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ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging
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ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, has unveiled a new platform aimed at enhancing medical imaging by leveraging artificial intelligence tools and technology.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency said Monday it is seeking proposals for the ImagiNg Data EXchange, or INDEX, program. The objective of the funding opportunity is to develop the exchange platform and foster connection between medical imaging data providers, users and services. This is expected to boost the development of AI-enhanced tools for radiology, pathology and surgical imaging. 

What Is the ImagiNg Data EXchange?

The INDEX program is an initiative meant to address the gaps in the development of medical AI tools, particularly the lack of high-quality medical imaging data. Medical imaging is essential for diagnosis and treatment but there is a lack of trained professionals, particularly radiologists and pathologists, that can interpret imaging exams. The use of AI and machine learning can potentially address this issue. 

Through the INDEX platform, medical software developers can access large volumes of imaging data for training, testing and validating AI/ML applications. Developers can leverage digital pathology, surgical videos, radiological scans and other medical imaging data to enhance these applications.

Should the initiative succeed, healthcare providers will be able to process more medical images faster and provide more accurate diagnoses. 

ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn, remarked, “For AI-enabled medical diagnostic tools to become commonplace in medical settings, we must work to enable consistent performance, which requires large volumes of diverse and representative data for training, testing and validation.”

Register now and join Potomac Officers Club as they present the 2024 Healthcare Summit. Get to know the latest about the healthcare sector from industry experts and thought leaders.

ARPA-H Unveils Platform for Enhanced Medical Imaging
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Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech
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Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center Readiness Directorate, or AFCEC/CX, has released a broad agency announcement seeking potential industry sources capable of conducting research and development regarding automated heavy machinery technologies for Air Force civil engineer operations.

According to the BAA posted on SAM.gov Monday, AFCEC/CX is seeking proposals for R&D projects to develop and demonstrate automation and intelligent system technologies that will be utilized for heavy equipment. The potential technology will be used for various purposes, including construction, vegetation management and infrastructure maintenance.

BAA Areas of Interest

Some areas of interest that R&D efforts can focus on include:

  • Automated navigation and driving, including GPS/waypoint enabled and GPS-denied settings.
  • AI-driven machinery for civil engineering operations.
  • Actuated end-effectors like autonomously operated arms and jointed blades.
  • Common operating picture that links multiple vehicles or machines for conducting operations simultaneously.
  • Safety procedures for large vehicles such as tractors, excavators, dump trucks and street sweepers in crowded environments.
  • Robotic appliques and control systems that can be easily installed on different machines.

The potential vendor can receive an approved maximum value of $49 million while the remaining ceiling is $45 million. Potential offerors may send in their proposals until Jan. 13, 2025 at 10:00 am CST.

Join the Potomac Officers Club on Jan. 23 for the 2025 Defense R&D Summit! Register now and get to know what the nation’s leading defense researchers, experts and decision-makers have to say.

Air Force Issues BAA for Automated Heavy Machinery Tech
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CCC, Estes Energetics Awarded DOD NQ Supply Chain Contract
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CCC, Estes Energetics Awarded DOD NQ Supply Chain Contract

Canadian Commercial Corp. and Estes Energetics have received a total value of $5.1 million from the Department of Defense to strengthen the supply chain by ensuring the availability of raw materials.

The DOD said Monday the awards, facilitated through the Defense Production Act Purchases office in collaboration with the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition, aim to enhance the process of recrystallizing nitroguanidine, or NQ. The project supports the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy’s objective of enhancing supply chain resilience, which will be instrumental in the production of weapon systems for national security.

The escalating global conflicts have increased demand for triple-base propellant and IMX explosives, which are used in artillery systems. This has put the spotlight on the nitroguanidine supply chain. The DPA Title III funding is expected to enhance recrystallization technology and boost NQ production.

DOD Contract Details

The funds for the project will come from the U.S. Army and the DPAP office. The Ottawa, Ontario-based Canadian Commercial Corp. will receive $3.2 million while Estes Energetics of Penrose, Colorado will get $1.7 million. The execution of the award will be carried out by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Valleyfield, Canada. 

Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, stated, “These investments will ensure continued domestic availability of a critical energetic while a new U.S.-based manufacturing capability for NQ is established.”

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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation
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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has stated that artificial intelligence red teaming must fit into the existing framework for AI testing, evaluation, validation and verification, or TEVV, and that AI TEVV must be treated under the software TEVV framework from an operational and strategic perspective.

In a blog post published Tuesday, Jonathan Spring, deputy chief AI officer and Divjot Singh Bawa, strategic adviser at the agency, wrote that AI red teaming is a subset of AI TEVV and that the software TEVV framework can be used to assess AI systems.

The two CISA executives explained the three misconceptions about software systems: safety concerns associated with AI testing, the need for validity and reliability testing and the probabilistic nature of such technologies.

CISA’s Role in AI Testing, Evaluation, Validation & Verification

According to Spring and Bawa, CISA has been contributing to AI red teaming efforts that back security assessments for federal and non-federal organizations.

The blog post stated that CISA ensures that its work on AI pre-deployment testing supplements government, industry and academic efforts.

The agency provides risk management and technical assistance to federal and non-federal partners, including offering support to AI security technical post-deployment testing.

CISA also works with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop AI security testing standards.

“By treating AI TEVV as a subset of traditional software TEVV, the AI evaluations community benefits from using and building upon decades of proven and tested approaches towards assuring software is fit for purpose,” Spring and Bawa wrote.

“Most notably, with the knowledge that software and AI TEVV must be treated similarly to software TEVV from a strategic and operational perspective, the digital ecosystem can instead channel effort at the tactical level, developing novel tools, applications, and benchmarks to robustly execute AI TEVV,” they added.

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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics
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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics

The Arlington, Virginia unit of Accenture along with National Harbor, Maryland-based company Knexus and Scale AI of San Francisco, California, have emerged as the winners in the Defense Logistics Agency’s inaugural artificial intelligence hackathon. The three companies will receive contracts worth a total of $3.5 million for developing AI reporting tools in demand planning, a chatbot app and virtual acquisition agents, DLA said Tuesday.

The agency invited vendors in March to demonstrate in the hackathon their capabilities to provide innovative AI and machine learning solutions to DLA operations.

Selection Criteria

The competition drew 46 entries that a DLA research and development team screened based on a set of standards that included technical merit, feasibility and AI performance. Through the criteria, six vendors were selected for proposal presentations in an in-person DLA event in June attended by some 50 representatives from the agency, the Department of Defense, military services and academia. 

The three winners were selected after another review of their submitted white papers, technical and cost offers, and in-person presentations. 

Repeatable Solutions

Adarryl Roberts, DLA chief information officer, said the hackathon is the agency’s first endeavor at expanding AI use through repeatable procurement solutions.

“DLA’s goal to become a digital organization is a journey that starts with standardizing how the agency uses emerging technologies to answer DLA’s critical logistics challenges,” he added.

The agency is expected to hold its next hackathon in 2025.

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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move
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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL, is integrating automated software testing in the early phases of its digital transformation effort to immediately determine potential issues that may arise from new applications and the changes being made to existing systems, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

Paul Reichlin, director of digital platforms at PNNL, said automated software testing has a foundational role in the modernization initiative, which involves creating new digital platforms from scratch and reimagining disparate business applications.

“We’ve definitely taken the common approach of moving a lot of testing left in the process, so the more we can move it into the development process, the build processes, so we get that faster feedback,” Reichlin explained. “When you’re starting new, you can do a lot with the code in terms of making it more modular and testable … You have those tests to let you know if you broke something.”

According to the PNNL digital director, one goal of the transformation effort is to ensure the systems are designed in a way that meets the requirements of the end users. With automated software testing, users can provide feedback on the applications earlier in the development and build processes and use their input to improve how systems work, he added.

What Does PNNL Do?

PNNL, a Department of Energy national laboratory, focuses on chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science research to support innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses.

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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park
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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park

Texas A&M University has officially commenced construction of an upcoming research facility that would support innovation in human spaceflight. NASA said Tuesday that leaders from Texas A&M broke ground for the Texas A&M University Space Institute at Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

The event marks a significant development in the establishment of Texas A&M University Space Institute and the creation of NASA’s new Exploration Park.

Work Begins on University Space Institute

The Texas A&M University Space Institute is expected to focus on human exploration of space. It will provide opportunities for scientists to study potential solutions to challenges associated with living in low Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars. 

At the facility’s ground breaking, Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center, emphasized the importance of the upcoming facility to space research. 

“This is the moment our vision—to dare to expand frontiers and unite with our partners to explore for the benefit of all humanity—will be manifested,” she said. 

The space institute is a multi-million-dollar effort. The site received a $200 million investment from Texas’ state legislature under House Bill 3447, which aims to ensure that Houston maintains its position as a leader in the new space economy. 

It will have high-bay laboratories and large indoor simulation spaces to test lunar and Martian surface operations. The institute is expected to open in September 2026. 

What Is NASA’s Exploration Park?

The Exploration Park is a 240-acre property to foster innovation in space research and exploration and collaboration between the world’s leading innovators. NASA envisions the location to be home to academic research, government programs, and aerospace and technology company initiatives. 

It is also designed to create a pipeline of career development for the Artemis generation, a NASA program to recruit specialists who will work in its lunar exploration program.

The space agency also previously signed an Exploration Park lease agreement with the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation.

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NARA to Begin GenAI Pilot in 2025 to Enhance Data Search Results
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NARA to Begin GenAI Pilot in 2025 to Enhance Data Search Results

The National Archives and Records Administration expects to launch a generative artificial intelligence pilot in early 2025 to enhance how different groups of people find the information they need on the NARA website, Federal News Network reported Monday.

At the recent ACT-IAC ImaginationNation conference, Sheena Burrell, NARA’s former chief information officer, said the pilot will initially focus on applying GenAI to the Warren Commission documents and information related to President John Kennedy’s assassination.

Optical Character Recognition and Semantic Search

NARA is considering Google’s Vertex AI platform for the pilot. According to Burrell, who left the agency last week to assume the chief innovation officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Vertex enables optical character recognition, which allows people with different backgrounds to easily find needed information. The former CIO added that the pilot could enable semantic search on the National Archives catalog to deliver relevant search results.

“One of the things from a customer perspective that we’ve heard a lot is that sometimes people are not able to find what they’re looking for,” Burell said. “A middle schooler versus a person who is a trained archivist or a trained researcher. Those are two different types of experiences, and we want to be able to cater to both.”

NARA is also exploring other AI use cases, including reviewing, redacting and declassifying documents to reduce the time needed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Pentagon Issues Updated Instruction on MTA Pathway
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Pentagon Issues Updated Instruction on MTA Pathway

The Department of Defense has released an updated document establishing policy and outlining the procedures for managing middle tier of acquisition, or MTA, for rapid prototyping and deployment of capabilities.

The updated DOD Instruction took effect Monday, Nov. 25, and was approved by William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

The changes to the MTA guidance, which was first released in December 2019, include program start date and major defense acquisition program equivalent definitions and references to the Adaptive Acquisition Framework Document Identification, or AAFDID, tool.

The latest document also includes sustainment metrics, exportability considerations and transition plan requirements and clarifying language for classified MTA data and use of the software pathway.

What Is MTA Pathway?

The MTA pathway seeks to address a gap in the defense acquisition system to facilitate the rapid prototyping and deployment of capabilities within five years of a program’s launch.

According to the DOD Instruction, this pathway may be used to expedite capability maturation before transitioning to another acquisition pathway. It may also be used to minimally develop a capability prior to rapid fielding efforts.

Responsibilities of DOD Officials

The defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment should determine whether a program is appropriate or not for the MTA pathway, work with decision authorities to ensure streamlined processes and maintain responsibility for prototyping activities within the MTA pathway.

The updated guidance also calls for the DOD undersecretary for research and engineering to manage the department’s rapid prototyping fund and advise DOD components on program planning that anticipates the evolution of capabilities to meet evolving threats, interoperability and tech insertion.

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NASA’s Industry Collaborators Develop LEO Space Tech
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NASA’s Industry Collaborators Develop LEO Space Tech

NASA’s industry partners under the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative have made progress in developing technologies to advance future low Earth orbit space missions.

Space Exploration and In-Orbit Transportation

Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Outpost Technologies are focused on maturing their spacecraft designed for commercial space transportation, logistics and research, human transportation to the moon and Mars, and cargo delivery.

Blue Origin is advancing work on its integrated commercial space transportation capability to ensure safe, affordable and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions.

SpaceX and Outpost Technologies have completed flight tests of the Starship reusable rocket and the Cargo Ferry reusable cargo vehicle, respectively. SpaceX is now preparing to launch new generations of Starship in advance of the first crewed lunar landing mission under NASA’s Artemis program.

Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, cleared a project management review with NASA related to the company’s development of the Cygnus logistics and research spacecraft.

Commercial Space Station

NASA has partnered with Sierra Space and Vast to build in-orbit space stations as the existing International Space Station nears the end of its life.

Sierra Space has completed two full-scale ultimate burst pressure tests of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment, a NASA-funded inflatable habitat structure component. The company also tested materials for the habitat’s air barrier to ensure they meet the recommended safety standards.

Ahead of the expected 2025 launch of the Haven-1 commercial space station, Vast achieved technical milestones, including fabricating key components such as the primary structure pathfinder, hatch, battery module and control moment gyroscope. It also completed a solar array deployment test and the station’s preliminary design review.

In-Space Servicing and Manufacturing

NASA partners Special Aerospace Services and ThinkOrbital are focused on in-space servicing and manufacturing capabilities.

Special Aerospace Services is developing an Autonomous Maneuvering Unit for the assembly of commercial LEO space stations, servicing, retrieval and inspection of in-space systems, while ThinkOrbital works on autonomous in-space welding, cutting and X-ray inspection technologies.

“Our commercial partners’ growing capabilities in low Earth orbit underscore NASA’s commitment to advance scientific discovery, pioneering space technology and support future deep space exploration,” said Angela Hart, manager of the Commercial LEO Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

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