DOE Picks 12 Projects Under Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Dev’t Effort
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DOE Picks 12 Projects Under Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Dev’t Effort

The Department of Energy will award $34M in funds to 12 projects that will cover the development of small-scale solid oxide fuel cell systems that employ solid oxide electrolyzer cell technologies.

DOE said Tuesday it aims to drive the usage of SOFC hybrid systems for power generation and hydrogen production through the funding opportunity.

“SOFCs are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of a fuel and oxidant directly into electrical energy," said Steven Winberg, assistant secretary for fossil energy at DOE. 

"They are unique in that they produce electricity through an electrochemical reaction and not through a combustion process,”  Winberg added.

The awardees achieved top scores in their respective areas of interest to join the selection. 

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DHS Agencies Launch Toolkit for IPAWS Alert System Planning
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DHS Agencies Launch Toolkit for IPAWS Alert System Planning

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (DHS S&T) Directorate have published a new toolkit intended to help local and state communities implement a certain warning system. 

The “Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Planning Toolkit" is designed to guide authorities in using IPAWS, a FEMA-supported local alerting system, DHS said Tuesday.

IPAWS sends alerts and emergency-related information to notify the masses about ongoing catastrophes. The system uses other platforms, such as Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System, to send notifications to televisions, radios and mobile phones.

FEMA and S&T based the toolkit on the latest technologies applicable to alerting systems and public safety.

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Air Force Security Forces Center Adopts New Resource Procurement Model
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Air Force Security Forces Center Adopts New Resource Procurement Model

Air Force Security Forces Center (AFSFC) is using a new procurement model to purchase equipment and other items at accelerated rates. 

Air Force Installation Contracting Center developed the new model that employs subject matter experts to facilitate AFSFC's procurement of weapon accessories, non-lethal systems, protective gear and logistics detail equipment, the U.S. Air Force said Tuesday.

These contracting experts come from a security-focused unit within AFICC’s 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron.

“When we get a request for equipment and support, we need to get it turned around ASAP, so we’re always looking into new processes or solutions to do that better,” said Master Sgt. Clinton Duling, security forces unit type code manager at AFSFC’s Texas-based Desert Defender Ground Combat Readiness Training Center. 

AFICC works to help USAF installations obtain equipment and materials needed for operations. The contracting center's new model supports AFSFC's mission to secure USAF's operational landscape.

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NSA Issues Guidance on Secure Boot Customization for Boosted Cybersecurity
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NSA Issues Guidance on Secure Boot Customization for Boosted Cybersecurity

The National Security Agency (NSA) has published a report that highlights customization methods to protect networks from cyber actors who exploit firmware during attacks. 

NSA said Tuesday that its UEFI Secure Boot Customization Cybersecurity Technical Report contains recommendations on how to customize the Secure Boot feature of computers. Administrators may customize Secure Boot to boost defenses against malware and mitigate insider threats, according to NSA.

The agency advises system administrators working at the Department of Defense (DoD) and defense industry companies to address compatibility issues via Secure Boot customization, instead of disabling the feature.

Secure Boot is designed to support a computer's defense against malware threats.

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DOE, NASA Create Joint Coordinating Group to Streamline Planetary Science, Energy Initiatives
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DOE, NASA Create Joint Coordinating Group to Streamline Planetary Science, Energy Initiatives

NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have established a joint coordinating group to identify potential planetary resources and opportunities in areas such as energy and propulsion, data management and high-performance computing.

Paul Dabbar, undersecretary of energy for science, told Nextgov in an interview that the DOE-NASA coordinating body comes as part of both entities’ efforts to systematize their respective science and energy resource programs, the publication reported Tuesday.

He noted that establishing the body could result in getting astronauts to Mars “in three and a half months” while ensuring readiness in terms of food, physiology and radiation safety.

Conner Prochaska, chief commercialization officer and director of the Office of Technology Transitions at at DOE, said the joint group will support stakeholder efforts to expand the emerging space economy.
 
“All of this plays a part in making sure that we can take care of that growing economy, as well and keep the U.S. in the forefront,” he noted.

The DOE-NASA group, which conducted its first meeting in July, is likely to meet each quarter of the year, according to Dabbar.

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Aaron Weis Issues Memo on Navy Dept’s ‘Single Tenant’ Cloud Effort
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Aaron Weis Issues Memo on Navy Dept’s ‘Single Tenant’ Cloud Effort

The Department of the Navy (DON) has implemented a policy mandating single tenancy for each DON component in the Microsoft 365 cloud environment.

Aaron Weis, chief information officer of the U.S. Navy and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, signed the Aug. 31 memo directing the DON to assign a single tenant for the Navy and Secretariat as well as one tenant for the U.S. Marine Corps.

The move comes as part of the department’s efforts to improve directory management and reduce complexities in migrating DON users across disparate networks.

The effort will also help inform the development of a common identity, credentialing and access management (ICAM) framework in a push to standardize operations across the Department of Defense (DoD), DON noted.

Testing, procurement and execution activities involving Microsoft 365 tools are currently subject to DON’s review and approval, according to the department.

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DISA Eyes DoD-Wide Implementation of Software-Defined Network Tech
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DISA Eyes DoD-Wide Implementation of Software-Defined Network Tech

Bryon Doyle, head of the infrastructure directorate at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), has said the agency is reaching out to its customers and vendors to help inform its efforts to deploy next-generation network technologies.

Doyle told Federal News Network in a prior interview that DISA is planning to deploy software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) capabilities across the Department of Defense (DoD) enterprise, the publication reported Tuesday.

DISA is working to assess the current implementation of SD-WAN and emulate the private sector’s use of SD-WAN technology. Cybersecurity, including supply-chain risk management, is also a key priority for DISA as it continues cloud migration efforts, according to Doyle.

“We have to assemble our strategy from those different sort of personas or dimensions to what we do,” Doyle noted. “So there’s a lot of vendor outreach. There’s a ton of engagement where we want to understand what our industry partners are doing.”

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Dewberry Names Jay Harper, Former FEMA Senior Advisor, VP & BD Director
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Dewberry Names Jay Harper, Former FEMA Senior Advisor, VP & BD Director

Dewberry has appointed Jay Harper, former senior advisor to the administrator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as a vice president and business development director in the company’s federal group, Dewberry reported on Tuesday.

In his new role with Dewberry, Harper will work alongside the firm’s federal executives and coordinate with clients across the federal market, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and FEMA.

Harper will bring more than 15 years of experience working in state and federal government agencies, including FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He is experienced throughout emergency management, government affairs, federal procurement, strategic communications, grants management, regulatory compliance, private-sector engagement and interagency coordination.

Harper earned his bachelor’s degree in general business studies from Louisiana State University.

About Dewberry

Dewberry is a nationwide firm of planning, design, and construction professionals. We create responsible and innovative solutions for those who own, operate, and maintain natural and built environments. We value lasting relationships, achieving our clients’ visions, and celebrating in their success.

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Comcast NBCUniversal Tops Best for Vets: Employers 2020 List; Carol Eggert Quoted
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Comcast NBCUniversal Tops Best for Vets: Employers 2020 List; Carol Eggert Quoted

Comcast NBCUniversal has been recognized as the top employer for veterans by Military Times in its Best for Vets: Employers 2020 list, marking the fifth consecutive year the company has been recognized on the list and the first time Comcast NBCUniversal was named at the top of the list.

“We’re thrilled Comcast NBCUniversal  was recognized with this distinguished honor, “ said Carol Eggert, senior vice president of Military and Veteran Affairs (VA) at Comcast NBCUniversal. “It reflects the combined dedication of our leaders, business units, and employees to creating an inclusive and empowering workplace for our military community teammates.”

The Best for Vets list is an annual ranking of the country’s best employers and organizations with military-connected employment programs, benefits and support efforts. Comcast NBCUniversal’s rise to first place was achieved by the company’s ongoing initiative to create a military-friendly and military-ready environment for our employees.

Comcast NBCUniversal has offered programs that foster an innovative workplace culture that has supported the company’s military employees, including the military active workforce.  The company has launched programs including an active duty health benefits plan, military spouse transfer assistance and 15 days paid time off annually for military training, in addition to normal paid time off.

Additionally, Comcast NBCUniversal has supported the military concierge service team that has assisted with needs such as the transition of working military and civilian careers simultaneously. The company’s continued support of the military workforce has increased physical, emotional and financial aspects of the organization and its employees.

“We’ve worked diligently across the company to make our support for our military teammates stand out, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that our efforts are recognized by Military Times – a well-respected publication,” Eggert added.

About NBCUniversal 

NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses.

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Jacobs Completes Test of KeyRadar in AgilePod for AFLCMC; Steve Arnette Quoted
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Jacobs Completes Test of KeyRadar in AgilePod for AFLCMC; Steve Arnette Quoted

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) has certified Jacobs’ KeyRadar in AgilePod for flight testing on commercially operated aircraft under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness criteria. The certification adds to Jacobs’ flight campaign with the AFLCMC for certification of Jacobs' newest version of its proprietary KeyRadar product in an aerial system pod. 

"The integration of KeyRadar into an aerial system pod brings unique capabilities for ISR and time-critical detection/recognition applications," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions senior vice president Steve Arnette. 

The flight activity includes technical maturation phase for the AFLCMC, a program to integrate KeyRadar into an aerial system pod and provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and target detection/recognition capabilities from manned and unmanned aircraft. 

Jacobs’ KeyRadar is a multi-mission, multi-mode system built on a software-defined radio/radar architecture. The system has integrated multiple bands with sophisticated processing and detection/recognition software to find concealed targets in challenging operational environments. 

Jacobs' modular open system architecture will enable users to field new capabilities to operational systems. The program also demonstrated the utility of Jacobs' KeyPAD software has been integrated in KeyRadar for automated human-made object detection to improve system performance. 

The radar was packaged in the pod system to meet Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) standards.

The radar and pod were operated in an unpressurized environment, varying between extreme warm and extreme cold temperatures, to include moisture saturating weather, and were evaluated against engineering, performance and environmental specifications.

"The completion of this flight campaign and certification represents a successful collaboration between our newly integrated team since acquiring KeyW and our partnership with the Air Force in delivering advanced technical solutions to the intelligence mission," Arnette added. 

About Jacobs

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. 

With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. 

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