The National Institute of Standards and Technology has collated public feedback on the establishment of three new semiconductor institutes under Manufacturing USA.

NIST on Thursday published a summary of the comments, categorized into five areas: institute scope; structure and governance; co-investment and engagement strategies; education and workforce development; and metrics and success measurement.

In October, NIST issued a request for information to help ready its plans to create up to three new semiconductor research entities under the Manufacturing USA network.

Most of the responding organizations and industry experts agreed that the proposed institutes should be coordinated with the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, National Semiconductor Technology Center and other related CHIPS Research and Development entities.

They should also be modeled after existing Manufacturing USA organizations and implement equipment, facility and novel materials sharing to drive co-investment and engagement, according to the respondents.

NIST received suggestions to provide experiential learning opportunities not only for workers but also for students from primary to postgraduate education.

The majority of the feedback supported the use of existing Manufacturing USA best practices to develop metrics for assessing the impact and effectiveness of the new institutes.

CACI’s philanthropic unit has teamed with the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology as part of efforts to uplift the future science, technology, engineering and math workforce.

Under the partnership, CACI Cares is sponsoring two new SAMSAT initiatives to promote education and opportunities for young people in STEM and support the museum’s mission of “inspiring what’s next,” the Reston, Virginia-based enterprise announced on Thursday.

“CACI works closely with the U.S. Air Force to fulfill its important missions and is an active member of the San Antonio community,” said DeEtte Gray, president of business and information technology solutions at CACI and a seven-time Wash100 Award winner.

“As we continue to grow our presence in this area, our support of STEM education and SAMSAT enables future talent to consider a career in national security,” she added.

Sponsored programs include SAMSAT’s new Tech Port Innovation Center and the interactive CACI Cyber City exhibit, a LEGO model of San Antonio built with the company’s City Block technology. This software-based cyber-physical modeling and simulation tool allows cybersecurity experts, network administrators and industrial control systems and operational technology security testers to train and execute cybersecurity operations.

“City Block leverages virtual reality, 3D modeling, and other technologies to help our military partners prepare for the digital battlefield of the future,” elaborated Todd Probert, president of national security and innovative solutions at CACI and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient.

To assemble the model, CACI staff volunteered for over 200 hours with the help of more than 20 STEM student contributors.

Probert expressed the organization’s excitement for its software to be used to exercise young minds. He said that CACI hopes to inspire these students to join the company and support its work to safeguard the U.S. from cyber threats.

Established in 2016, SAMSAT was created with a goal of supporting STEM education while connecting K-12 and college students, universities, industry, federal agencies and nonprofits across the San Antonio area.

The museum currently offers educational opportunities through tours, online programs and mobile demonstrations, as well as STEM camps and clubs and adult-centered events.

A bipartisan bill that would suspend the debt ceiling through January 2025 and reduce federal spending is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature after the Senate passed the measure on Thursday in a 63-36 vote, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The proposed Fiscal Responsibility Act would impose a 3 percent limit on increases for military spending in fiscal year 2024, increase the age of individuals who must work to get food assistance and accelerate energy and infrastructure projects.

The passage of the bill in the upper chamber came a day after the House voted 314-117 to approve the measure and several days ahead of the June 5 deadline, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the government could default on its obligations if Congress fails to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.

Biden said the legislation protects the key pillars of his Investing in America agenda, safeguards programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and fully funds veterans’ medical care.

“No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: this bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” the president said in a statement published Thursday.

The Department of Energy is soliciting public input to improve the analysis and methodology drafted in its Critical Materials Assessment.

The request for information was issued by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office under DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the agency said Tuesday.

CMA aids DOE in its critical materials strategies, which cover research and development projects to secure the country’s energy supply.

In its effort to revise the assessment process every three years, DOE’s latest CMA draft proposes a more formal materials screening process, as well as the addition of certain engineered materials to the usual natural raw materials being evaluated. The new version also includes a scoring rubric to help determine the element’s importance to supply risk and energy.

DOE is inviting feedback on how to improve current CMA methodology, and other relevant information that can help revise its analysis.

The deadline for responses is June 20.

The Office of Management and Budget made quarterly changes to the President’s Management Agenda, emphasizing workforce upskilling and the adoption of tools to enable equity in government procurement.

The PMA put forward two projects to improve government customer service, particularly with the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and an interagency effort to provide disaster relief, FedScoop reported.

Published on performance.gov, the agenda highlights three main priorities: managing the business of government; strengthening the federal workforce; and delivering excellent customer experience.

OMB is aiming for better federal procurement management through the modernization of the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting training program. The branch noted other milestones in this priority area, such as the standardized definition of “new entrant” in order to award more contracts to small, disadvantaged businesses and to strengthen supplier diversity.

The Office of Personnel Management intends to make the federal government a model employer by launching its own data portal, and creating the first-ever supervisor training program on managing the hybrid remote and in-office work set-up. The agency also promised to create an inclusive, agile and engaged workforce equipped with the right skills for mission delivery.

To improve customer experience, SSA and CMS are conducting research to tailor their websites based on user journeys and reduce application and approval processing time.

In the same vein, the Department of Health and Human Services is also working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture to make it easier for citizens to apply for disaster loans and other individual assistance programs.