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NSF Selects 27 Teams for Emerging Tech Experiential Learning Program; Erwin Gianchandani Quoted
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NSF Selects 27 Teams for Emerging Tech Experiential Learning Program; Erwin Gianchandani Quoted

The National Science Foundation will invest $18.8 million in 27 teams at higher education institutions as part of a program that seeks to expand learning opportunities in key technology areas.

The Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies program comes with the Pivots and Beginnings tracks and seeks to address the talent gap in several tech areas, including microelectronics and semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, quantum information science and biotechnology, NSF said Wednesday.

Nine of the 27 inaugural teams secured an award under the ExLENT program’s Pivots track, which intends to provide professionals the opportunity to develop the skills they need to pivot into key tech careers.

The 18 Beginnings track awardees will get additional experiential learning opportunities in key technology fields to further develop their knowledge and skills.

“NSF is pleased to offer these first-ever ExLENT awards to support the creation of new pathways for individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to gain on-the-job training in technologies that are critical to the nation’s long-term competitiveness,” said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships at NSF.

“ExLENT will help ensure more equitable access to high-skill, well-paying STEM-driven jobs for workers at any and all stages of their careers or with varying experiences. ExLENT awardees will work toward ameliorating the large workforce shortages that the nation faces today in key technologies,” added Gianchandani.

Click here to view the full list of ExLENT awardees under the Pivots and Beginnings tracks.

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NIST Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Invites Public Feedback on IoT Device Protection Guidance
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NIST Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Invites Public Feedback on IoT Device Protection Guidance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is fielding public feedback on a draft guidance focused on trusted network-layer onboarding for Internet of Things devices.

NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence announced Tuesday that it wrote early second drafts of two segments of the guidance entitled Trusted Internet of Things Device Network-Layer Onboarding and Lifecycle Management.

The document aims to enhance IoT device and network security by providing information to organizations about next-generation network credential mechanisms such as device attestation, device intent enforcement, application-layer onboarding and secure lifecycle management.

NCCoE also sought the help of product and service providers in order to retrieve enforcement examples of trusted network-layer onboarding and capabilities.

The request for public comment, which closes on Nov. 10, is focused on volumes A and D of the guidance. Their immediate release is part of NIST’s agile strategy for publishing content.

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NASA Requests Information on Landsat Next Spacecraft Constellation Development
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NASA Requests Information on Landsat Next Spacecraft Constellation Development

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has begun requesting information from industry sources capable of developing a satellite constellation to acquire space-based images of the Earth’s land surface.

The Landsat Next constellation will comprise three identical observatories to be deployed into orbit on the same launch vehicle to continue the collection and distribution of Earth observation data globally, according to a notice posted Wednesday on SAM.gov.

LNext is a joint remote sensing satellite mission of NASA and the Department of Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey to capture space-based imagery for researchers to monitor water quality, climate and snow dynamics, soil health and crop production.

Each LNext satellite observatory will be equipped with an instrument suite and equally spaced in orbit at an orbital altitude of 653 kilometers.

USGS will build LNext’s ground segment, operate the constellation after the commissioning phase and oversee data processing and distribution.

The mission is planned for launch in late 2030.

Interested parties have until Nov. 3 to respond to the sources sought notice.

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DIU Issues Commercial Solutions Opening for Open Architecture Aerial Vehicle Platform
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DIU Issues Commercial Solutions Opening for Open Architecture Aerial Vehicle Platform

The Defense Innovation Unit has started soliciting proposals through a commercial solutions opening for the development of an open architecture aerial vehicle that could accelerate capability development and deployment across weapons programs.

DIU said it is interested in a modular aerial platform that could enable the integration, qualification and testing of various subsystems, materials and capabilities and could prioritize distributed mass production and affordability.

The aerial platform should have a range of at least 500 nautical miles with a minimum cruise speed of 100 knots, can deliver a kinetic payload, perform bulk transportation and should feature a system architecture that allows the integration of commercial components and subsystems.

The Department of Defense’s innovation arm is seeking vendors that could demonstrate their proposed platforms through an initial test flight within seven months after award of a prototype other transaction agreement.

Responses to the solicitation are due Oct. 10.

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ORNL Opens New Center to Study AI-Related Threats to National Security
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ORNL Opens New Center to Study AI-Related Threats to National Security

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has unveiled a new center dedicated to addressing threats associated with the adoption of artificial intelligence across industries and harnessing the benefits of AI in various applications.

ORNL said Wednesday the Center for AI Security Research will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to analyze threats, vulnerabilities and risks related to the misuse of AI technologies to inform national security missions.

As a dedicated research center, CAISER will facilitate the development of capabilities to test and evaluate AI tools and products, produce strategic reports and scientific studies on AI threats and provide educational outreach and information to the public sector.

“We’re defining a new field of AI security research and committing to intensive research and development of mitigating strategies and solutions against emerging AI risks,” said Edmon Begoli, ORNL’s Advanced Intelligent Systems section head and CAISER founding director

The new center will also expand ORNL’s existing initiative to expand AI implementation for science and national security applications.

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US, Japan Warn Against China-Linked Hackers Exploiting Company Routers
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US, Japan Warn Against China-Linked Hackers Exploiting Company Routers

The U.S. and Japanese governments have published a joint cybersecurity advisory warning against a China-linked hacking group that exploits internet routers to target companies in the technology, media, electronics and telecommunication sectors.

BlackTech has demonstrated its capabilities to modify router firmware without detection in order to conceal its operations and attack companies located in the U.S. and Japan, the National Security Agency said Wednesday.

The hacking group uses custom malware and dual-use tools to exploit routers’ domain-trust relationships to target multinational corporations.

“BlackTech actors exploit trusted network relationships between an established victim and other entities to expand their access in target networks,” according to the advisory.

Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at NSA and a two-time Wash100 awardee, said that raising awareness of BlackTech’s malicious activities will help harden the defenses of the U.S. and its allies’ critical infrastructure.

The NSA released the CSA in partnership with the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Japan National Police Agency and the Japan National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity.

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CISA Executive Eric Goldstein Explains Significance of Secure-by-Design Guidance
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CISA Executive Eric Goldstein Explains Significance of Secure-by-Design Guidance

The multinational and interagency Security-by-Design and -Default guidance represents a paradigm shift that aims to make IT defense a basic right for users, said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Goldstein on Tuesday participated in a forum hosted by the Washington Post and sponsored by CrowdStrike, giving an overview of an updated version of the guidance, which CISA intends to release in the coming weeks.

Security-by-Design was jointly developed by CISA, FBI and the U.S. National Security Agency, as well as the cybersecurity authorities of Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The guidance includes technical recommendations to ensure that products are manufactured with reliable security features, instead of letting defects appear after shipment to customers.

“If you are purchasing a technology product as a customer, you deserve to be secure. You deserve to have the features in that product that are going to keep you safe, and we need customers across sectors, including government, to demand that right,” Goldstein stressed.

CISA will soon issue a request for public comment to gain external insight on its new version of the guidance.

On Nov. 15, the Potomac Officers’ Club will gather homeland and national security leaders who will share their modernization and digital transformation initiatives and plans. The 2023 Homeland Security Summit will be held at the Hilton-McLean Virginia, and registration is now open.

POC - 2023 Homeland Security Summit
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LCG to Provide IT Services to NIAMS Under New Contract; Melissa McCullough Quoted
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LCG to Provide IT Services to NIAMS Under New Contract; Melissa McCullough Quoted

LCG Inc has received a contract from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

The $16 million, multi-year award covers task execution, strategic chief information officer support and cloud services across various information technology areas, the Rockville, Maryland-based company announced on Tuesday.

Melissa McCullough, executive vice president and chief financial officer of LCG, said the team the company has built to work on the five-year contract is “laser-focused” on the NIAMS mission and delivering “the best of secure and cutting-edge IT services to the tasks ahead.”

“I am very proud of the high level of expertise and collaboration that resulted in this important win for our company,” she added.

One of 27 Institutes under the National Institutes of Health, NIAMS supports medical research and trains scientists and clinicians. LCG’s contracting work will assist the institute’s administration, infrastructure, service and help desk support, network and server administration and project management activities.

The company is already knowledgeable about NIH IT operating environments, having provided IT services for public health programs within NIH and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. LCG is also currently anticipating work within NIH’s Scientific Information Technology Branch.

This award follows multiple recent NIH contract wins for the enterprise. Earlier this month, LCG won a one-year task order from the National Human Human Genome Research Institutes, under which the business is responsible for supporting Financial and Strategic Planning System programs and initiatives. In January, LCG received an $8 million award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for IT modernization services.

LCG to Provide IT Services to NIAMS Under New Contract; Melissa McCullough Quoted

LCG is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit, which will take place on Dec. 6. The event will connect top federal healthcare officials and industry experts in the field to consider key challenges and opportunities for the U.S. government as the healthcare landscape evolves. Click here to learn more, and click here to register to attend the event.

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Booz Allen, Red Hat Win Army Contracts to Support AI/ML Capability Development Project
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Booz Allen, Red Hat Win Army Contracts to Support AI/ML Capability Development Project

Booz Allen Hamilton and Red Hat have won contracts worth up to $2 million combined from the U.S. Army’s Project Manager Intelligence Systems & Analytics and Army Research Laboratory.

The aim of the contracts is to provide support for research under Project Linchpin, an Army program of record that seeks to establish an ecosystem of industry partners that will work to deliver artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, Program Executive Office – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors said Thursday.

PEO IEW&S is one of the collaborators for the project. The others are ARL, the Army Futures Command’s Artificial Intelligence Integration Center, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s C5ISR Center and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Office.

The awards to Booz Allen and Red Hat, which feature a base period of performance of six months and options for no more than five years, are the first contracting actions to support Project Linchpin, with several more expected to follow.

According to PM IS&A Col. Chris Anderson, PEO IEW&S — his organization’s parent office — will work to deploy AI and ML capabilities into various sensor systems via Project Linchpin.

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DOD to Form AI Battle Labs Within 2 Combatant Commands; Joe Larson Quoted
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DOD to Form AI Battle Labs Within 2 Combatant Commands; Joe Larson Quoted

The Department of Defense will establish artificial intelligence battle laboratories within U.S. European Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to organize BRAVO hackathons and gather and share logistics, cybersecurity and other operational theater data with the DOD enterprise to facilitate the development of technology capabilities.

“BRAVO Hackathons represent an opportunity for DoD to practice and proliferate the fundamentals of user-centered design and agile software development,” Joe Larson, DOD’s deputy chief digital and AI officer for algorithmic warfare, said in a statement published Wednesday.

“By providing the seed funding to establish the AI Battle Labs in EUCOM and INDOPACOM, we will be designing and testing data analytic and AI capabilities with warfighters, not for them, informing and strengthening our ability to deliver exactly what they need to win,” Larson added.

According to the department, the AI battle labs will enable service members, government contractors and civilians to propose projects and create teams to build prototypes through data ingestion and system integration efforts.

Operational DOD data collected through three prior BRAVO hackathons performed at six sites resulted in the development of 81 operational prototypes at three classifications.

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