NASA has selected five university teams to receive grants worth up to $50 million in total to explore “transformative” system-level aviation technology concepts.

The five-year research efforts under the University Leadership Initiative will support NASA’s strategic research goals for aeronautics, the space agency said Tuesday.

NASA asked universities to propose investigations that would address one of the agency’s main aviation research goals as part of ULI.

The proposals include research into wireless communication networks to optimize air traffic management for manned aircraft and drones; commercial supersonic aircraft that could change shape during flight to reduce noise from sonic booms; and an aerodynamic wing design that could help save energy, among others.

The university teams that will negotiate with NASA for potential grants include:

• University of South Carolina
• Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• University of Tennessee
• Ohio State University
• Arizona State University

The Office of Management and Budget plans to issue new guidance that seeks to help federal agencies measure and manage costs and budget of cybersecurity initiatives, data center consolidation projects and other information technology investments, Federal News Radio reported Wednesday.

Nicole Ogrysko writes Kelly Morrison, a performance analyst at OMB’s office of the federal chief information officer, announced the agency’s plan at a panel discussion held Tuesday at the 2017 GITEC Summit in Maryland.

“We’re really thinking about… the information that both agencies and OMB need and how can OMB begin collecting the same information, so ultimately the agencies and OMB are using the same sheet of music for decision making and to provide oversight of investments,” Morrison said.

She said the new policy aims to help agencies increase transparency about their IT investments, coordinate their IT priorities with the government’s budgeting process and implement the Technology Business Management Council’s taxonomy that seeks to standardize measurement and management of IT costs.

Morrison told the station OMB expects to release the new agency guidance by May 5 and integrate it with Circular A-11 after the comment period.

The proposed guidance on IT capital planning comes as OMB works to address challenges to procurement of digital services and recruitment of cybersecurity professionals, the report added.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has begun to consider the use of satellite-based weather data from commercial sources and international partners in an effort to address potential budget cuts to NOAA’s weather satellite initiatives, Space News reported Monday.

Jeff Foust writes Steven Volz, assistant administrator for satellite and information services at NOAA, said in an interview Monday at the 33rd Space Symposium that NOAA considers buying commercial data through a second round of a pilot program for such data should the agency secure funds under the FY 2017 supplemental spending bill.

Volz noted that NOAA also plans to gain access to satellite data from the European Commission through the latter’s Copernicus program.

“They provide very valuable high-quality measurements that we may be able to leverage as well,” he said of the commission’s Copernicus program.

Volz’s remarks came after the White House released its fiscal 2018 budget proposal that aims to generate annual savings from NOAA’s Polar Follow On program that funds the development of future Joint Polar Satellite System platforms after JPSS-2.

The Government Accountability Office has previously recommended federal agencies to increase their information technology workforce development efforts to mitigate issues related to federal hiring activities, recruitment of qualified staff and identification of skill gaps.

GAO said in a report published Tuesday it found that multiple agencies have taken actions to implement the congressional watchdog’s recommendations such as the launch of executive branch programs and the enactment of the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2015.

The Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget implemented a strategy last year with actions, goals and timelines meant to help boost the government’s cybersecurity workforce.

Federal agencies also introduced cybersecurity scholarship programs as well as promoted cyber, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

The Department of Homeland Security launched the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies to help government employees, educators, students and companies with cybersecurity training providers in the U.S.

The Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would permit the Department of Veterans Affairs to use funds appropriated for the Veterans Choice Program after the initiative expires on Aug. 7.

Sen. John McCain’s (R-Arizona) office said Monday the Veterans Choice Program Improvement Act would allow VA to fully consume $950 million in remaining program funds.

The bill would authorize VA to serve as the primary payer under the Veterans Choice Program in an effort to reduce veterans’ out-of-pocket costs and align the program with the department’s other community care initiatives.

The legislation also seeks to optimize the exchange of medical records between VA and community providers, McCain’s office noted.

Veterans are currently unable to schedule appointments that fall after the program’s expiration date.

McCain sponsored the bill with fellow Sens. Jon Tester (D-Montana), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas).