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NASA Advances Work on Earth System Observatory Missions; Karen St. Germain Quoted
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NASA Advances Work on Earth System Observatory Missions; Karen St. Germain Quoted

NASA is moving forward with its work on a series of Earth System Observatory missions meant to carry out the five designated observables cited in the 2018 Earth science decadal survey. The activity is occurring amid the budget uncertainty the agency faces under a continuing resolution, SpaceNews reported Sunday.

The Atmosphere Observing System-Storm, AOS-Sky, Surface Biology and Geology and Mass Change, which is now called GRACE-Continuity, or GRACE-C, are the four Earth System Observatory missions that are in the development phase and are valued at approximately $3.5 billion.

Surface Deformation and Change is the fifth mission and is under the extended study phase.

Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth science division at NASA Headquarters, said the missions seek to answer a wide variety of Earth science-related queries and “to integrate observations, science and applications for societal benefit.”

For fiscal year 2024, NASA sought $287 million in funding for Earth System Observatory missions, which are expected to launch between the late 2020s and early 2030s, according to the report.

“We are counting on an increase to cover that development,” Germain said of the budget for the missions.

According to the NASA executive, several international partners will support the effort by providing spacecraft and other instruments worth $1.2 billion.

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DOT Establishes Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee; Pete Buttigieg Quoted
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DOT Establishes Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee; Pete Buttigieg Quoted

The Department of Transportation has established a new advisory committee tasked with providing insights and recommendations — as well as approaches to improve — transportation innovation to the department’s leadership.

The Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee, also known as TTAC, will hold its first meeting on Jan. 18 to discuss matters related to pathways to safe and secure deployments of emerging transportation technologies, DOT said Friday.

TTAC will also explore approaches to promote greater cross-modal integration of emerging technologies, new frameworks to encourage the secure exchange of transformative transportation data, methods to identify cybersecurity and privacy tools to protect transportation systems and policies to grow and support the U.S. workforce.

Members of the new advisory committee include experts from government, industry, academia and labor unions and will serve two-year terms with the possibility of reappointment.

“The deep expertise and diverse perspectives of this impressive group will provide advice to ensure the future of transportation is safe, efficient, sustainable, equitable, and transformative,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Ted Kaouk, John Coughlan Take on Leadership Roles at CFTC Division of Data
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Ted Kaouk, John Coughlan Take on Leadership Roles at CFTC Division of Data

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has expanded the leadership team of its Division of Data, or DOD, with the appointment of Ted Kaouk as chief data officer and director of DOD and John Coughlan as chief data scientist.

CFTC said Kaouk will oversee the DOD’s data integration efforts and facilitate collaboration among offices and divisions to help the CFTC leadership make informed policy decisions.

He was chief data officer at the Office of Personnel Management and oversaw the development of OPM’s inaugural human capital data strategy.

Kaouk also held the same position at the Department of Agriculture and served as the first chair of the Federal Chief Data Officers Council.

Meanwhile, Coughlan has held data science and analytical roles at CFTC for eight years. Before joining the DOD, he was a market analyst within the Division of Market Oversight’s Market Intelligence Branch.

In his new role, Coughlan will help advance the DOD’s data science capabilities and drive the adoption of artificial intelligence-powered tools across the agency.

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FinCEN Begins Accepting Beneficial Ownership Information Reports
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FinCEN Begins Accepting Beneficial Ownership Information Reports

The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, has started accepting reports on beneficial ownership information, or BOI, as part of efforts to address illicit finance.

Existing companies have until Jan. 1, 2025, to file their initial reports and newly registered or created businesses have 90 days to file following receipt of public notice of registration or creation, the Treasury said Monday.

Reporting companies should provide information on their beneficial owners, including the name, date of birth, address and the identifying number and issuer from a non-expired U.S. passport or driver’s license.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the launch of the country’s beneficial ownership registry is a key step in protecting U.S. economic and national security.

“Having a centralized database of beneficial ownership information will eliminate critical vulnerabilities in our financial system and allow us to tackle the scourge of illicit finance enabled by opaque corporate structures,” Yellen added.

In December, FinCEN released a final rule on BOI access and safeguards in accordance with the provisions of the Corporate Transparency Act.

NIST CHIPS Program Office Finalizes Material Expansion Scope in CHIPS Act Funding Use Law
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NIST CHIPS Program Office Finalizes Material Expansion Scope in CHIPS Act Funding Use Law

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s CHIPS Program Office has finalized the definition of material expansion in a rule aimed at preventing the improper use of federal funding for semiconductor manufacturing.

The final rule clarifies the scope of material expansion to include existing as well as new semiconductor production facilities with a capacity increase of more than 5 percent, according to the CHIPS Program Office’s notice on Federal Register.

The agency initially issued a request for comment in March about the definition of terms in the Preventing the Improper Use of CHIPS Act Funding. The rule has a provision on expansion clawback, which prohibits significant manufacturing capacity material expansion by U.S. entities in foreign countries.

In the polished definition, material expansion was clarified to cover newly constructed chip facilities. The agency reiterated the term as the “increase of the semiconductor manufacturing capacity of an existing facility by more than five percent of the capacity memorialized in the required agreement due to the addition of a cleanroom, production line or other physical space, or a series of such additions.”

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CDAO in Pursuit of Electronic Filing Platform for Contract Files Management
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CDAO in Pursuit of Electronic Filing Platform for Contract Files Management

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has begun pursuing a digital platform to facilitate the management of contract files to enhance contract procedures and processes.

CDAO wants the electronic filing platform to help streamline the process of reviewing, storing, documenting and labeling contract files to facilitate access and plans to adopt commercial best practices to implement procurement actions to meet mission requirements, according to a notice published Friday on Tradewinds AI.

Some of the desired operational capabilities for the platform are maintaining records of contract-related documents and tracking changes made to contract files, tracking and reporting on contract workflow progress and ensuring the confidentiality and security of contract documents.

The call may result in pilot project awards that could be carried out through other transaction authority agreements for prototype projects.

The initiative has three rounds and the first focuses on the submission of a discovery paper. For the second round, selected offerors will pitch their proof of concept to a government panel. The pilot project awards will serve as the final round.

Responses to the open call to industry are due Jan. 15.

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Space Command Unit Changes Name to Better Reflect Collaborative Mission
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Space Command Unit Changes Name to Better Reflect Collaborative Mission

The Joint Task Force-Space Defense Commercial Operations has adopted a new name to reflect its collaborative mission to use commercial space domain awareness capabilities.

Now known as the Joint Commercial Operations, or JCO, the U.S. Space Command-led initiative will continue strengthening its global network of partners that purchase and use commercial data and analytics to boost space operations worldwide, JCO said Friday.

Maj. Gen. Richard Zellmann, deputy combined joint force space component commander at U.S. Space Command, said the name change aligns the component within the command’s new operational command structure without disrupting its current mission.

“The abbreviated name captures the joint, operational nature of the organization as well as the JCO’s continued collaboration with our global Allies and partners, who are crucial to supporting the protect and defend mission,” Zellmann said.

JCO partners with allies, industry and academia to strengthen the National Space Defense Center’s space tracking capabilities to provide timely space domain awareness data.

Space Command Unit Changes Name to Better Reflect Collaborative Mission

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DHS & NGA Reps Share Distinct Approaches to Zero Trust, Cybersecurity
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DHS & NGA Reps Share Distinct Approaches to Zero Trust, Cybersecurity

Federal agencies are taking different approaches to align with the Department of Defense and intelligence community’s zero trust cybersecurity goals, Federal News Network reported.

Donald Coulter, cybersecurity science advisor for the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, and Monica Montgomery, deputy chief information security officer and deputy director of the cybersecurity office at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, were among the panelists sharing their zero trust strategies at the 930Gov conference.

DHS S&T is approaching zero trust from a supply chain risk management angle, prioritizing systems engineering standard creation and finding ways to help developers and consumers adopt zero trust throughout the software life cycle.

DHS S&T’s work “includes looking at how to expand contextual awareness and expand all the metadata associated with all the systems and resources that we have to be able to communicate those across systems and system boundaries and organizational boundaries,” Coulter said.

Meanwhile, NGA developed seven pilot programs or minimal viable products specifically addressing all zero trust pillars for all of the agency’s 1,300 systems and applications, Montgomery explained. “As systems come through that, business management systems, they are producing those requests for changes (RFCs), each one of those is getting bounced across our solution epic. So we don’t have to go to all the programs,” she stated.

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Gen. Jim Slife Steps Into USAF Vice Chief of Staff Role
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Gen. Jim Slife Steps Into USAF Vice Chief of Staff Role

Gen. Jim Slife has assumed his new role as the U.S. Air Force’s 41st Vice Chief of Staff.

In this position, Slife will lead the Air Staff and help Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin organize, train and equip more than 689,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces, the USAF said on Friday.

Allvin said Slife is someone who has “seen all parts of the business and has done it with excellence” during a ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., in which the former received his fourth star and celebrated his promotion.

Allwin added that one of Slife’s “hallmarks” is the “idea of leaving things better than when you found it” and expressed his enthusiasm for the ceremony and future collaboration.

Throughout his Air Force career, Slife has compiled over 3,100 flight hours in the MH-53 and MQ-1 as well as other aircraft. Prior to stepping into his new role, he was the service branch’s deputy chief of staff for operations, a position in which he oversaw the development and implementation of policy surrounding global operations, force management, training and readiness.

Earlier, Slife was commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command. He has also served in multiple joint leadership positions, including vice commander of the U.S. Southern Command, chief of staff for the U.S. Special Operations Command and chief of staff for the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea.

Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended the ceremony. He said Slife’s promotion was “truly deserved” and described the official as someone he “could always turn to because he always provided thoughtful insights.”

During the event, Slife noted the shifting strategic environment faced by the USAF today.

“General Brown called on us to accelerate change. Secretary Kendall has empowered us to actually think about… what we need to have to be competitive for the next several decades,” he said.

Tackling these challenges, said Allvin, is “the hardest thing we’ve done in a long time and maybe the hardest thing we do together.”

Having a team member who has navigated these issues “couldn’t be better now for our force,” he remarked.

CEO Sean Moriarty of Primer Federal, Inc. is a Panelist at the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit
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CEO Sean Moriarty of Primer Federal, Inc. is a Panelist at the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit
Photo from Sean Moriarty’s Official LinkedIn Account

 

Sean Moriarty is participating in the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit. As the Chief Executive Officer at Primer, one of the industry-leading companies for artificial intelligence, his expert command of AI is a significant addition to the discussion about its latest advancements, developments, and applications in the federal space.

 

Sign up to become a member of the Potomac Officers Club to join the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21, 2024. Learn more about the current and emerging artificial intelligence technologies in dynamic mission-critical environments.

About Sean Moriarty

 

Sean Moriarty kickstarted his career in technology at the dawn of the commercial internet boom in the mid-90s. He is one of the technology trailblazers who has led disruptive changes, technology shifts, and the rise of AI. Having been in the industry for more than three decades, Mr. Moriarty has become a renowned leader in both the B2B and B2C tech sectors.

 

Sean Moriarty is a Bachelor of Arts degree holder from the University of South Carolina. He also attended English Language and Literature/Letters at Boston University and was a Warwick Exchange Fellow at the University of Warwick.

 

Sean Moriarty: Professional background

 

Sean Moriarty started his professional journey as a QA Engineer at Citysearch in 1997. In this capacity, he capitalized on the rise of the internet to gain a variety of experiences not only in technology but also in general management.

 

In 2000, Mr. Moriarty became Ticketmaster’s Executive Vice President of Product and Technology, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer. He served in this role for five years until he ultimately became the President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2005. Mr. Moriarty held this title until March 2009.

 

List of Sean Moriarty’s career journey

 

  • Chief Executive Officer at Primer.ai (April 2023 – Present)
  • Chief Executive Officer at Leaf Group (August 2014 – April 2023)
  • Chairman at Metacloud (June 2012 – September 2014)
  • Chief Executive Officer at Saatchi Art (August 2013 – August 2014)
  • Entrepreneur In Residence at Mayfield Fund (August 2009 – June 2012)
  • President and Chief Executive Officer at Ticketmaster (July 2005 – March 2009)
  • Executive Vice President of Product and Technology, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer at Ticketmaster (July 2000 – July 2005)
  • QA Engineer at Citysearch (1997 – 2000)

 

Aside from his leadership background, Sean Moriarty assumed chairmanship and directorship positions on the Board of Directors of various companies, including Eventbrite, CoachArt, Leaf Group, TuneIn, Ingrooves Music Group, Instantly, Triton Media Group, Pat Tillman Foundation, Freedom Communication, Ticketmaster, iLike, and Points.com International.

 

Through these professional experiences, Mr. Moriaty has been acknowledged as a serial entrepreneur with acclaimed skills in early-stage startups, technology management, executive leadership, and product development.

 

Sean Moriarty: Assisting Primer in expanding AI capabilities

 

Sean Moriarty: Assisting Primer in expanding AI capabilities
Image by SuPatMaN/Shutterstock

 

Sean Moriarty believes that artificial intelligence can have a profound impact on the technology sector, particularly for the federal government. As a technology pioneer, his addition to Primer expands the AI capabilities for which the company is known. Mr. Moriarty supports the company’s goal to scale AI growth to the most mission-critical activities.

 

Moreover, Sean Moriarty triumphs Primer’s mission to make the world a safer place through the use of cutting-edge technology. He works with Silicon Valley data scientists, defense decision-makers, engineers, and product managers to leverage AI’s critical edge in complex and sensitive environments.

 

Sean Moriarty participates in the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

 

Sean Moriarty participates in the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit

Sean Moriarty is set to participate in the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21, 2024. Organized by the Potomac Officers Club to discuss the transformative power of artificial intelligence, the summit is an annual gathering of leaders, key partners, and executives to discover advancements in AI across dynamic environments.

Joining the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit is a roster of keynote speakers:

 

  • Dr. Bill Streilein, Chief Technology Officer for the Office of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer at the Department of Defense (Opening keynote)
  • Rachael Martin, Maven Office Director at National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Morning keynote)
  • David Larrimore, Executive Director of the Chief Technology Officer Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security (Keynote)
  • Dr. Kathleen Fisher, Director of the Information Innovation Office at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (Afternoon keynote)
  • Dr. Kimberly Sablon, Principal Director of Trusted AI and Autonomy (OUSD (R&E)) at the Department of Defense (Mid-day keynote)
  • Lakshmi Raman, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Central Intelligence Agency (Closing keynote)

 

Register for the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit today. The annual summit is all the more crucial following the White House’s AI Executive Order in October 2023, laying the groundwork for rapid development in AI technologies and applications.

 

About Primer Federal, Inc.

Primer Federal, Inc.
Photo from Primer.ai

Primer is a champion of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It empowers federal and commercial sectors with automation tools to streamline data analyses, save thousands of labor hours, and customize operations based on mission-critical needs. Although it’s only been around since 2015, Primer has become a trusted industry leader for AI.

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