Rear Adm. Mat Winter Seeks More Funds for Tech Transition to Navy Fleet
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Rear Adm. Mat Winter Seeks More Funds for Tech Transition to Navy Fleet


Mathias Winter
Mathias Winter

Rear Adm. Mat Winter, chief of naval research, has called for more government investments in research and development to help accelerate the transition of emerging technologies to warfighters, the Washington Examiner reported Friday.

The U.S. Navy‘s top research official noted that only a few companies could keep up with the Office of Naval Research’s $2.1 billion science and technology budget for fiscal 2016 out of the Navy’s $169.9 billion total budget, Jacqueline Klimas writes.

Winter asked the government to back up ONR’s innovation and science initiatives to ensure uninterrupted technology transfer to the fleet, according to the report.

He told a Center for Strategic and International Studies event that the organization has “scientific projects that could easily expand those boxes and bring additional solution space for our warfighter,” the publication reports.

Winter said the Navy currently conducts research in an unmanned aerial vehicle swarming technology with the goal to launch autonomous vehicles in rapid succession, the report says.

Commerce Dept Requests Comments on Proposed 2020 Census Data Collection Methods
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Commerce Dept Requests Comments on Proposed 2020 Census Data Collection Methods


surveyThe Commerce Department has opened the comment period on the Census Bureau‘s plan to conduct a population survey in Puerto Rico next year in order to test proposed data gathering and systems integration methods for the 2020 U.S. census.

In a Federal Register notice published Tuesday, the bureau said it aims to observe participant responses to a mail contact strategy and an online questionnaire option during the 2017 Puerto Rico Census Test.

The practice test is designed to also help the bureau measure the potential effects of using household contact methods to encourage self-response to the survey.

The bureau will also use the Puerto Rico-based census to assess the operational procedures and technical design of the bureau’s nonresponse follow-up and update enumerate programs as well as test its non-ID processing method as a tool to help increase self-response rates.

The Commerce Department will accept comments from agencies and the general public through Sept. 19.

DARPA-Funded University of Washington Research Team Develops Protein Design Method
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DARPA-Funded University of Washington Research Team Develops Protein Design Method


HealthThe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has funded a University of Washington research team that created a method to design customized proteins that can self-assemble structures inside living cells.

DARPA said Thursday the design method helps the agency’s push to efficiently deliver biomedical treatments such as DNA vaccines and therapeutic interfering particles to cells.

The agency noted the work could also lead up to DARPA’s INTERfering and Co-Evolving Prevention and Therapy program that will work to develop a new generation of genetically programmable protein-based molecular machines.

“Viruses offer researchers many lessons on ways to access the body and use the body’s resources for their own purposes,” said Jim Gimlett, DARPA program manager for University of Washington research and INTERCEPT program.

Gimlett when on to say, “DARPA is studying how to apply those tricks to the challenge of overcoming infectious disease … This construct’s generous capacity, and the accuracy with which it builds itself, bode well for the field of biomolecular engineering.”

DARPA added it works to design customized protein shells that can be programmed for specific payloads that can be replicated within the body to open new processes for personalized medicines and therapies.

Health Center Networks Receive $36M in HHS Funds to Adopt Health IT; Sylvia Burwell Comments
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Health Center Networks Receive $36M in HHS Funds to Adopt Health IT; Sylvia Burwell Comments


Sylvia Burwell
Sylvia Burwell

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded 50 health center controlled networks in 41 states and in Puerto Rico a more than $36 million for the implementation of health information technology.

The networks are designed to assist in the adoption of certified electronic health record technology; integration of data collection, analysis and reporting; and compliance with the Medicare and Medicaid programs, HHS said Thursday.

Click here for the complete list of the recipient HCCNs.

“By using these networks, individual health centers can work together to share resources, leverage buying power, and improve access to health information technology, leading to a better care experience for vulnerable populations,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.

HCCNs work to update practices for service integration, patient outcome improvement and managed care contract negotiation.

The networks aim to help health centers use electronic health records certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to meet Medicare and Medicaid requirements.

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US Army Hands Radar Systems to Ukrainian Military; Jason Evans Comments
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US Army Hands Radar Systems to Ukrainian Military; Jason Evans Comments


Helicopter-RadarThe U.S. Army Security Assistance Command has transported additional AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar systems to the Ukrainian military as part of a $200 million program to help Ukraine counter rocket, mortar and artillery threats.

The Fiscal Year 2016 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is a Defense Department program that aims to help build up Ukraine’s security forces in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Army said Wednesday.

“USASAC’s July delivery is in support of the FY ’16 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, part of a much larger package that includes everything from communication and medical equipment to night vision devices, personal protection equipment, and military training,” said Jason Evans, USASAC’s country program manager for Ukraine.

Evans said the new delivery of Q-36 systems augments Ukraine’s current inventory of Q-48 counter-mortar radar systems.

USASAC’s Fort-Bragg-based subordinate U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization will provide training to the Q-36 radar military teams, with support from the Fire Center of Excellence and Tobyhanna Army Depot.

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GAO Urges USPTO to Address Patent Quality Definition, Examiner Incentives & Patent Application Clarity
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GAO Urges USPTO to Address Patent Quality Definition, Examiner Incentives & Patent Application Clarity


GAOThe Government Accountability Office has called on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to articulate a comprehensive definition for patent quality, address the clarity of patent applications and reassess time allotted for application examinations.

GAO said in a report published Wednesday district court filings of patent infringement lawsuits increased to more than 5,000 in 2015 from approximately 2,000 in 2007 while the defendants named in the lawsuits reached 8,000 from 5,000 in the same period.

The government watchdog added most suits involve software, computer and communications technology-related patents and that stakeholders claimed these patents can be “unclear and overly broad” due to low patent quality.

Auditors estimate 70 percent of patent examiners that GAO interviewed say the time allotted to complete application examinations do not meet workload needs.

The report further stated “nearly 90 percent of examiners always or often encountered broadly worded patent applications, and nearly two-thirds of examiners said that this made it difficult to complete a thorough examination.”

GAO recommended for USPTO to provide a consistent definition of patent quality in agency documents and guidance; assess the impact of examiner incentives on patent quality and consider the use of additional application tools such as a glossary of terms.

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DoD Updates Manual on International Law Principles for Armed Conflict
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DoD Updates Manual on International Law Principles for Armed Conflict


DoD logo resizeThe Defense Department has updated its guidance for DoD military and civilian personnel who implement the law of war in support of military operations.

DoD said Friday the update on the 2015 Law of War manual provided to military commanders, legal practitioners and other personnel covers international law principles that establish measures to protect journalists.

“[DoD] lawyers heard concerns brought forward by media organizations and engaged in a productive, thoughtful dialogue with journalists that helped us improve the manual and communicate more clearly the department’s support for the protection of journalists under the law of war,” said Jennifer O’Connor, DoD general counsel.

“The department’s mission is to defend the very freedoms that journalists exercise.”

DoD noted it will continue to collaborate with the public regarding the manual and update it in the future as needed.

The updated version of the manual can be found here.

CDC to Support Zika Monitoring Efforts in States, Territories Through $60M in Funds; Tom Frieden Comments
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CDC to Support Zika Monitoring Efforts in States, Territories Through $60M in Funds; Tom Frieden Comments


Tom Frieden
Tom Frieden

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to award $60 million in total funds to U.S. states and territories in support of efforts that seek to prevent the spread of Zika virus in the country.

CDC said Thursday the funds aim to support mosquito tracking and control efforts, build up laboratory capacity, assist epidemiologic surveillance and investigation, as well as track pregnant women and infants with Zika infection through the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry.

“Local, state and territorial health departments are on the front lines in the fight against Zika,” said Tom Frieden, director of CDC.

“We hope Congress will provide the additional resources we need to fully support the Zika response.”

CDC will distribute the funds through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreement and will award $10 million in additional funds on Aug. 1 to help states and territories detect cases of birth defects related to Zika virus.

The agency said it also doled out $25 million in funds on July 1 in support of response and preparedness efforts in states and cities at risk for Zika outbreaks.

CDC’s ELC agreement aims to provide annual funds to public health agencies in an effort to help them respond to threats posed by infectious diseases.

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Rick Burt Appointed NASA Marshall Safety & Mission Assurance Director; Todd May Comments
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Rick Burt Appointed NASA Marshall Safety & Mission Assurance Director; Todd May Comments


$headshot-Rick-Burt
Rick Burt

Rick Burt, formerly chief safety officer within NASA’s safety and mission assurance directorate, has been named head of that directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

Burt succeeds Steve Cash, who retired after 34 years of service for NASA, and will be responsible for safety, reliability and quality engineering and assurance operations at Marshall, the space agency said Thursday.

“Rick’s experience will help us ensure that safety remains paramount as we build and fly the spacecraft that will take human explorers on missions deeper into space than ever before, including on our journey to Mars,” said Todd May, Marshall director.

Burt is a member of the Senior Executive Service and has served as manager of the Marshall engineering directorate’s test laboratory and manager of the Ares 1 First Stage program.

The 26-year NASA veteran began his career at the space agency in 1990 as an enhancement manager for the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project, for which he has taken roles of increasing responsibility until he was named chief engineer of the project in 2002.

He has worked on the Space Shuttle Program at NASA and the nuclear power program of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

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Paul Hertz: Japan’s Space Agency Asks NASA to Produce X-Ray Instrument Copy for 2nd Hitomi Satellite
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Paul Hertz: Japan’s Space Agency Asks NASA to Produce X-Ray Instrument Copy for 2nd Hitomi Satellite


deep_spaceJapan’s space agency has asked NASA to build a copy of an X-ray instrument onboard a Japanese Hitomi astronomy satellite that lost contact on March 26 with spacecraft controllers a month after its launch in February, Space News reported Thursday.

Jeff Foust writes Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, said NASA has begun to consider the development of a “build-to-print” version of the Soft X-Ray Spectrometer for the JAXA agency’s proposed ASTRO-H2 satellite that is expected to launch by 2020.

“JAXA has announced their intent to study a rebuild of Hitomi” Hertz told the astrophysics subpanel of the NASA advisory council’s science committee.

Hertz said NASA estimates development work on a new SXS will cost between $70 and $90 million over five years through 2021, Foust reports.

“In my assessment, these kinds of changes do not cause grievous harm to our programs,” he told subcommittee members.

Hertz added he is scheduled to meet JAXA officials in early August to tackle NASA’s possible involvement in the proposed ASTRO-H2 mission, according to the report.

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