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John Sherman to Step Down as DOD Chief Information Officer; Lloyd Austin Quoted
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John Sherman to Step Down as DOD Chief Information Officer; Lloyd Austin Quoted

John Sherman, chief information officer of the Department of Defense and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, will step down from his role at DOD by the end of June.

In a Thursday statement announcing the move, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged Sherman’s leadership and efforts in helping the department address digital challenges and advance mission readiness by equipping the service branches with capabilities for modern warfighting.

“Under his leadership during the past two and a half years, the Department has restructured its approach to cybersecurity. Today we are better positioned to take advantage of technological developments and respond to digital threats,” Austin, a three-time Wash100 awardee, said of Sherman.

Texas A&M University announced Thursday that Sherman will take on the role of dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, effective Aug. 1.

He will succeed Mark Welsh, a retired U.S. Air Force general who was named president of the university in 2023. Since August 2023, Frank Ashley has been serving as acting dean of the Bush School.

Sherman has over three decades of national security experience and held senior roles at the CIA, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The Texas A&M graduate started his career at the U.S. Army as an air defense officer within the 24th Infantry Division. His experience spans cybersecurity, information technology modernization, international affairs, organizational strategy and data collection and analysis.

NSF to Assess National Security Ramifications of Grant Proposals Using New Framework
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NSF to Assess National Security Ramifications of Grant Proposals Using New Framework

The Office of the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy within the National Science Foundation has developed a new framework that the agency will use in evaluating potential national security risks associated with grant proposals.

The Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency framework will be rolled out in three phases, with the first taking place in fiscal year 2025, according to an article the NSF posted Wednesday.

Phase 1 will involve a pilot program where the TRUST framework will be applied to quantum-related proposals. The effort will subsequently be evaluated using data collected during the run.

Phase 2 will involve the implementation of lessons learned from phase 1 and the expansion of the framework’s coverage to encompass other technology areas articulated within the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, whose provisions guided the framework’s development.

Phase 3 will further expand the framework’s application to cover all technology areas and the priorities of the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate.

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NASA Deploys 2nd PREFIRE CubeSat for Arctic Climate Research Mission
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NASA Deploys 2nd PREFIRE CubeSat for Arctic Climate Research Mission

NASA has deployed the second Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment, or PREFIRE, small satellite into space to study the impact of warming climate on Earth’s ice, seas and weather.

The second PREFIRE CubeSat has established communications with ground controllers after it lifted off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, NASA said Wednesday.

The satellite will join the first PREFIRE CubeSat launched on May 28. Blue Canyon Technologies built both spacecraft that will operate for 10 months in space to monitor ice shelves in the Arctic and Antarctica and gather data on heat emissions in the polar region.

“This mission will give us new measurements of the far-infrared wavelengths being emitted from Earth’s poles, which we can use to improve climate and weather models and help people around the world deal with the consequences of climate change,” said Brian Drouin, PREFIRE’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“Equipped with advanced infrared sensors that are more sensitive than any similar instrument, the PREFIRE CubeSats will help us better understand Earth’s polar regions and improve our climate models,” said Laurie Leshin, director at NASA JPL.

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CISA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Votes on Recommendations for Optimizing Cyber Defense Collaboration
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CISA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Votes on Recommendations for Optimizing Cyber Defense Collaboration

Members of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, or CSAC, held its second quarterly meeting of 2024 to discuss and vote on recommendations for building an operational cyber defense collaboration.

Jen Easterly, director of CISA and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, joined the discussions with CSAC members to finalize recommendations for enhancing the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, a public-private initiative aimed at boosting the cyber defenses of the critical infrastructure sector, CISA said.

“I am excited about the recommendations discussed today and look forward to reviewing them,” Easterly said. “I know they are thoughtful and innovative ideas that align with CISA’s priorities and mission as the previous recommendations have been.”

During the meeting, the members also heard updates from subcommittees, including the Building Resilience for Critical Infrastructure subcommittee’s efforts to promote cybersecurity and resilience programs across the critical infrastructure sector.

Established in 2021, CSAC comprises industry and government leaders who advise the agency on cybersecurity policies and programs.

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Energy Department Announces Voucher Program Opportunities, Eyes Accelerated Clean Energy Technology Adoption
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Energy Department Announces Voucher Program Opportunities, Eyes Accelerated Clean Energy Technology Adoption

The Office of Technology Transitions within the Department of Energy is reopening five voucher opportunities and launching two new ones worth $15 million under the Voucher Program.

Established in 2023 and financed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Technology Commercialization Fund, the Voucher Program seeks to facilitate clean energy technology commercialization and address risks associated with technology adoption, the OTT said Tuesday.

Under the program, recipients apply for the capabilities they need to overcome challenges related to energy technology adoption. The recipients are matched with providers that possess those capabilities. The providers are paid by the government for the work they perform in support of the recipients.

The reopened voucher opportunities cover the following needs:

  • pre-demonstration commercialization support
  • performance validation, modeling and certification support
  • clean energy demonstration project siting and permitting support
  • commercialization support

The two new voucher opportunities cover the following needs:

  • planning and validation of industrial decarbonization projects
  • manufacturing conversion, retooling and retrofitting support

Organizations that are interested in becoming capability providers for these opportunities have until July 9 to respond.

A second submission period will be opened this summer for organizations that seek to become recipients for these opportunities.

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DOD Issues Memo on Assessing Joint Force Readiness to Accomplish Missions in Contested Cyber Environments
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DOD Issues Memo on Assessing Joint Force Readiness to Accomplish Missions in Contested Cyber Environments

The Department of Defense has released a memorandum to provide guidance for DOD components to develop standard metrics, terminology and policy to evaluate the readiness of the joint force in conducting assigned and designed missions in congested and contested cyber environments.

Ashish Vazirani, who performs the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness at DOD, signed the directive-type memo issued Wednesday.

The document expands the readiness reporting policy by including a unit’s ability to operate in congested and contested cyberspace environments and directs the joint force to incorporate the risk of operating in such environments when evaluating and exercising their operational plans.

The memo outlines the responsibilities of the DOD component heads, undersecretary of defense for policy, directors of combat support agencies and secretaries of military departments.

According to the document, the secretaries of military branches should implement joint force standards in the Defense Readiness Reporting System, a.k.a. DRRS, incorporate the challenges of operating in contested cyber environments into training exercises and update doctrine to include how to achieve designed and assigned missions in such environments.

The directive states that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be responsible for updating readiness reporting guidance and policy, supporting combatant commanders in joint training programs and exercises to perform missions in congested and contested cyber environments and implementing joint force standards and conditions in DRRS for operating in such environments.

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Bipartisan House Bill to Reauthorize, Expand Federal Government’s Counter-Drone Authorities
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Bipartisan House Bill to Reauthorize, Expand Federal Government’s Counter-Drone Authorities

House lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would extend through Oct. 1, 2028, existing authorities that provide the departments of Homeland Security and Justice with key tools to counter the increasing threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems.

The House Homeland Security Committee said Tuesday the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety and Reauthorization Act of 2024 would prohibit DOJ and DHS from authorizing the use of counter-UAS platforms produced by certain foreign companies.

The proposed measure would direct DHS to establish a counter-UAS mitigation pilot program, authorize the procurement, deployment and operation of counter-drone systems by operators or owners of covered sites and critical infrastructure and work with DOJ to develop standards for counter-drone system training programs.

Under the legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration should develop counter-UAS system minimum performance requirements, establish a plan for counter-UAS operations at airports and ensure the safe operation of the National Airspace System.

The bill intends to clarify and improve coordination requirements between DOJ, DHS, FAA and the Department of Transportation and strengthen U.S. privacy and civil liberty protections.

“This legislation meets the moment by ensuring DHS and DOJ have the appropriate authorities to act swiftly and decisively to detect, track, and mitigate hostile drone use, and to coordinate effectively with other agencies like the FAA or law enforcement partners in this pursuit,” said Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Counter-UAS authorities are set to expire in October and Green said he expects the bill to pass through the House and Senate quickly.

Green introduced the measure with Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

AFWERX Project Vanguard, DIU Advance Defense Technology Transition Through Funding Opportunities
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AFWERX Project Vanguard, DIU Advance Defense Technology Transition Through Funding Opportunities

A program under the Capital Initiative Division of the U.S. Air Force’s innovation arm is working with the National Security Innovation Network, a Department of Defense program office under the Defense Innovation Unit, to connect small businesses with funding resources to transition their technologies from laboratory to full-scale production.

The partnership between Project Vanguard and NSIN/DIU aims to advance small business projects and technologies by facilitating connections with government and private investors.

Small businesses with a Phase II or higher funding history under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs can participate in the effort.

“Our ability to connect the innovation ecosystem is paramount to transitioning critical technologies,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force. “Project Vanguard will facilitate these connections and help small businesses navigate our complex environment.”

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DIU Seeks Commercial Nuclear Micro-Reactors for Deployment in Army Installations
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DIU Seeks Commercial Nuclear Micro-Reactors for Deployment in Army Installations

The Defense Innovation Unit and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment are working together to ensure energy resilience at U.S. Army installations via the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program.

To this end, the DIU has issued a commercial solutions opening to solicit commercial nuclear micro-reactor capabilities that can be scaled up for use at Army and other defense facilities, according to an article published Wednesday on the agency’s website.

The CSO envisions a prototype on-site nuclear power plant that can begin operations before the end of calendar year 2030 at an Army facility within the continental U.S.

Interested parties have until June 21 to submit solution briefs, which should describe the entire lifecycle of the nuclear power plant.

The solicitation may result in a prototype other transaction agreement, which in turn may result in a follow-on production OT agreement or contract.

DIU Seeks Commercial Nuclear Micro-Reactors for Deployment in Army Installations

Army officials, government leaders and industry executives will share their priorities, strategies and solutions to challenges at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Army Summit, which will take place on June 13. Register now to attend this important event!

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CDAO, Defense Innovation Unit Partner to Accelerate AI, Digital Tech Adoption; Radha Plumb Quoted
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CDAO, Defense Innovation Unit Partner to Accelerate AI, Digital Tech Adoption; Radha Plumb Quoted

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office and Defense Innovation Unit will speed up the adoption of AI, analytics, data, software and other digital capabilities under a memorandum of agreement codifying the collaboration between CDAO and DIU.

CDAO Radha Plumb signed the agreement with DIU Director Douglas Beck, the two agencies said in a joint release published Wednesday.

The agreement covers four key collaboration areas: scaling commercial AI into DOD; accelerating autonomy development and fielding; experimenting with digital technologies for the Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control initiative; and collaborating on department-level policy and governance efforts to accelerate AI and autonomy development and deployment, along with digital technology adoption.

Plumb said the partnership with DIU will enable CDAO to integrate industry tech platforms into its enterprise architecture to provide critical AI and digital capabilities.

“DIU’s mission and proven track record in identifying and adopting commercial technologies will allow CDAO to further accelerate the adoption of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence getting the best tech capabilities into the hands of our warfighters,” she added.

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