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SSC Opens Application Process for Space Domain Awareness Tech Development Project
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SSC Opens Application Process for Space Domain Awareness Tech Development Project

Space Systems Command has begun accepting applications for a project that seeks to accelerate technological advances in the field of space domain awareness, or SDA.

Project Apollo is a collaborative tech accelerator that aims to encourage companies, federally funded research and development centers and Space Force guardians and other industry experts to work together to address SDA-related challenges, SSC said Tuesday.

Problem statements for Project Apollo’s first cohort focus on space launch custody, object identification and decision aids.

The first innovation cycle for the project’s inaugural cohort will start on Oct. 26 at the command’s SDA Tools, Applications and Technology Lab in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will run through the end of 2023.

“Each innovation cycle is designed to target solutions at a Technology Level Readiness (TLR) of 4 or above that are scoped to address specific challenge statements provided to each cohort in advance,” said Maj. Sean Allen, head of SSC TAP Lab.

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Former DOD Official Kimberly Jackson Assumes VA Chief of Staff Role
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Former DOD Official Kimberly Jackson Assumes VA Chief of Staff Role

Kimberly Jackson, formerly deputy assistant secretary of defense for force readiness, has been sworn in as chief of staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The U.S. Navy veteran will advise the VA secretary and deputy secretary on delivering care and benefits to veterans, the department said Tuesday.

“We’re thrilled to have her join us to help lead VA as we continue delivering more care and more benefits to more Veterans than ever before,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough.

Jackson served eight years as Naval Reserve officer and was assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Naval Special Warfare and the Chief of Naval Operations’ Strategic Studies Group.

In her most recent role at the Department of Defense, Jackson served as principal adviser to the secretary of defense on the strategic and operational readiness of the armed forces.

She succeeds Tanya Bradsher, who was confirmed in September to serve as the VA’s deputy secretary.

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BioFabUSA Unveils Apprenticeship Program; Tracy Frost Quoted
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BioFabUSA Unveils Apprenticeship Program; Tracy Frost Quoted

A Department of Defense-backed Manufacturing Innovation Institute has launched an apprenticeship program to help the DOD maintain its edge over competitors in the field of science and technology and equip the U.S. workforce with the skills they need to pursue careers in the biofabrication sector.

BioFabUSA’s Biofabrication Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program consists of two tracks — Registered Apprenticeship Program and Embedded Certificate Program — and will focus on engaging military retirees, the DOD said Tuesday.

The Registered Apprenticeship Program is composed of a two-month pre-apprecenticeship track and a 12-month on-the-job training program that provides participants an opportunity to take part in real biofabrication experiences.

Under the Embedded Certificate Program, participants will get free instruction and a biofabrication certificate at the end of the initiative.

“This new apprenticeship program is an important tool to realize BioFab’s vision of a highly diverse, competitive, and innovative domestic cell, tissue, and organ manufacturing ecosystem,” said Tracy Frost, director of the DOD Manufacturing Technology Program.

“Apprenticeship is one of the most effective means of bringing workers into specialized fields and BioFab’s program will train the workforce needed to support U.S. leadership in the biofabrication industrial base,” added Frost.

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Indiana University Investing $111M to Drive National Security Innovation, Grow Microelectronics Industry
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Indiana University Investing $111M to Drive National Security Innovation, Grow Microelectronics Industry

Indiana University, in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division, will invest at least $111 million over the next several years to spur the growth of the microelectronics industry in the state and facilitate the development of solutions that address national security issues.

IU said Tuesday that the planned investments include $53 million for laboratories, facilities and equipment that would enable, among other things, further collaboration between personnel from NSWC Crane and IU; $23.5 million to hire faculty in fields like cybersecurity, microelectronics and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on Department of Defense experience and the ability to develop dual-use technologies; and $13.5 million for the implementation of new degree programs in microelectronics and nanofabrication.

The investments “will strengthen IU’s national leadership, further develop Indiana’s microelectronics sector and drive our state’s current and future economic competitiveness,” said Pamela Whitten, president of Indiana University.

NSWC Crane Technical Director Angela Lewis expressed appreciation for “Indiana University’s investment in a wide range of visionary programs and initiatives that will enhance the economic vitality, defense and protection of the nation.”

For his part, Sen. Todd Young, R-IN, said: “Partnerships like this one between IU and NSWC Crane are pivotal to our national security and economic competitiveness.”

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Army Launches 2nd Catalyst Program to Fund Small Business Tech Projects
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Army Launches 2nd Catalyst Program to Fund Small Business Tech Projects

The U.S. Army has launched the second iteration of a Small Business Innovation Research program to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation warfighting technology to military personnel.

The Army SBIR Catalyst initiative will select five small businesses in fiscal year 2024 to receive contracts worth up to $75 million to advance prototype development, testing and transition efforts, the service branch said Tuesday.

Eligible small businesses must have an existing Army SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer base contract awarded before fiscal year 2020.

The Catalyst contracts will include any combination of Phase II, Direct to Phase II, Sequential Phase II or Phase II Enhancement awards.

The pilot program was launched in 2022 and focused on technology areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomy, immersive and wearables and sensors.

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DIU Announces 2nd Cohort of Immersive Commercial Acquisition Training Program
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DIU Announces 2nd Cohort of Immersive Commercial Acquisition Training Program

The Defense Innovation Unit has finalized its second cohort for the 2023-2024 Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program, which trains acquisition professionals in the Department of Defense on the Other Transaction Authority process for commercial technology procurement.

The new ICAP members are comprised of two members each from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, as well as a representative from the U.S. Army and the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, DIU said Tuesday.

The latest cohort is as follows:

  • Ralph Barnes, U.S. Army
  • Shaun Bright, DITCO
  • Christine Docker, U.S. Air Force
  • Brittany Harris, U.S. Air Force
  • Rebecca Lingenfelter, U.S. Navy
  • Tianna Seaman, U.S. Navy

The team will undergo training that combines experiential learning through DIU prototype projects with classroom set-up education from the Defense Acquisition University.

The government contracting professionals are expected to develop a training plan based on the lessons they learned at the end of the program. The plan will be the foundation for similar programs that will be launched in their respective DOD branches, in order to spread information about OTAs and commercial solutions opening processes for acquiring novel commercial technologies.

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Interagency Guidance Aims to Strengthen Open Source Software Security in Critical Infrastructure
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Interagency Guidance Aims to Strengthen Open Source Software Security in Critical Infrastructure

Several agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, collaborated to publish a new set of recommendations for the use of open source software, or OSS, in critical infrastructure facilities and operational technology organizations.

CISA announced Tuesday that the guidance was developed in partnership with the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Department of the Treasury as a function of its 2023 open source software planning initiative.

In order to strengthen security of open source software utilization, the guidance recommends increased involvement by organizations’ senior leadership in implementing vulnerability coordination and management activities. Vendors should also participate in programs that support OSS development best practices.

The document reiterated the importance of robust authentication processes and regular patch management for OT and industrial control system environments. It also endorsed the establishment of a framework for creating an open source program office to oversee security and software asset inventory.

Cybersecurity will be one of the main topics of the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Homeland Security Summit, taking place on Nov. 15 in Falls Church, Virginia. To participate in the event, register here or click on the link below.

POC - 2023 Homeland Security Summit
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Intel CIO Jimmy Hall Shares How State Department Is Tackling Cybersecurity
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Intel CIO Jimmy Hall Shares How State Department Is Tackling Cybersecurity

At the Department of State, Intelligence Chief Information Officer Jimmy Hall is taking on key modernization and information technology initiatives designed to improve how the agency delivers intelligence to its diplomats around the world.

In a new video interview with Executive Mosaic, Hall outlined the State Department’s top five goals, offered his own objectives and explained the actions being taken to advance those critical initiatives both agency-wide and within the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, or INR.

For INR, the highest priorities include elevating strategic intelligence, undergoing a digital transformation, strengthening cybersecurity, cultivating a diverse and talented workforce and cultivating a resilient business enterprise.

“Cybersecurity is one of our key tenets,” Hall said in conversation with Executive Mosaic’s video reporter Summer Myatt. “We’re now investing in real-time, threat-based automated monitoring capabilities, which we didn’t have before.”

Hall also explained that INR is conducting a cybersecurity audit to investigate key areas and review any potential vulnerabilities.

“We’ve taken on an internal security review on our own, where we’ve decided to look at three areas: security management, access management and safeguarding the data,” he shared.

To hear the other steps the State Department and INR are taking to increase cybersecurity, migrate to the cloud and advance other IT initiatives, watch Jimmy Hall’s full video interview here.

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New FDA Committee Created to Advise on Digital Health Technologies; Jeff Shuren & Troy Tazbaz Quoted
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New FDA Committee Created to Advise on Digital Health Technologies; Jeff Shuren & Troy Tazbaz Quoted

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established a new committee to advise on the implications of digital health technologies, or DHTs.

Set to be fully operational in 2024, the Digital Health Advisory Committee will focus on complicated scientific and technical considerations surrounding a wide array of DHTs to inform the FDA on the potential benefits, risks and clinical outcomes tied to DHT use, the administration announced on Wednesday.

Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said DHTs are an important part of the organization’s efforts to improve health equity and expand healthcare to everyone across the U.S.

“As digital health technologies advance, the FDA must capitalize on knowledge from inside and outside of the agency to help ensure we appropriately apply our regulatory authority in a way that protects patient health while continuing to support innovation,” Shuren said.

Technologies the committee will look into include artificial intelligence and machine learning, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital therapeutics, wearables, remote patient monitoring and software. The committee will also examine the related concepts of decentralized trials, patient-generated health data and cybersecurity.

Committee members will provide the FDA with technical and scientific expertise on relevant topics. These individuals will represent various disciplines and backgrounds to make sure DHTs are created with the needs of diverse populations in mind. The team will comprise nine core voting members, including the chair, and temporary members will be selected for each meeting depending on the topic at hand.

“Technology moves at an incredible pace, and we’re excited to have a committee of experts throughout the field who can help ensure our regulation of these exciting tools maintains an appropriate pace while working within parameters of safety and effectiveness standards,” said FDA Digital Health Center of Excellence Director Troy Tazbaz.

He added that it is the FDA’s “duty” to seek out as much knowledge as possible on emerging DHTs to ensure that proper regulations are implemented while promoting innovation in healthcare.

New FDA Committee Created to Advise on Digital Health Technologies; Jeff Shuren & Troy Tazbaz Quoted

The creation of the Digital Health Advisory Committee is just one way the FDA is driving healthcare technology development forward. At the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit, you have the chance to hear from Dr. Ranya Habash, a member of the FDA’s Digital Health Network of Experts, who will participate in a panel discussion on human centered design and rapid prototyping in healthcare applications. You will also hear from numerous officials from other Department of Health and Human Services organizations. To learn more and register to attend, click here.

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White House OSTP, NNCO Host Inaugural Nanotechnology Infrastructure Leaders Summit
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White House OSTP, NNCO Host Inaugural Nanotechnology Infrastructure Leaders Summit

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office held a summit in September to discuss ways to create a national network and facilitate access to tools and other resources that are critical to advancing nanotechnology research and development efforts.

Leaders from 35 innovation institutes, open research laboratories and user facilities participated in the inaugural Nanotechnology Infrastructure Leaders Summit held on Sept. 11 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the White House said Friday.

Key themes of the discussions during the event included the role of better communication and collaboration in bridging basic science and applied research and manufacturing; opportunities to facilitate sharing of best practices across organizations; and the need for researchers and industry stakeholders to understand the diversity and breadth of the country’s shared infrastructure.

For the first theme, one of the examples discussed was the adoption of a “combined approach that leverages the collective expertise and a broader industry perspective” to help establish industry-friendly processes, intellectual property agreements and contracts.

In August, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology issued its assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative outlining a set of recommendations on nanotechnology coordination across the federal government.

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