DOE Issues Solicitation for HALEU Deconversion Services
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DOE Issues Solicitation for HALEU Deconversion Services

The Department of Energy has begun seeking proposals from industry sources capable of providing deconversion services needed to establish a domestic fuel supply for advanced reactors.

Selected vendors will deconvert high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, as uranium hexafluoride gas to various chemical forms during a 10-year performance period under the HALEU Deconversion Services contract, DOE said Tuesday.

Each awardee will receive a minimum guarantee of $2 million and conduct deconversion and storage services at locations within the continental U.S.

Interested parties have until Jan. 30 to respond to the request for proposals.

A second RFP is scheduled for release later this year to acquire, store and transport HALEU to the deconverters.

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Defense Health Agency PEO Seeks Industry Feedback on Potential Program Management & Enterprise Architecture Solutions
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Defense Health Agency PEO Seeks Industry Feedback on Potential Program Management & Enterprise Architecture Solutions

Program Executive Office – Defense Healthcare Management Systems is seeking industry input regarding the initial phase of its Workplace 3.X Reboot effort, which seeks the delivery of great mid- and back-office tools as part of a broader modernization program.

PEO DHMS seeks feedback regarding two “brand name” tools it is looking into, namely Atlassian Solutions for its project management requirement and Cameo Enterprise Architecture for its enterprise architecture requirement, according to a request for information posted Tuesday on SAM.gov.

The government wants to know if alternative project management and enterprise architecture solutions are available, if they are compliant with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, if they can easily interface with existing systems and if they can be easily learned to use.

Interested parties have until Dec. 7 to respond. The new tools are expected to be in use by the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.

Through WP3.X, PEO DHMS aims to modernize its management, technologies, processes and physical spaces to bring about what it deems the “managed office of the future.” The effort succeeds the Workplace 3.0 effort from 2021, whose result was reportedly more expensive and less innovative than desired.

PEO DHMS is attached administratively to the Defense Health Agency and directly reports to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

Defense Health Agency PEO Seeks Industry Feedback on Potential Program Management & Enterprise Architecture Solutions

The Potomac Officers Club will hold the 2023 Healthcare Summit on December 6. The event will feature public and private sector healthcare experts, who will discuss what’s on the horizon for healthcare innovation. Register now.

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GAO Releases Updated Agile Assessment Guide
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GAO Releases Updated Agile Assessment Guide

The Government Accountability Office has published an updated guide that provides federal auditors and other officials with best practices to assess the use of Agile approach to software development across the federal government.

GAO said Tuesday the guide is also intended for organizations and programs that have developed protocols and policies for Agile adoption and implementation and those that are in the process of adopting Agile software development practices.

The guide classifies Agile adoption best practices into three categories: team dynamics and activities; program operations; and organization environment.

Under team dynamics and activities, team composition supports Agile methods, repeatable processes are in place and work is prioritized to maximize value for the customer.

The document also covers Agile and contracting best practices including tailoring acquisition planning and contract structure to align with Agile practices, incorporating Agile metrics, tools and lessons learned from retrospectives during the contract management process and integrating the program office and the developers.

To align acquisition and contract structure with Agile practices, the guide calls on the government to encourage the use of modular contracting, enable flexibility for contract requirements and decide to structure the contract for goods or services.

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AFWERX, NASA Tap ResilienX to Create Digital Advanced Air Mobility Operations Center
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AFWERX, NASA Tap ResilienX to Create Digital Advanced Air Mobility Operations Center

AFWERX, a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA are collaborating with ResilienX on the development of a digital operations center meant to support future efforts focused on Advanced Air Mobility or AAM.

ResilienX was awarded $4.8 million in AFWERX and NASA funding through the Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program, or CCRPP, and will work on the project until October 2025, the Air Force Materiel Command said Tuesday.

The resulting system from the project is meant to boost base security, enhance special forces efforts and modernize emergency disaster response, and passenger and cargo transportation planning.

“Through a dedicated systems engineering approach, we intend to develop a dual-use solution to the core digital infrastructure needed for advanced air mobility that is inherently scalable and extensible,” said Ryan Pleskach, CEO of ResilienX. “Through this pioneering effort and with support of all the federal stakeholders that AFWERX is bringing to the table, we believe this solution will be turnkey and available to government and commercial markets in late 2024.”

ResilienX will conduct a detailed need and task assessment, feature development with user interviews and observations, initial integration of baseline technologies and testing during the project’s first phase. It will move to user testing of human factors, safety development, prototype testing and a live demonstration of the system during the succeeding phase.

Work is under CCRPP, a NASA Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program.

Join Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 31 to learn about the other research and development efforts of the U.S. military. Register here for the 2024 event.

POC - 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit
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DHS S&T Secures Patent for Homeland Explosive Consequence Assessment Tool
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DHS S&T Secures Patent for Homeland Explosive Consequence Assessment Tool

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate was awarded a U.S. patent for a DHS-developed tool designed to predict consequences and potential outcomes from terrorist use of explosives in the U.S.

DHS said Tuesday the Homeland Explosive Consequence Assessment Tool, a.k.a. the HExCAT, is a fully integrated modeling system that helps emergency managers and response planners prepare communities for large-scale, scenario-specific hazards.

The tool was developed under the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-19 Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, which aims to prevent, detect, respond and protect communities against explosive attacks.

“With the HExCAT, response planners are now equipped with a fully integrated system that predicts the likely consequences of an explosion, including human injuries, structural damages, and medical responses, helping us evaluate a range of what-if scenarios and focus our energy on the most effective means of prevention, detection, mitigation and response,” said Helen Mearns, deputy director of DHS S&T’s Chemical Security Analysis Center.

CSAC developed the HExCAT with support from S&T’s Explosives Threat Assessment Program, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Battelle and Leidos.

Doug Bush Says Army Faces New System Training & Resources Challenges
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Doug Bush Says Army Faces New System Training & Resources Challenges

Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the service branch is facing challenges with resources and affordability when it comes to training warfighters on new systems, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

Bush said a piece of gear that is “very difficult to train” on is not going to be as effective or, if it’s too expensive to train on, is “not going to be as affordable for the Army to do at scale.”

“Millions of people, hundreds of thousands of soldiers. So affordability there becomes a key factor for us, especially when we’re developing new systems,” the 2023 Wash100 awardee continued.

The Army is also working to fully ingest and understand how to use and train with artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and efficiency across the service.

“So the Army’s got efforts underway — the other services do as well — to build our capacity to fully ingest and understand how they’ve developed and actually make sure we understand what we’re being offered or what we’re proposing to use in the area of AI,” Bush said.

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DOD Invests in South Star to Bolster US Graphite Supply Chain; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted
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DOD Invests in South Star to Bolster US Graphite Supply Chain; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted

The U.S. Department of Defense has teamed with South Star Battery Metals Corporation, a company that manages several graphite mining projects.

Funds provided through the $3.2 million agreement will support South Star’s production of Coated, Spheronized, Purified Graphite, or CSPG, at their Coosa County, Alabama-located BamaStar Graphite Project, the DOD said on Wednesday.

“As one of our first awards to a Canadian company in the battery materials sector, this award exemplifies our combined commitment to strengthening our battery material supply chains and global approach to industrial base resilience,” said Laura Tayor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy.

The agreement was made under the Defense Production Act Title III program, which aims to build, defend and revitalize necessary industrial base capabilities. Taylor-Kale called the investment, which also used funds appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act, “another example of the critical importance” of DPA investment authorities.

Under the agreement, South Star will conduct a bankable feasibility study assessing all stages of the process, beginning with mining and ending with production of CSPG. The company will consider economic and environmental, social and governance criteria during the study.

Once the study is complete, South Star intends to build a downstream battery-grade processing facility in the southeast U.S. The new installation would convert concentrates from the BamaStar mine location into CSPG to be used as raw materials for domestic lithium-ion battery anode production.

This agreement is one of 23 awards made through the DPA Investment Program, which has issued $717.5 million in total funds.

DOD Invests in South Star to Bolster US Graphite Supply Chain; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted

Learn more about how the DOD is investing in the production of advanced technologies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 31, 2024. To learn more and register to attend the event, click here.

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SDA Conducts Link 16 Tactical Data Network Demonstration; Derek Tournear Quoted
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SDA Conducts Link 16 Tactical Data Network Demonstration; Derek Tournear Quoted

The Space Development Agency has demonstrated space-to-ground connectivity using the Link 16 tactical data network.

SDA said Tuesday operators were able to transmit tactical messages from L-band radios aboard the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s Tranche 0 Transport Layer satellites to terrestrial radios at a ground test site within the territory of a Five Eyes partner country.

The operators working with the agency performed passive and active Link 16 network entry during the three demonstrations conducted between Nov. 21 to Nov. 27.

“I can’t underscore enough the significance of this technical achievement as we demonstrate the feasibility of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and its ability to deliver space-based capabilities to the warfighter over existing tactical data links,” said Derek Tournear, director of SDA and a previous Wash100 awardee.

“This is not only the first time Link 16 has been broadcast from space, but the beginning of turning the world’s finest warfighting force into a truly connected beyond line-of-sight joint force,” added Tournear.

Link 16 is a communication system that enables the U.S., NATO and other coalition forces to share situational awareness data in real time.

Starting in late 2024, SDA intends to deploy PWSA Tranche 1 satellites. The first tranche will include 126 Transport Layer satellites, 35 Tracking spacecraft and 12 tactical demonstration satellites.

The PWSA Transport Layer serves as the foundation of Joint All Domain Command and Control in space.

SDA Conducts Link 16 Tactical Data Network Demonstration; Derek Tournear Quoted

Tournear will deliver the keynote address at Potomac Officers Club’s forthcoming 2024 Space Summit, to be held in the Tysons Corner, Virginia area on March 5. Save your spot now!

Senate Bill to Renew Section 702 Surveillance Authority With Reform Measures
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Senate Bill to Renew Section 702 Surveillance Authority With Reform Measures

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has proposed a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — also known as FISA — through 2035 and introduce reforms when it comes to criminal queries, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The bill would prohibit FBI agents from searching the 702 database for evidence of a crime unless the investigation seeks to avoid a cyberattack on critical infrastructure or prevent loss of life.

According to the Post, the legislation would create a FISA Reform Commission to make assessments and offer recommendations and codify changes that the bureau has considered as measures to prevent intentional and accidental abuses.

“I think that the compromise product that we’ve got is pretty darn good, and it pushes the administration further than I think they want to go, but that’s what they can live with,” Warner told the Post. “So we’re actually in a pretty decent spot there.”

Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were among the bill’s co-sponsors.

Ken Hofgesang, SAIC’s Vice President and HHS Account Manager is a Speaker for the 2023 Healthcare Summit
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Ken Hofgesang, SAIC’s Vice President and HHS Account Manager is a Speaker for the 2023 Healthcare Summit

Ken Hofgesang is a premier health and technology leader with more than two decades of experience. For the majority of his career, he has held increasing responsibilities at SAIC, honing skills in program management, software development, and healthcare systems. Currently, Mr. Hofgesang serves as the Vice President and HHS Account Manager. 

 

Catch SAIC’s Vice President and HHS Account Manager Ken Hofgesang as one of the speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit.

 

On December 6, 2023, Mr. Hofgesang is set to be the keynote introducer at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit. His wide range of competencies makes him a sought-after leader for conversations regarding technological advancements across public and private healthcare sectors.

 

Delve into the professional profile of Ken Hofgesang and his importance to the annual healthcare summit.

 

Who is Ken Hofgesang?

 

Ken Hofgesang
Image from LinkedIn

 

Ken Hofgesang is the Vice President and HHS Account Manager at SAIC. He has served in this role since September 2022. Mr. Hofgesang also assumes the responsibility of Senior Program Director of Program Management, a position he has held since June 2006.

 

Mr. Hofgesang initially joined SAIC as a software engineer, a role he held from November 2004 to August 2006. Prior to joining SAIC, he served as a software developer at VillageWorks from January 2001 to November 2004.

 

Educational background

 

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Mount St. Mary’s University (1996–2000)
  • Master of Science in Computer Science at Hood College (2009–2013)

 

List of licenses and certificates

 

  • Project Management Professional from Project Management Institute (Issued 2013)
  • ITIL Foundation Level from AXELOS Global Best Practice

 

Ken Hofgesang’s development of IT-enabled health solutions for mental health research

 

Ken Hofgesang's development of IT-enabled health solutions for mental health research
Photo Contributor: TippaPatt/Shutterstock

 

Ken Hofgesang is renowned for his IT-enabled health solutions that pushed forward mental health research. In 2020, he managed SAIC’s IT support initiatives for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), helping the government and university scientists study mental illnesses.

 

“They frequently hit certain roadblocks, whether it’s high-performance computing or high-capacity storage. We come up with innovative ways to help them,” Ken Hofgesang said. 

 

Under Mr. Hofgesang’s management, SAIC provided the ability to track clinical trials and patient safety data. His development of IT-enabled health solutions also allowed access to past studies through custom data center management applications.

 

Other services packaged in the full-range IT solutions offered by SAIC to NIMH include:

 

  • Custom software tool
  • Enterprise architecture
  • Infrastructure support
  • Help desk support
  • Procurement systems

 

NIMH is one of the 27 institutions under the National Institutes of Health. Specifically, the health institution focuses on understanding and developing treatments for various mental illnesses, such as autism, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

What is SAIC?

 

SAIC logo
Image from Wikimedia

 

SAIC is a technology company with a demonstrated portfolio for the nation’s digital transformation initiatives. The company has established a proven track record for its expertise and understanding of emerging and existing technologies in defense, space, civilian, homeland security, healthcare, and more.

 

Ken Hofgesang: Introducer for the 2023 Healthcare Summit

 

Ken Hofgesang joins a roster of paramount executives who have poured a significant amount of time and effort into the healthcare industry. He is scheduled to be the morning keynote introducer for keynote speaker Rear Admiral Tracy Farrill, the Interim Director at Defense Health Network Continental of the Defense Health Agency for the 2023 Healthcare Summit.

 

Other key executives joining the annual summit include Lisa Gardner, Vice President of Federal Civilian Services at Noblis; Colonel Thomas Patrick Flanders, Chief Information Officer and Program Executive Officer at the Defense Health Agency; and Darrell LaRoche, Deputy Director for Management Operations at Indian Health Service; among others.

 

Secure a slot for the 2023 Healthcare Summit, organized by the Potomac Officers Club, to learn more about topics related to the importance of technologies, such as AI, data sharing, human-centered design, and digital transformation, in the healthcare industry.

 

The 2023 Healthcare Summit

 

2023 Healthcare Summit

 

  • Organizer: Potomac Officers Club
  • Date: December 6, 2023 (7:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. – ET)
  • Location: Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park, 3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042
  • Sponsors: LMI, SAIC, Noblis, LCG, and netskope

 

The Potomac Officers Club has organized the 2023 Healthcare Summit to discuss the transformational changes happening in the public and private healthcare sectors. At the onset of the global pandemic, the industry has experienced shifting patient needs, evolving threats, and the rise of new technologies.

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