NNSA Launches $25M Cooperative Agreement With Universities, National Labs for Nuclear Forensics R&D
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NNSA Launches $25M Cooperative Agreement With Universities, National Labs for Nuclear Forensics R&D

The National Nuclear Security Administration has entered into a $25 million cooperative agreement with a consortium of 16 universities to conduct research and development centered on nuclear forensics.

Led by the University of Florida, the consortium will receive $5 million annually for five years to explore innovations supporting the agency’s nuclear security and nonproliferation missions, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday.

The cooperative agreement involves the following universities:

  • City University of New York
  • Clemson University
  • George Washington University
  • Iowa State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Oregon State University
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • South Carolina State University
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The consortium will work with seven of DOE’s national laboratories: Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, Sandia, and Savannah River.

“The role of universities for nuclear forensics research is to innovate and develop some of the most challenging and fundamental aspects of new technology and methods,” said Keith McManus, university program manager for NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation R&D unit. “Once these basic aspects have been proven at the university level, the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories can fulfill their unique role to perform mission-specific research and development that improves on capabilities for adoption by operational enterprises.”

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Pentagon Releases Guidance on File Documentation for Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
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Pentagon Releases Guidance on File Documentation for Cost-Reimbursement Contracts

The Department of Defense’s office of the undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment has issued a memorandum offering guidance on coordination with the contract administration office and file documentation for cost-reimbursement contracts.

The memo signed Wednesday by John Tenaglia, principal director of defense pricing and contracting, was in response to one of the recommendations made by DOD’s inspector general in a report that found inconsistencies in the documentation of contract files by contracting officers.

According to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, service branches may only use a cost-reimbursement contract when a “written acquisition plan has been approved and signed at least one level above the contracting officer.”

Under acquisition planning, contracting officers should coordinate with the Defense Contract Management Agency or other contract administration office to ensure that sufficient resources are available for contract administration, the report read.

The memo also includes instructions for contracting officers when using documentation other than firm-fixed-price contracts.

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Department of the Navy CIO Appoints Solutions Chief Don Yeske as Acting CTO
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Department of the Navy CIO Appoints Solutions Chief Don Yeske as Acting CTO

The Department of the Navy’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has chosen Don Yeske, its chief solutions architect, to serve as acting chief technology officer, he announced in a LinkedIn post.

The position was previously held by Jane Rathburn, who was promoted to principal deputy CIO.

Yeske joined DON CIO in October 2021 from the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, where he led the Expeditionary Enterprise Systems and Services Division.

Before NIWC Atlantic, he spent two years as head of future operations at the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters. He was also senior information technology adviser at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in Afghanistan.

He subsequently became part of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, as director of operational sustainment, information and communication technology.

Earlier in his career, he worked for prominent defense companies including Northrop Grumman and Science Applications International Corp.

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BAE Systems Secures Contract Under $4B NAVWAR CANES Program; Lisa Hand Quoted
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BAE Systems Secures Contract Under $4B NAVWAR CANES Program; Lisa Hand Quoted

BAE Systems has won a spot on the $4.1 billion Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services contract vehicle.

Under the contract, BAE Systems will manage the procurement and production of afloat network devices, spares, laboratory equipment, initial software, software renewal and upkeep services for surface, shore and submarine systems, the company announced from McLean, Virginia on Thursday.

“We look forward to continuing to support the Navy’s CANES mission to update shipboard networks to improve fleet operations. Our team has a legacy of exceptional quality and production support to NAVWAR, ensuring timely and critical modernization of the afloat networks,” commented Lisa Hand, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions.

The CANES program aims to deliver an improved tactical afloat network as part of the Navy’s efforts to modernize planning processes by enhancing cybersecurity, command and control, communications and intelligence systems afloat while supplanting underperforming legacy systems.

As one of eight companies selected under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle, BAE Systems will compete for awards throughout the initiative’s 10-year period.

For eight years, BAE Systems has supported the CANES program by sourcing, assembling, testing and supplying CANES production units for large deck surface ships in Summerville, South Carolina.

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Avril Haines & Gerry Fasano Celebrated As 2023 Wash100 Award Winners
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Avril Haines & Gerry Fasano Celebrated As 2023 Wash100 Award Winners

On Thursday, Executive Mosaic singled out two of GovCon’s most impactful leaders — Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Gerry Fasano, president of the defense group at Leidos — to celebrate their 2023 Wash100 wins.

Each year, Executive Mosaic honors 100 “executives of consequence” for their invaluable contributions and influence across the vast government contracting ecosystem. This year is particularly significant as it represents the Wash100 Award’s tenth year of unmatched recognition and excellence.

Avril Haines is named to the Wash100 this year for her continued focus on national security threat assessment and her efforts to enhance information sharing in the advancement of critical missions.

In her keynote remarks during the Potomac Officers Club’s 8th Annual Intel Summit, she said having a “strong, adaptive and innovative” intelligence community is a priority she puts at the top of her list.

Haines’ 2023 win marks her third consecutive year being named to the distinguished Wash100 list. Click here to read Haines’ full Wash100 profile.

From industry, Executive Mosaic applauds Gerry Fasano for his fourth consecutive Wash100 Award. Fasano earned the recognition this year for his leadership and continued efforts to bring technological capabilities and services to national defense missions.

Fasano leads Leidos’ efforts in areas like autonomy, advanced analytics, C4ISR, digital modernization, enterprise logistics and secure agile software development. Read Fasano’s Wash100 profile here.

Don’t forget to participate in the most exciting race in GovCon! You can cast your votes for Avril Haines and Gerry Fasano to win the popular vote competition at Wash100.com.

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Thomas Sasala Named Deputy Director for Army’s Business Transformation Office
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Thomas Sasala Named Deputy Director for Army’s Business Transformation Office

Thomas Sasala, most recently chief data officer at the Department of the Navy, has joined the U.S. Army as deputy director of the office of business transformation, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

He said in an email to colleagues obtained by FNN that he will facilitate efforts to reform business practices, advance process optimizations, lead business process reengineering and modernization initiatives and help uphold the service branch business community’s alignment with the mission.

During his tenure as CDO, Sasala said DON created a data management program, standardized data management responsibilities and roles and developed an enterprise data management and analytics platform.

He joined DON in April 2019 as director of data strategy. According to FNN, he helped advance the Jupiter data platform, promote the use of data to inform decisions and address data duplication issues across the service.

Before DON, Sasala spent more than two years at the Army, where he served as CDO and director of the architecture integration center.

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Siemens Government Technologies CEO John Ustica Talks Microelectronics & Chip Manufacturing
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Siemens Government Technologies CEO John Ustica Talks Microelectronics & Chip Manufacturing

The global COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain shortages it catalyzed have underscored the importance of microelectronics in the United States. As a result, the federal government is sharpening its focus on bringing semiconductor chip manufacturing back to the U.S. and lightening the country’s dependence on foreign manufacturers.

These issues that have emerged over the last few years have illustrated “how big of an impact microelectronics can have on the entire infrastructure and the entire manufacturing ecosystem,” said John Ustica, CEO and president of Siemens Government Technologies and 2023 Wash100 Award winner, in a new video interview with Executive Mosaic.

“I think that’s a place where things are rapidly transforming, and it’s a place where we think we can really help our customers,” he added. “Microelectronics is going to be a place that we continue to grow at Siemens.”

In August 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors or CHIPS Act was signed into law, injecting more than $50 billion into domestic semiconductor chip research, development and manufacturing. In his interview, Ustica predicted that we could begin to see the benefits of that increased investment in U.S. microelectronics “very soon,” as SGT is beginning to have conversations with customers on how to deploy the funds.

Ustica said Siemens has a portfolio of technologies that will support semiconductor manufacturing from the industry side of the GovCon ecosystem.

Siemens can deploy its digital twin technology to design fabrication plants, its automation technology for plant construction and its Electronic Design Automation technology to actually design the circuits, Ustica explained.

Hear what John Ustica has to say about energy resiliency, microelectronics, digital transformation and more in his full video interview with Executive Mosaic. Be sure to subscribe to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel to keep up with news and insights from GovCon executives.

SEC Announces Agenda for Upcoming Small Business Advisory Committee Meeting
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SEC Announces Agenda for Upcoming Small Business Advisory Committee Meeting

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Feb. 7 to discuss key issues relating to the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises in the United States.

SEC said Tuesday the agenda for the upcoming meeting will focus on alternative approaches to small business capital raising, the SEC proposal on private fund reforms and the role of investment research for investors and smaller private companies.

The committee seeks to explore different options from traditional bank and venture capital funding for small public companies, during a session led by speakers Damien Dwin, founder and CEO of Lafayette Square, and Melissa Withers, managing partner at RevUp Capital.

Alpa Patel, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, and Charles Hudson, managing partner and founder of Precursor Ventures, are also set to tackle SEC’s proposed new rules to regulate private fund advisers.

A discussion on the availability of equity research prepared by broker-dealer firms will be led by Charles Bobrinskoy, vice chairman and head of investment group and portfolio manager at Ariel Investments, and Amy Natterson Kroll, a partner at Morgan Lewis.

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US, India Announce Bilateral Initiatives to Expand Tech Partnership at 1st iCET Meeting
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US, India Announce Bilateral Initiatives to Expand Tech Partnership at 1st iCET Meeting

Government officials from the U.S. and India discussed opportunities to advance cooperation in critical technologies and strengthen connectivity across innovation ecosystems during the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology on Tuesday.

India and the U.S. announced bilateral efforts to expand their technology partnership in the areas of defense innovation, semiconductor supply chains, telecommunications, space and science, technology, engineering and math, the White House said Tuesday.

To strengthen their innovation ecosystems, the two countries signed an implementation arrangement for a research agency that will enable the U.S. National Science Foundation and Indian science agencies to broaden their collaboration in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and advanced wireless, among other work.

The U.S. and India have moved to advance defense technology collaboration by establishing a bilateral Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap to explore development projects related to munition-related technologies and jet engines and introducing an “innovation bridge” between U.S. and Indian defense startups.

When it comes to the space domain, the two countries will create exchanges that will include training for an Indian Space Research Organization at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, advance bilateral commercial space partnership and broaden the U.S.-India Civil Space Joint Working Group’s agenda to include planetary defense.

Indian and U.S. officials discussed collaboration in human space exploration, Earth and space science, spaceflight safety and space situational awareness and global navigation satellite systems as part of the two-day meeting of CSJWG that kicked off on Monday.

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Federal IT Exec Charles Armstrong Appointed FEMA CIO
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Federal IT Exec Charles Armstrong Appointed FEMA CIO

Charles Armstrong, an information technology leader with more than three decades of government experience, has been appointed chief information officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a LinkedIn post published Friday.

Armstrong previously served as CIO of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he led the modernization of the agency’s IT infrastructure and the implementation of visualization and cloud products and services across the enterprise.

Prior to that, he was assistant commissioner for the CBP’s Office of Information and Technology and deputy CIO of the Department of Homeland Security.

His DHS experience also included roles such as cargo modernization program manager at CBP.

The technology executive started his career as a software developer at the U.S. Navy.

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