NSF Selects Research Projects to Develop Secure AI Technologies
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NSF Selects Research Projects to Develop Secure AI Technologies

The National Science Foundation has unveiled the 11 research projects to receive $10.9 million in funding to support the development and implementation of safe and resilient machine learning systems.

NSF said Tuesday the Safe Learning-Enabled Systems program was launched in partnership with Open Philanthropy and Good Ventures to fund foundational research projects that aim to create secure autonomous systems and generative artificial intelligence models.

The selected research projects include the development of safety-aware machine learning algorithms and methodologies, foundational technologies for safe learning-enabled systems based on distributional reinforcement learning techniques and a specification-guided, perception-enabled reinforcement learning framework.

“NSF’s commitment to studying how we can guarantee the safety of AI systems sends a clear message to the AI research community: We consider safety paramount to the responsible expansion and evolution of AI,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.

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Army Issues RFI for Project Linchpin AI Bill of Materials
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Army Issues RFI for Project Linchpin AI Bill of Materials

The project manager for intelligence and analytics within the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors is seeking industry input regarding ways to implement and automate an artificial intelligence bill of materials, or AIBOM, for Project Linchpin, whose aim is to establish a pipeline that would develop AI and machine learning solutions for PEO IEW&S sensor programs.

An AIBOM would work to identify potential vulnerabilities in an AI model by tracking key information about its components, including its software supply chain, details about the model itself and the lineage of the data used to train the model, according to a request for information posted on SAM.gov.

The pertinent information would have to be extracted automatically from relevant sources in order to make an AIBOM viable.

Interested parties have until Dec. 1 to respond.

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FBI Director Christopher Wray: Homegrown Violent Extremists Are the Greatest Terrorism Threat to US
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FBI Director Christopher Wray: Homegrown Violent Extremists Are the Greatest Terrorism Threat to US

Homegrown individual or small extremist cells that exploit online violence are the biggest terrorism threat to the United States, FBI Director Christopher Wray said during a Senate hearing.

In a statement presented Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Wray warned that adversaries are taking advantage of modern technology to commit crimes, from cyber attacks to disinformation and weapon construction.

He discussed the growing number of domestic and homegrown violent extremists, which operate within the U.S. or its territories to mobilize disorder and other unlawful acts through social media and online platforms. He clarified that the FBI is using all the tools applicable to fight domestic terrorism.

The agency is also continuing to combat hostile foreign intelligence services and operatives, especially amid conflicts in the Middle East.

“We continually adapt and rely heavily on the strength of our federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and international partnerships to combat all terrorist threats to the United States and our interests,” Wray stated. Using lawful investigative techniques, the agency maintains efforts “to collect, analyze, and share intelligence concerning the threats posed by violent extremists who desire to harm Americans and U.S. interests,” told lawmakers.

The Potomac Officers Club is participating in the national security conversation as the host of the 2023 Homeland Security Summit, which takes place on Nov. 15. Register now to join the event.

POC - 2023 Homeland Security Summit
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DHS Develops Cybersecurity Readiness Metric for Potential Contract Awardees
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DHS Develops Cybersecurity Readiness Metric for Potential Contract Awardees

The Department of Homeland Security finalized a new metric for assessing the cybersecurity readiness of prospective contract awardees.

The Cybersecurity Readiness Factor resulted from the statistical analysis of the 2023 Cyber Hygiene Assessment Instrument Questionnaire, and involves meeting the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publications 800-171r2 and 800-172 on information security, DHS stated in a notice published Wednesday on SAM.gov.

The metric divides readiness into three levels of likelihood, based on whether they have partially, fully or not satisfied security requirements. For fiscal year 2024, DHS set the objective baseline at fifteenth percentile. The contractor’s resulting percentile will be sent to the DHS contracting officer for review during the pre-award stage.

DHS is inviting industry feedback on the Cybersecurity Readiness Factor until Nov. 17.

On Nov. 15, the Potomac Officers Club is hosting the 2023 Homeland Security Summit to shine a light on today’s most pressing U.S. security issues. Register now to join the event.

POC - 2023 Homeland Security Summit
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2 Weeks Out Preview: 2023 Baird Government & Defense Conference
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2 Weeks Out Preview: 2023 Baird Government & Defense Conference

Financial services company and investment firm Baird will host its 6th annual Government and Defense Conference on Nov. 15 at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in Virginia. The event will showcase some of the government contracting industry and federal sector’s most prominent names, with sessions featuring CEOs, military officials, intelligence community leaders and more.

“We try to go beyond the superficial and really go in depth in terms of the subject matter,” Baird Managing Partner and event organizer John Song told GovCon Wire. “Whether it’s AI or space-related topics, among many others, the speakers will be extremely thorough about the issues and considerations for those areas of the market.”

Song is a recipient of the Wash100 Award — the GovCon space’s most distinguished honor — and the conference will see a number of his fellow awardees take the stage, including CGI Federal President Stephanie Mango, Noblis CEO Mile Corrigan and CACI President of National Security and Innovative Solutions Todd Probert, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stacey Dixon and more.

For a more extensive preview of the conference, read GovCon Wire’s reporting here.

If you have further questions or would like to request an invitation, please contact Baird’s conference events team at IBEvents@rwbaird.com.

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Senate Bill Aims to Enhance Federal AI Testing & Evaluation Systems
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Senate Bill Aims to Enhance Federal AI Testing & Evaluation Systems

Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., have proposed a bill that aims to enhance the federal government’s capacity to assess and test artificial intelligence tools to protect national security and citizens and foster innovation.

The proposed Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted AI Act would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to work with the Department of Energy to come up with testbeds for the assessment of trusted AI tools to meet workforce needs and advance AI-related capabilities, Risch’s office said Tuesday.

The bill seeks to improve the trustworthiness and reliability of federal and commercial AI systems and develop classified testbeds to support safeguards meant to test and prevent misuse of AI tools.

“This will help harness the talent of our National Laboratories to boost our federal capacity to implement responsible guardrails that protect our national security, ensuring this technology is not misused or manipulated,” Lujan said of the TEST AI Act.

Risch and Lujan introduced the legislation with Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Thune, R-S.D.

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Kurt Campbell Nominated for Deputy Secretary of State Post
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Kurt Campbell Nominated for Deputy Secretary of State Post

President Joe Biden has nominated Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the National Security Council, to serve as deputy secretary of the State Department.

Campbell served as assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs between 2009 and 2013, the White House said Wednesday.

He was the founding chairman and CEO of strategic advisory firm The Asia Group, co-founder and chief executive of the Center for a New American Security and director of the Aspen Strategy Group.

His government career included time as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, director of the Democracy Office at the NSC and White House Fellow at the Department of the Treasury.

Campbell, who authored several books and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, previously served as an associate professor of public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Gen David Allvin Confirmed as Air Force Chief of Staff
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Gen David Allvin Confirmed as Air Force Chief of Staff

Gen. David Allvin has been confirmed as the Air Force chief of staff after a Senate vote on Thursday.

The four-star general will succeed Gen. CQ Brown, who was confirmed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September, the Air Force Times reported Thursday.

Allvin has served as the Air Force’s acting chief of staff since October 2023 and as the vice chief of staff since November 2020. In July, Allvin was nominated to lead the Air Force by President Biden.

“Gen. Dave Allvin is the right leader for this defining decade, as our Air Force continues to adapt to the evolving global security environment, and ensure we have the culture, concepts and capabilities needed to compete and win in a highly contested environment,” Brown said in a statement released by the Air Force in July. “His expertise in strategy and planning will be crucial to the service’s success in this era of sustained strength and deterrence.”

Allvin’s confirmation comes after a monthslong block on military promotions catalyzed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., earlier this year. Brown’s confirmation as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman in September marked the first breakthrough of the blockade.

Two other top military officials were also confirmed on Thursday alongside Gen. Allvin. Adm. Lisa Franchetti has been approved as chief of naval operations for the U.S. Navy after serving in the role on an acting basis for several months. Franchetti is the first woman to lead the Navy.

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney was also promoted to general and has been confirmed as the Marines’ new assistant commandant.

National Science Foundation Awards Funding for National Secure Data Service Project Proposals
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National Science Foundation Awards Funding for National Secure Data Service Project Proposals

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation has awarded $7.5 million in total to multiple organizations to finance their proposals for the National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project.

The demonstration project seeks to develop an NSDS ecosystem that would facilitate expanded data use — especially in decision-making — by streamlining data access, linkages and privacy protections, the America’s DataHub Consortium said Tuesday.

The awardees are:

  • Knexus Research Corp.
  • The Urban Institute
  • Mathematica
  • NORC at the University of Chicago
  • Regents of the University of Michigan Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
  • Duality Technologies
  • HealthVerity

The awardees were chosen following a competitive evaluation process.

“The breadth and depth of subject matter expertise our awardees bring will allow us to further explore potential shared services for a National Secure Data Service,” said Heather Madray, a program director at the NCSES.

DOE Selects 6 Projects for Quantum Information Science Research
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DOE Selects 6 Projects for Quantum Information Science Research

The Department of Energy Office of Science has selected six projects to receive $11.4 million in funding to conduct research on quantum information science for fusion energy sciences.

The funding will focus on advancing quantum algorithms related to fusion and plasma physics, developing high-sensitivity measurement techniques for plasmas and exploring high-energy density physics methods for QIS materials discovery and synthesis, DOE said Monday.

Jean Paul Allain, associate director of science for the Fusion Energy Sciences program, said the awards will enable FES to “take advantage of QIS sensing techniques and future quantum computing hardware.”

“The convergence of quantum science, fusion energy, and plasma science is an exciting and revolutionary emergent area of discovery and broader impact.”

The QIS research projects were competitively peer-reviewed and will run for up to three years. DOE will provide $3.8 million in fiscal year 2023 and $7.6 million in outyear funding.

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