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DCSA Adjudication & Vetting Services Transitions to Working Capital Fund Fee-for-Service Program
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DCSA Adjudication & Vetting Services Transitions to Working Capital Fund Fee-for-Service Program

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has announced the transition of Adjudication and Vetting Services to a fee-for-service program under DCSA’s Working Capital Fund, providing a full-cost recovery financial operating model designed to improve business efficiency.

DCSA said Tuesday AVS’ transition to WCF, which kicked off on Oct. 1, is expected to improve transparency into validating and tracking service and product-related costs, align customer demand and mitigate budgetary risk due to improved service management.

“It will promote consistent operational and financial processing across the federal government through a unified service approach,” DCSA Financial Operations Chief Jack Jibilian said of the move. “The working capital fund program will provide valuable insights with detailed financial reporting that can reduce our overall program costs.”

DCSA noted that the AVS conversion to WCF supports its efforts to optimize the delivery of personnel security services and products to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

In January, Jibilian and his team informed AVS customers of the upcoming changes and offered guidance on the WCF transition.

“The efficiencies of a single WCF model versus multiple ones (general fund and WCF) and its optimization potential will provide us with opportunities to ultimately reduce program costs and avoid new expenses resulting in savings we can pass on to our customers,” Jibilian stated.

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New Bill Seeks to Prevent Delays in Microchip Plant Construction
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New Bill Seeks to Prevent Delays in Microchip Plant Construction

President Joe Biden has signed into law the Building Chips in America Act of 2023, which seeks to simplify the national government’s permitting procedures for microchip manufacturing projects.

The legislation intends to eliminate delays in constructing microchip manufacturing facilities supported by the CHIPS and Science Act, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said in a Wednesday statement.

In a release announcing the enactment, the White House noted that the bill would exempt specific semiconductor production projects from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

According to Kelly, the new law will prevent delays in building microchip factories to ensure that semiconductor manufacturing will return to the United States.

The senator added the legislation would support thousands of high-paying jobs and reduce the United States’ “reliance on foreign supply chains for this critical technology.”

Kelly introduced the bill in July 2023 and garnered enough bilateral support from senators for its eventual passage in December.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the measure, allowing it to reach the president’s desk.

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NASA & DCMA Partner to Advance Remote Verification Technologies
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NASA & DCMA Partner to Advance Remote Verification Technologies

NASA and the Defense Contract Management Agency are adding a new dimension to their collaboration: enhancing remote verification technologies.

DCMA said Wednesday the partnership is meant to streamline operations and leverage expertise from a distance through the adoption of the National Aerospace Standard 413, which provides guidance for implementing remote verification processes.

Todd Outten, a DCMA Center integrator, noted that integrating virtual reality contract administration services through NAS413 will enable warfighters, astronauts and other end-users to capture clear images of defects on their government-delivered assets. This enables them to receive localized advice for tackling the issue.

The Joint Strategic Quality Assurance Council held a demonstration at the Goddard Space Flight Center showcasing the use of virtual reality in conducting remote surveillance. The capabilities exhibited during the event included onscreen overlay and drawing, audio reception, high-resolution video and photo sharing.

Gery Mras, director of lifecycle management at the Aerospace Industries Association, presented the concept of virtual hubs operating under the DCMA that will provide centralized expert support to locations worldwide using advanced visualization technologies.

These hubs will utilize virtual prototype modeling and immersive design centers to facilitate augmented reality collaboration between customers and suppliers.

Craig Bennett, DCMA’s NASA team lead, said, “Model-based quality assurance and acquisition, with VR and artificial intelligence, digital twin, machine learning and modeling tools will serve as the foundation for future partnerships and the achievement of DCMA’s strategic initiatives and future contract deliverables.”

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ODNI & UVa Collaborate to Boost IC’s Use of Emerging Tech
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ODNI & UVa Collaborate to Boost IC’s Use of Emerging Tech

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has partnered with the University of Virginia to boost the use of emerging technologies by the Intelligence Community.

ODNI said Wednesday the collaboration aims to establish the National Security Data and Policy Institute, which will spearhead the utilization of emerging technologies in collecting, analyzing and managing data for the IC’s foreign intelligence mission.

According to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, a four-time Wash100 Award winner, the partnership will enhance the IC’s ability to identify and leverage open-source data and advanced analytical tools for national security objectives using unclassified information.

“Today, not only is an astounding amount of open-source data available to the public, but various actors, including foreign adversaries, also have access to increasingly advanced analytic tools that rely on, among other things, artificial intelligence, to exploit such information in new ways that exacerbate existing threats such as cybersecurity challenges,” said Haines. 

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan expressed his gratitude for ODNI’s investment in the university.

“It’s an honor to pursue our public service mission by capitalizing on academic strengths from across the University in addressing security and policy challenges that face our nation,” Ryan said.

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GSA Soliciting Public Input on Government Transparency Guideposts
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GSA Soliciting Public Input on Government Transparency Guideposts

The General Services Administration has issued a request for information seeking public comments on ways to further improve U.S. federal transparency under the Sixth U.S. Open Government National Action Plan, set for drafting with stakeholder participation.

GSA wants public input from public, private, advocacy, non-profit and philanthropic groups, as well as government agency personnel, the Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy said in a blog post on Wednesday.

The RFI’s topics cover four focus areas, including public input on innovative approaches or emerging technologies that the government could adopt to improve transparency, public engagement and accountability.

The deadline for public input submission is on Nov. 12. 

The RFI follows the GSA’s September announcement of the Open Government Challenge under which the agency will develop guidelines for community participation to promote broader and more meaningful public engagement of federal agencies.

A new federal PPCE toolkit will also be developed as a guidebook on case studies on best practices on public participation and engagement. 

The transparency initiatives are driven by the U.S. membership in the Open Government Partnership, an international alliance among federal, state and local governments and civil society organizations advocating democratic principles and government accountability.

The OGP requires its members to create and commit to transparency plans every two to three years, as well as submit progress reports to independent monitoring and reporting bodies.

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AWS, Deloitte, Microsoft & NVIDIA Back Establishment of Cancer AI Alliance
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AWS, Deloitte, Microsoft & NVIDIA Back Establishment of Cancer AI Alliance

Amazon Web Services, Deloitte, Microsoft and NVIDIA have provided over $40 million in funding to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University to support the establishment of the Cancer AI Alliance, or CAIA.

Fred Hutch Cancer Center said Wednesday that CAIA aims to function as a collaboration hub that will deliver insights in cancer biology and treatment resistance and identify new therapeutic targets by securely applying AI to process data generated during routine cancer care.

The goal is for CAIA to be operational by the end of 2024 and deliver its initial insights by the end of 2025. The alliance is launching with one enabling partner, four foundational partners and four inaugural cancer center members.

CAIA’s formation was spearheaded by Fred Hutch Cancer Center, which will also serve as its coordinating center.

Commenting on the support for CAIA, AWS Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector and 2024 Wash100 award winner Dave Levy said, “Together, we will accelerate innovation in cancer discovery and treatments, deploy generative artificial intelligence at scale, and leverage the power, agility, and security of cloud computing to revolutionize health and patient outcomes.”

AWS, Deloitte, Microsoft & NVIDIA Back Establishment of Cancer AI Alliance

AWS is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit, which will take place in December. Register now to learn about the transformative trends and innovations shaping the future of the healthcare sector.

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DIU Seeks Proposals for Electrospray Propulsion Technology
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DIU Seeks Proposals for Electrospray Propulsion Technology

The Defense Innovation Unit has issued a solicitation for advanced electrospray propulsion technology that demonstrates superior performance in both thrust and specific impulse.

The Department of Defense is seeking efficient propulsion systems to enhance mission capability across commercial, civil and national security applications.

Modern spacecraft use propulsion technologies that require finite liquid or gaseous chemical propellants. Since these propellants are limited, they are conserved for more critical applications such as station-keeping and collision avoidance.

Proposed electrospray propulsion technologies should feature high specific impulse to enable a spacecraft to maneuver freely without the need to conserve fuel.

In addition, the proposed technologies should be throttleable with sufficient precision. This enables the spacecraft to perform orbital insertion/change, rapid orbit repositioning and support of rendezvous and proximity operations with other spacecraft.

Submissions are due by midnight on Oct. 11.

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Ingrid Peterson Joins Intelligent Waves as VP of Client Delivery
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Ingrid Peterson Joins Intelligent Waves as VP of Client Delivery

Ingrid Peterson, a U.S. Navy veteran, has joined Intelligent Waves as the company’s new vice president of client delivery.

In her new position, Peterson will leverage her vast experience in program and project management to spearhead IW’s cybersecurity and national security-tailored programs, the information technology company announced Thursday.

Tony Crescenzo, CEO of Intelligent Waves, said the company is excited to add Peterson to the executive management team.

“Her proven track record supporting the DoD and National Security will add significant value to our growth,” Crescenzo added.

Prior to joining IW, Peterson held leadership positions at Guidehouse and PwC. In these roles, she handled strategic planning and outreach for executive-level customers throughout the Department of Defense. Additionally, Peterson served eight years as a naval flight officer, fulfilling intelligence operations with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two and overseeing intelligence analysts at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Peterson currently chairs the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation Advisory Committee and is a member of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association Greater Washington Chapter board.

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New Digital Service Component Propels HHS Transformation
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New Digital Service Component Propels HHS Transformation

The Department of Health and Human Services is set to form a new digital service component as part of its ongoing reorganization push.

New Digital Service Component Propels HHS Transformation

The new unit, which will fall under the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, or ASTP/ONC, will offer “on demand” digital and technical expertise to support HHS agencies’ technology modernization efforts, according to ASTP Micky Tripathy.

Find out more about the ways in which HHS is modernizing to elevate federal healthcare services at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 11. Secure your spot at the Healthcare Summit today before tickets sell out.

Tripathy, who also serves as the department’s acting chief artificial intelligence officer, said during a health IT event in September that the new division will minimize the need for individual HHS agencies to seek out and hire new teams, allowing them to lean on the digital service organization’s staff for technology consulting and enablement, GovCIO reported

How Is HHS Reorganizing?

HHS established ASTP/ONC as part of a major reorganization endeavor launched in late July. Formerly known as the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, ASTP/ONC now oversees department-wide and interagency technology, data and AI strategy and policy. It also manages the newly created Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which reintroduced the CTO role to HHS, as well as the Offices of the Chief AI Officer and Chief Data Officer.

HHS Makes Strategic Moves for Tech Modernization

In September, HHS finalized its 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, which is built on four pillars:

  • Promoting health and wellness
  • Enhancing the delivery and experience of care
  • Accelerating research and innovation
  • Connecting the health system with health data

Tripathy described the plan as “a culmination of partnership across the federal government to examine the forces shaping the healthcare ecosystem today” and a way to “craft a set of strategies to guide how to prioritize resources, align and coordinate federal health IT initiatives and activities, signal priorities to industry and benchmark and assess progress over time.”

Get exclusive insights into HHS’ future vision at the 2024 Healthcare Summit. The event will bring together public and private sector experts to discuss federal healthcare priorities and pave a pathway for HHS’ continued transformation. Join the conversation at 2024 Healthcare Summit.

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CHIPS for America Seeks to Advance AI Use in Semiconductor Materials Development
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CHIPS for America Seeks to Advance AI Use in Semiconductor Materials Development

The CHIPS for America program within the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology expects to award up to $100 million in funding to advance the use of artificial intelligence in the development of sustainable semiconductor materials and processes that could be adopted within five years.

NIST said Wednesday CHIPS for America announced plans to launch an open competition through a notice of intent and fund industry-informed, university-led collaborations about AI-powered autonomous experimentation—or AI/AE—associated with sustainable semiconductor production.

AI/AE could help expedite the research and development of materials by combining automated synthesis and characterization tools with an AI “planner” to determine the next phase of an experimental campaign.

“President Biden says our nation can be defined in a single word: Possibilities. Using AI to accelerate the extensive, intricate work of developing sustainable materials for this incredibly complicated product is a great example of American ingenuity,” said Arati Prabhakar, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

“This is how CHIPS research and development will help manufacturers continue to succeed and thrive here at home,” added Prabhakar, a previous Wash100 awardee.

NIST said it expects the notice of funding opportunity for the competition to be issued later this year.

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