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Researchers Offer Human-Robot Teaming Recommendations to Help Inform Army R&D
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Researchers Offer Human-Robot Teaming Recommendations to Help Inform Army R&D

A new report that built on a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and University of Maryland provides 31 recommendations on enabling spoken language interaction between soldiers and robots to help the U.S. Army pursue modernization in the areas of artificial intelligence and autonomy.

An AI expert panel led by an Army Research Laboratory (ARL) scientist studied how to form a connection between speech or dialogue and robotics disciplines to come up with specific research suggestions and create a long-term technology roadmap, the military service branch said Thursday.

Prioritizing human needs, enhancing research infrastructure and resources, enabling operation of all speech and language components in real time, improving combination of communication modalities and implementing new approaches to technology adaption are some of the general themes of the report recommendations.

"The technology roadmap and research recommendations within this seminal report are to direct the Department of Defense and other funding agencies on foundational research needed to create speech-capable robots that can naturally talk with humans,” said Matthew Marge, senior research scientist at ARL.

He added that the study's highlighted topics could help the Army determine which areas to focus its investments with regard to speech and robotics. The Next Generation Combat Vehicle is one of the Army programs expected to benefit from the report guidelines.

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State Department to Support Establishment of World Data System’s US Office
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State Department to Support Establishment of World Data System’s US Office

The State Department will collaborate with a partnership between the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee to establish a program office for an international non-governmental organization that offers the research community access to scientific datasets.

The Oak Ridge Institute in Tennessee will host the World Data System's U.S. office over a five-year period to support research and data access initiatives, the State Department said Thursday.

The department backs the project as part of efforts to promote trusted information and values-based approaches to protect citizen privacy and sensitive data of domestic businesses via the federal government's Clean Network program.

The International Science Council's 29th General Assembly formed the WDS interdisciplinary body in 2008.

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Report Proposes Strategy to Strengthen U.S. Defense Industrial Base
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Report Proposes Strategy to Strengthen U.S. Defense Industrial Base

The Department of Defense (DoD) released on Thursday a report recommending a strategy to achieve a secure, innovative and resilient defense industrial base. 

The strategy calls for reshoring supply chains and industrial base to the U.S. and allies starting with microelectronics, developing a modern engineering and manufacturing workforce and research and development base, modernizing the defense acquisition process and identifying ways to integrate public sector resources with industry innovation, according to DOD’s Fiscal Year 2020 Industrial Capabilities Report to Congress.

The document presents assessments of several sectors, including aircraft, electronics, ground systems, shipbuilding, space, workforce, software engineering, radar and electronic warfare, missiles and munitions, nuclear matter warheads and cybersecurity for manufacturing.

According to the report, the lack of uniform security implementation, dependence on self-attestation and inconsistency in defense suppliers’ implementation of adequate security are the key issues that make the manufacturing sector vulnerable to cybersecurity risks.

The report cited the Pentagon’s move to issue an interim rule to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework as a key development in the previous fiscal year.

DOD also provided an overview of emerging and critical technologies in the research and development phase. These include hypersonics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, autonomy, fully networked command, control and communications, quantum, directed energy and 5G.

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DoD Unveils List of Nine Additional Firms Linked to Chinese Military
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DoD Unveils List of Nine Additional Firms Linked to Chinese Military

The Department of Defense (DoD) has added nine more companies to its list of entities with ties to the Chinese military in compliance with Section 1237 of the fiscal year 1999 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

DoD said Thursday that the move is part of its efforts to counter China’s military-civil fusion strategy that seeks to gain access to technologies developed by companies, research institutes and universities to meet its military’s modernization objectives.

Reuters reported the listed companies will be subject to an investment ban that directs U.S. investors to divest their stakes in blacklisted entities by Nov. 11th.

The Pentagon released and submitted to Congress the initial list of entities linked to the Chinese military in June 2020. Click here to view the new list of companies.

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Stacy Cummings to Take Acting Undersecretary Role for DoD
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Stacy Cummings to Take Acting Undersecretary Role for DoD

Stacy Cummings will succeed Hon. Ellen Lord, 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, as undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense (DoD), effective Jan. 20th, DefenseNews reported Wednesday. Cummings will assume the role until President-elect Joe Biden appoints a Senate-confirmed official to the position.

Cummings currently serves as acting deputy assistant secretary for acquisition at DoD and is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. In this position, she advises the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (ASD(A)) on matters relating to the Department of Defense Acquisition System while advancing innovative, data-driven approaches across the acquisition enterprise.

She previously served as the program executive officer for Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS), where Cummings managed the delivery of healthcare and advance data sharing through a modernized electronic health record.

Prior to DoD, she managed the Joint Acquisition Task Force and served at the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Navy. With DOT, she established strategic direction and managed daily operations.

According to the report, DoD expects Gregory Kausner or Dyke Weatherington to replace Cummings as acting assistant secretary of defense for acquisition. Lord led Textron Systems as president and CEO prior to her public sector tenure.

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DOE Announces $124M Funding Opportunity for Domestic Manufacturing Projects
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DOE Announces $124M Funding Opportunity for Domestic Manufacturing Projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $123.6 million in funds to 46 projects to help advance technology innovation in support of domestic manufacturing efforts.

DOE said Thursday $69.4 million will go to 27 projects related to advanced manufacturing processes, $25 million to eight chemical manufacturing-associated projects and $29.1 million to 11 initiatives that support the role of manufacturing in national energy programs.

The department’s office of energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) also announced $44.7 million for cost-shared efforts and is funding the projects through its advanced manufacturing office.

"These projects will advance DOE’s goal of enhancing manufacturing competitiveness through technological innovation, while helping sustain American leadership in advanced manufacturing,” said Daniel Simmons, assistant secretary at EERE.

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Technology Advancement Group Names Craig Janus as CEO
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Technology Advancement Group Names Craig Janus as CEO

Technology Advancement Group (TAG) has appointed Craig Janus as chief executive officer (CEO), the company announced on Thursday. As CEO, Janus will report to the Board of Directors and work with them to drive the company’s position in the engineering and technology services market.

“The Board and I are confident that Craig is the right person to build on TAG’s momentum. He is a seasoned leader with significant experience working with the federal market, operating efficiently at scale, and delivering value to stakeholders. We are lucky to have him as our next CEO,” said Dr. Ed Bersoff, chairman of the Board at TAG.

In his new role, Janus will work with TAG’s executive leadership and the Board to continue the company’s growth and diversification. He will be responsible for expanding the company’s engineering services, productization and deployment services.

Janus will bring more than three decades of experience in growing, managing and diversifying clients and technology services offerings across the federal market space. Janus’ portfolio has supported a variety of federal clients across the Civilian, Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC). He has also helped identify, pursue and integrate Merger and Acquisition (M&A) targets.

Prior to joining TAG, Janus served as chief operating officer (COO) at Preferred Systems Solutions. With the company, he led and expanded Preferred Systems Solutions’ revenue base, service delivery capabilities, technical competencies and operational elements.

“I am excited to be named CEO of such a talented and capable team at TAG. I look forward to setting the strategy and direction of the company and building on their success. Our products and services play a vital role in our nation’s most important missions. I am proud that we are able to contribute to some of the most critical programs in Government and Defense,” said Janus.

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NGA to Increase Opportunities for Neurodiverse Workforce; Dr. Stacey Dixon Quoted
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NGA to Increase Opportunities for Neurodiverse Workforce; Dr. Stacey Dixon Quoted

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) will strive to increase workforce opportunities for neurodiverse individuals, NextGov reported on Thursday. NGA launched its Neurodiverse Federal Workforce pilot program in Dec. 2020. Under the program, the agency will foster partnerships with MITRE and Melwood to provide jobs for people with disabilities. 

“NGA mission success is contingent on a world-class workforce with a wide diversity of opinions and expertise,” NGA deputy director and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient Dr. Stacey Dixon. “Neurodiverse talent can bring new perspectives to the NGA workforce and make important contributions to the mission.”

The program resulted from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and General Services Administration’s Government Effectiveness Advanced Research Center (GEAR), which aims to address the federal sector’s management and workforce challenges in innovative ways. 

“This work will be an invaluable building block for creating meaningful change across the federal workforce,” said Teresa Thomas, program lead for neurodiverse talent enablement for MITRE. “NGA has stepped forward to lead by example, collaborating on an internship program that will benefit interns on the spectrum and NGA.”

The Neurodiverse Federal Workforce pilot begins with a one-week training and interview workshop. Following the workshop, NGA will place interns in various geospatial and imagery analysis roles that support the agency’s mission. 

“This is a tremendous learning opportunity for NGA,” Dixon said. “It allows us to demonstrate that neurodiverse talent adds significant value to the geospatial-intelligence tradecraft and helps the agency better support its existing neurodiverse employees.”

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Aaron Weis Discusses U.S. Navy IT Modernization Priorities for 2021
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Aaron Weis Discusses U.S. Navy IT Modernization Priorities for 2021

Throughout the year, the U.S. Navy has expedited IT projects, including expanding bandwidth, building new sites for its virtual private networks and shifting to telework. Aaron Weis, U.S. Navy chief information officer and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, recently stated that the service branch should not revert to IT practices that the Navy used before COVID-19. 

“A lot of that process doesn’t add any value,” Weis said. “And … we have very fragmented [command and control] and accountability over our IT infrastructure, which, in normal times makes it very difficult for us to move the needle. COVID in the IT world is kind of the equivalent of wartime powers for IT. We just did it.”

Weis added that faster systems create potential cost savings, so IT leaders can continue the momentum they gained during the pandemic. Throughout COVID-19 the Navy worked to develop a cloud-enabled IT infrastructure, which will contribute to cost savings. 

“What that enables you to do is undergo a wholesale transformation for how you deliver a capability, and at the end of that transformation you will be able to retire huge swaths of legacy infrastructure,” Weis said. “And that legacy infrastructure are boat anchors we drag around, that cost us … a lot of money. They expose us from a cybersecurity and risk perspective.”

Moving into 2021, the Navy will work to support its infrastructure to increase endurance. The Navy will also work toward making data more accessible, which will enable better-informed decision-making for commanders.

“The requirement going forward and in the modern world is that we can securely move any information from anywhere to anywhere,” Weis said. “That’s a baseline requirement going forward. And that, while that’s very simple to say, that’s not how our infrastructure and our networks are organized today.”

The U.S. Navy has continually worked to decentralize, differentialize and digitize the service branch’s work as well as develop its talent in the field. As the Navy continues to evolve to meet the growing demands, challenges still remain. 

Aaron Weis Discusses U.S. Navy IT Modernization Priorities for 2021

GovConWire will host the Navy: IT Transformation Forum. The event will host notable industry and federal leaders that will discuss the initiatives, efficiencies and challenges the service branch faces. 

Featuring Aaron Weis, GovConWire’s Navy: IT Transformation Forum will address the influence of emerging technologies, upcoming budgets and funding, and cybersecurity initiatives that will enable the Navy to become more effective in warfare.

To register for the Navy: IT Transformation Forum, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit GovConWire’s Event Page.

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David Norquist to Serve as Acting Secretary of Defense for Biden Administration
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David Norquist to Serve as Acting Secretary of Defense for Biden Administration

David Norquist, current deputy secretary of defense and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will serve as acting secretary of defense for the Biden administration, Defense News reported on Thursday. 

As acting secretary of defense, Norquist will lead the daily operations of the Department of Defense (DoD) while Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for defense secretary, awaits Congress confirmation. The Biden team announced its plans to nominate Austin in Dec. 2020. 

“We’re stepping onto a relay track, and when we’re part of a team, and somebody runs behind you and hands you the baton and then you get on the track and you run. But you know, at the end of the day you’re going to hand it to somebody else,” Norquist said. “And you need to hand it off in a way that is effective and coherent.”

Norquist has more than three decades of experience in federal financial management and national security. He was sworn in as the 34th deputy secretary of defense in July 2019.  Norquist was appointed as the under secretary of defense (Comptroller)/chief financial officer in June 2017. 

He served as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on all budgetary and financial matters, and supported the National Defense Strategy (NDS) through the development and execution of the department’s annual budget of more than $680 billion. 

Norquist also served as chief financial officer (CFO) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he was the first Senate-confirmed CFO for the Department. He also served as a partner at accounting firm Kearney and Co.

“What I want to do is to do for them what they did for me, which was to leave in place all the tools necessary in a sensible structure,” Norquist added. 

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