USDA Releases 3-Year Strategy to Enhance Data Governance & Management
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USDA Releases 3-Year Strategy to Enhance Data Governance & Management

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a multi-year strategy outlining its goals and priorities for fiscal years 2024 through 2026 to transform into a data-driven and evidence-based organization.

The FY24-26 USDA Data Strategy aims to achieve the full potential of data in five focus areas: data governance and leadership, data and analytics workforce, common data and analytics, open data architecture and purposeful analytics.

USDA seeks to modernize its enterprise data architecture and upskill its existing workforce in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve the use and management of data across the department.

Building on the earlier accomplishments of the FY 21-23 USDA Data Strategy, the department will advance data skills and enterprise tools, improve governance and policies and expand collaboration.

The data plan also focuses on the ethical use and development of AI technology to improve data analytics and governance.

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USAF Selects UTEP Team to Research Unresolved Resident Space Objects
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USAF Selects UTEP Team to Research Unresolved Resident Space Objects

A team from the University of Texas at El Paso has received a grant from the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research to study Unresolved Resident Space Objects, or USROs.

Under the leadership of Miguel Velez-Reyes, the group will use spectroscopy to identify physical properties of these objects, which cannot yet be clearly captured using ground-based telescopes, UTEP announced on Thursday.

“Through this project, we’re addressing the critical need of monitoring the space infrastructure for safe and sustainable operations,” explained Velez-Reyes, who currently serves as chair of the university’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

“Aside from the clear defense applications, our work will contribute to ensuring that space services such as GPS, weather satellites, satellite communication, among many others, continue operating in a safe environment supporting a high quality of life,” he added.

During the study, Velez-Reyes’ team will leverage remote sensing, physics-based simulation models, machine learning and laboratory experiments with telescope observations to build models and algorithms capable of determining various properties of URSOs, including material composition, structural health and object identity.

The research is expected to benefit the U.S. Space Force and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration as well as private sector entities. Information collected from the study will be used for monitoring space assets and traffic of objects within earth’s outer orbit. These activities are intended to maintain the security of critical space infrastructure and associated services.

The grant, called “The Science of Non-Resolved Space Object Signatures for Space Domain Awareness,” is valued at $5 million and was issued under the AFOSR’s Space University Research Initiative.

USAF Selects UTEP Team to Research Unresolved Resident Space Objects

Do you want to learn more about how the U.S. government is harnessing the space domain to advance key national missions? At the Potomac Officers 2024 Space Summit on March 5, 2024, you will have the opportunity to hear from top leaders in the field, who will gather to consider the growing importance of space in federal operations. To learn more and register to attend the event, click here.

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SSC, SpaceX Prepare Falcon Rocket for National Security Space Launch Mission
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SSC, SpaceX Prepare Falcon Rocket for National Security Space Launch Mission

Space Systems Command is preparing for the seventh launch of the Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for the National Security Space Launch program.

The mission, designated USSF-52, will launch on Dec. 10 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to test and demonstrate technologies for the U.S. Space Force’s unmanned space test platform, SSC said Thursday.

USSF-52 will also experiment with space domain awareness technologies and investigate the radiation effects on NASA materials, the U.S. Space Force said in a separate statement.

In 2018, SpaceX secured a $130 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide launch vehicle manufacturing, spaceflight worthiness activities, integration and launch operations support for the USSF-52 mission.

New USPTO Pilot Program Seeks to Expedite Innovations in Semiconductor Manufacturing
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New USPTO Pilot Program Seeks to Expedite Innovations in Semiconductor Manufacturing

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will accept petitions for participation in the Semiconductor Technology Pilot Program beginning Dec. 1.

The pilot program aims to expedite the examination of patent applications for select innovations involving semiconductor manufacturing, the USPTO said Thursday.

“Fast tracking examination of patent applications related to semiconductor device manufacturing speeds bringing key innovations to market and strengthens our nation’s supply chain,” Kathi Vidal, director of the USPTO, explained.

Vidal, who also serves as Department of Commerce under secretary for intellectual property, added that the program also aims to speed up the delivery of new technologies to users while reducing U.S. reliance on foreign semiconductor chip supplies.

The effort is being carried out in support of the CHIPS for America program.

“This new USPTO program will ensure we are prioritizing critical intellectual property protections to incentivize investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said.

The pilot will run through Dec. 2, 2024, or until 1,000 grantable petitions are accepted.

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Sandy Radesky Says CISA’s ReadySetCyber Tool Set for Launch in 2024
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Sandy Radesky Says CISA’s ReadySetCyber Tool Set for Launch in 2024

Sandy Radesky, associate director for vulnerability management at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the agency plans to launch the ReadySetCyber tool in early 2024 to provide tailored technical assistance and resources to businesses of all sizes.

“ReadySetCyber will simplify the process of incorporating cybersecurity into your organization’s business decisions, regardless of your level of expertise or the number of IT personnel you have on staff,” Radesky wrote in a blog post published Tuesday.

CISA will release a beta version of the tool and implement improvements over time based on feedback from the public. The questions for ReadySetCyber will be released for public comment before the end of the year.

“This approach will help ensure we are not providing a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather tailoring our application to suit your unique needs,” Radesky said.

ReadySetCyber will facilitate voluntary and online-based collection of data from critical infrastructure organizations and state, local, tribal and territorial governments to develop tailored cybersecurity recommendations and services.

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Kristin Ruiz on TSA’s Plan to Establish Data Mesh Architecture
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Kristin Ruiz on TSA’s Plan to Establish Data Mesh Architecture

The Transportation Security Administration is moving forward with its plans to develop a comprehensive approach to data governance, protection and storage by creating a “data mesh” architecture, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“Our goal is to allow for our users, our business users, across TSA to be able to better access their data and have it readily available,” said Kristin Ruiz, deputy chief information officer at TSA.

The data mesh approach involves establishing a new “domain name structure and architecture” that will enable TSA to protect agency information based on specific domains while allowing data sharing.

An official will be designated to lead the initiative, dual hatting as chief technology officer and chief data officer.

TSA is also planning to establish a “cloud center of excellence” to coordinate data requirements and reduce duplication across the agency.

“We are working to scale and harness the power of cloud as we continue to make our investments and integrate solutions and data,” Ruiz said.

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Mattermost to Deepen Cybersecurity Partnerships as Member of World Economic Forum Community; Barry Duplantis & Ian Tien Quoted
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Mattermost to Deepen Cybersecurity Partnerships as Member of World Economic Forum Community; Barry Duplantis & Ian Tien Quoted

The World Economic Forum Global Innovator Community has welcomed Mattermost, the organization responsible for the eponymous self-sovereign communication platform.

The Palo Alto, California-based company said Monday that it will be primarily involved in the Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity, in support of critical infrastructure causes.

“We’re pleased to join this international network of innovators and the Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity to continue enabling secure collaboration and resilience for governments and enterprises across the globe,” Barry Duplantis, vice president and general manager of North America public sector at Mattermost, told ExecutiveGov via email.

This newfound partnership reportedly provides Mattermost with an opportunity to strengthen its connections with government agencies. Its platform is built on an open-source foundation that it claims enables the “autonomy, transparency and privacy needed to meet evolving national security and sovereignty standards.”

“We believe leveraging open source technologies to address these needs, with full visibility, control and privacy, is vital for public safety,” commented Mattermost CEO and Co-founder Ian Tien.

The platform is conversant with Microsoft Teams, Azure AI and Microsoft’s various cloud-based applications.

Duplantis further noted that the company is excited about working with other “growth-stage companies” through participation at the World Economic Forum.

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Douglas Schmidt Nominated as DOD Director of Operational Test & Evaluation
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Douglas Schmidt Nominated as DOD Director of Operational Test & Evaluation

Douglas Schmidt, a computer scientist with decades of experience in government, industry and academia, has been nominated to be the director of operational test and evaluation at the Department of Defense.

Schmidt is a computer science professor at Vanderbilt University, where he served as associate provost of research and co-director of the Data Science Institute, the White House said Thursday.

He focused on research areas such as mobile cloud computing, software patterns and frameworks, distributed real-time and embedded middleware, cyber-physical systems and digital learning.

His academic career includes time as deputy director of research and chief technology officer at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Schmidt served on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board from 2010 to 2014 and was a deputy office director and a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency from 2000 to 2003.

He also held CTO roles at Prism Technologies and Zircon Computing.

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DOD’s Replicator Initiative Evaluating Promising Innovations for All-domain Attributable Autonomous Systems; Kathleen Hicks Quoted
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DOD’s Replicator Initiative Evaluating Promising Innovations for All-domain Attributable Autonomous Systems; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

The Department of Defense reported progress on the Replicator initiative, which was launched in August to accelerate and mass-produce next-generation technologies that can benefit warfighters.

The Defense Innovation Unit announced Thursday that a working group co-chaired by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks has been laboring for the past two months to identify innovations for all-domain attributable autonomy, or ADA2.

The Deputy’s Innovation Steering Group collaborated with the Defense Innovation Working Group to identify the ADA2 mission needs of the Indo-Pacific Command. DIU will start posting solicitations related to Replicator next month as soon as the committee identifies the most promising ADA2 capabilities across the services.

“The Defense Department has already demonstrated that, with concerted senior-level focus, the right technologies can make it across the various valleys of death, from capability development all the way through fielding to the warfighter,” said Hicks, a three-time recipient of the Wash100 award. “Replicator is about leveraging authorities that Congress has already granted the DoD to deliver combat-credible capabilities faster and at scale,” she added.

White House Introduces National Strategy for Enhanced GHG Monitoring, Measurement; Arati Prabhakar Quoted
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White House Introduces National Strategy for Enhanced GHG Monitoring, Measurement; Arati Prabhakar Quoted

The Biden administration unveiled a national strategy to bolster interagency coordination over greenhouse gas monitoring, measurement and information sharing.

The strategy details a phased implementation of standards and programs, including the establishment of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.

The National Strategy to Advance an Integrated U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring and Information System is a product of the GHG Monitoring, and Measurement Interagency Working Group. Experts from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of Management and Budget, and White House Climate Policy Office make up the committee.

Aside from the GHG center, the administration plans to create an urban-scale prototype framework that combines measurement and modeling of GHG initially in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis.

“To overcome the climate crisis, we need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Arati Prabhakar, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. “This strategy puts us on a path toward an integrated system to improve how we monitor greenhouse gas emissions, so actors across the economy can make informed decisions,” added Prabhakar, a recipient of the Wash100 Award in 2016.

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