The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has introduced an online platform designed to help users collaborate and share unclassified data for geospatial technology development efforts.

NGA said Monday it developed GEOWorks for organizations and individuals to collectively develop tools and services within a data science environment.

“Any U.S. company – large or small – or academic institution – or interested individual – can gain access to our data and tools – and build something,” NGA Director Robert Cardillo, a 2018 Wash100 recipient, told his audience during a keynote speech at the 2018 GEOINT Symposium.

Andy Spage, project manager of GEOWorks, said the new website also serves as a means to connect users to challenge-type contests and offer data tools to government agencies.

Persons who have a login.gov account can use the platform.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, formerly chief of staff and executive secretary at the National Security Council, has been appointed national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence.

The 36-year Army veteran will also continue to serve as an assistant to President Donald Trump, the White House said Monday.

He served as Trump’s national security adviser on an acting basis after Michael Flynn resigned in February of last year.

His military career has included two tours in the Vietnam War and leadership roles such as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Kellogg was the director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s command, control, communications and computers directorate prior to his retirement.

The House has voted unanimously to approve a bill that seeks to modernize information technology systems at the Internal Revenue Service and establish cybersecurity measures to protect taxpayer information, Federal Times reported Saturday.

The 21st Century IRS Act would require IRS to partner with other agencies and companies in efforts to prevent identity theft and tax refund fraud.

The bill also calls for the agency to participate in threat data sharing activities and prohibit contractors that do not comply with confidentiality policies from accessing tax return information.

A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report calls for the Energy Department to develop a national strategy that would facilitate the operation of large-scale laser projects at national laboratories.

The report recommends that DOE should establish a technology transfer program focused on lasers that would advance collaboration among national labs, academia and industry, Berkley Lab said Friday.

The study cited the potential applications of laser technology in particle acceleration, machining and medicine as well as research efforts at Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator Center within DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

BELLA scientists have demonstrated the acceleration of electrons through the use of various laser-based acceleration stages and plan to increase the laser pulse rate to 1,000 per second through the k-BELLA program, according to the report.

The report also calls for the U.S. to build up its research and development work on laser technology in order to keep pace with international programs when it comes to the development of high-power laser platforms.

Sponsors of the National Academies report include the National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE’s office of science, Air Force’s office of scientific research and the Office of Naval Research.