc.

Quantum Applied Science & Research Inc., doing business as Quasar, develops electroencephalography (EEG) systems, noninvasive physiological sensors, and aerospace materials for defense and intelligence agencies, operating exclusively as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides. The San Diego-based for-profit organization holds 82 federal awards spanning contract and grant mechanisms, with a customer base anchored to Department of Defense research laboratories and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). All awards are prime — the vendor maintains no subcontract footprint.

Quasar's capability portfolio centers on applied research and prototype development in cognitive monitoring, brain-computer interfaces, noninvasive stress tracking, and physiological sensor integration into military systems. Representative contract work includes a $1.3 million definitive contract (firm fixed price) from the Defense Health Agency awarded February 5, 2025, for the Cognitive Health Impact and Physiological Sensors (CHIPS) Helmet Phase II, with completion targeted for June 4, 2027; a $1.1 million Defense Health Agency Phase II SBIR definitive contract (firm fixed price) awarded September 22, 2023, for development of a dry electrode flight helmet integrated EEG system (DEFIES), with completion due January 24, 2026; and a $1.5 million Cost Plus Fixed Fee Phase II SBIR definitive contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded July 18, 2022, for Material Advances for Aerospace Cognitive Monitoring. The vendor also received a $139,993 purchase order from the Air Force Research Laboratory on June 15, 2026, for eye-tracking research under the EAGLE (Eye Tracking for Aviation Gaze and Load Evaluation) program with completion due March 15, 2027. Additionally, Quasar received a Phase I Small Business Research grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (award date September 1, 2023, completion August 31, 2025) to develop dry electrodes for universal accessibility to EEG, addressing inclusivity barriers in EEG signal acquisition across diverse populations.

Customer concentration splits between research and testing commands. The top five funding agencies account for 44% of awards by count, led by DARPA (9 awards, $2.3 million combined potential value), the Department of the Army (8 awards, $170 thousand), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (7 awards, $3.4 million). The dollars-based ranking shifts toward the Army Test and Evaluation Command ($4.4 million across 6 awards) and the Air Force Research Laboratory, together representing 73% of combined potential value. All awards carry total small business set-asides.

Award activity has declined markedly — the vendor executed two awards in 2022, two in 2023, one in 2024, one in 2025, and one in 2026 — creating a flatline after a longer history (the source data spans back to 1998). Of $20.8 million in combined potential value across all 82 awards, only $1.4 million faces ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months, indicating limited near-term recompete pressure. Combined dollars obligated ($42.6 million) exceed combined potential value (204%), signaling that invoiced performance against historical awards outpaced stated ceiling values. Quasar's NAICS posture centers on Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (20 awards), with additional depth in aeronautical and nautical systems manufacturing, reflecting the vendor's specialization in prototype development and applied research rather than production.