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13 Teams Selected to Build Grid Optimization Technologies in ARPA-E Challenge
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13 Teams Selected to Build Grid Optimization Technologies in ARPA-E Challenge

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has selected 13 teams to compete in the third challenge of the Grid Optimization Competition that aims to develop software management technologies designed to solve problems related to the electric power grid. 

ARPA-E said Thursday the GO Competition Challenge 3 will expand the real-world problem covered in the first two challenges by including time series data for weather, unit commitment constraints, intermittent generation and consumption.

Challenge 3 will involve new models for emerging technologies, such as distributed energy resources, storage, consumer participation and renewables, and new temporal constraints and considerations. Participating teams hail from 11 different states.

Scheduled to kick off in early 2023, the competition offers up to $750,000 in cash prizes.

Jennifer Gerbi, acting director and deputy director for technology at ARPA-E, said that technologies developed through the competition will “help the U.S. ensure grid flexibility, reliability, and resiliency, as well as incorporate the new clean energy technologies that create the grid of the future.”

Transportation, S&T Officials Suggest Cross-Over Between ARPA-I, Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative
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Transportation, S&T Officials Suggest Cross-Over Between ARPA-I, Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative

The Department of Transportation’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Infrastructure could further its objectives of transforming the sector through various opportunities in a new net-zero carbon emission initiative, government officials said Wednesday.

In a commentary published on the White House website, DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Robert Hampshire, and Office of Science and Technology Policy deputy directors Kei Koizumi and Sally Benson made their case for ARPA-I’s potential benefit to the Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative.

ARPA-I is the latest research projects unit created for a U.S. executive department and is awaiting initial budget approval from Congress.

The net-zero initiative includes research and development proposals focused on clean and efficient transportation systems, smart mobility, next-generation construction of infrastructure construction and advanced electricity and clean fuel infrastructure.

The three experts said that ARPA-I could fulfill its transformation and climate change goals by supporting the R&D efforts. For instance, smart mobility could lead to widespread adoption of electric, autonomous and virtually connected vehicles. This vision aligns with ARPA-I’s purpose to “contribute significantly to improving the safe, secure, and efficient movement of goods and people.”

Koizumi is OSTP’s principal deputy director for policy and Benson is OSTP’s deputy director for energy.

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NSA Issues 4 Technical Reports to Help DOD Secure Microelectronics
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NSA Issues 4 Technical Reports to Help DOD Secure Microelectronics

The National Security Agency has unveiled four reports that seek to help the Department of Defense safeguard programmable microelectronic components from adversary influence and cybersecurity threats.

The cybersecurity technical reports issued by the Joint Federated Assurance Center Hardware Assurance Lab at NSA intend to ensure the security of field-programmable gate arrays during production, programming, acquisition and initial device attachment processes, the agency said Thursday.

The document FPGA Overall Assurance Process offers information on the process used by NSA JFAC to come up with threat categories and mitigations and seeks to help teams mimic the assurance work for other microelectronic device types.

The other three reports are the Field-Programmable Gate Array Best Practices-Threat Catalog; Field-Programmable Gate Array Level of Assurance 1 Best Practices and Third-Party IP Review Process for Level of Assurance 1.

NSA JFAC provides remediation capabilities, vulnerability detection and analysis support to help DOD strengthen microelectronics hardware assurance for its programs.

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DOD, SBA Sign Agreement to Strengthen Small Business Development
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DOD, SBA Sign Agreement to Strengthen Small Business Development

The Department of Defense and the Small Business Administration will work together to strengthen and broaden the development of U.S. small businesses and better meet the needs of such enterprises under a memorandum of understanding, DOD News reported Wednesday.

“One of the things that we want to make sure that we’re doing is providing resources and support to small businesses who are looking to do business with DOD, with other federal agencies, with state and local government and really reduce barriers to entry,” said Farooq Mitha, director of small business programs at DOD.

Mitha and Mark Madrid, associate administrator of SBA’s office of entrepreneurial development, signed the MOU Friday at the Maryland Procurement Technical Assistance Center in College Park.

Maryland PTAC is one of the more than 90 DOD-funded centers that seek to help small businesses find and secure contracts from the Pentagon and other federal agencies. PTACs will be rebranded as APEX Accelerators, which seek to promote innovation and establish resilient supply chains in support of the defense industrial base.

SBA operates more than 1,000 small business development centers.

“Today was about breaking down silos and working together because we’re all in it for the same reason,” Madrid said.

Madrid noted that the two agencies will explore ways to facilitate integration of trainings that SBDCs and APEX Accelerators offer and host at least one national event each year.

SBA and DOD also launched a joint effort, called the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies Initiative, to drive investments in critical technologies that are key to national security.

GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan Endorses New Federal Building Performance Standard
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GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan Endorses New Federal Building Performance Standard

U.S. General Services Administrator Robin Carnahan has expressed her support for the Biden administration’s new Federal Building Performance Standard to decarbonize government facilities.

The guideline, which the White House announced on Wednesday, requires upgrading the government’s 30,000 existing buildings to make them more energy efficient.

“The new standard advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership in making the federal government a model for decarbonization and clean energy innovation,” Carnahan said in statement. “GSA is excited to help lead the way toward a net-zero federal footprint that will save money for taxpayers, reduce harmful emissions, and help spur demand for next-generation clean energy technologies,” she added.

She previously pledged to not install any more fossil fuel-powered equipment on any of GSA’s facilities, over 20 percent of which now run solely on electricity.

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House Lawmakers Intro Bills to Promote Investment, Innovation in Satcom Industry
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House Lawmakers Intro Bills to Promote Investment, Innovation in Satcom Industry

Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., ranking member of the panel, have introduced a pair of bills that would promote competition, innovation and investment in the commercial satellite communications industry.

The bills aim to specify the Federal Communications Commission’s satellite licensing rules and authorities, motivate investment in the sector, promote responsible use of space, protect national security and advance U.S. leadership in satellite communications, the House panel said Thursday.

The Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act intends to expedite modifications to certain licenses for satellites or satellite constellations and the Secure Space Act seeks to prohibit the FCC from granting a license for any non-geostationary orbit satellite system to foreign entities that pose risks to U.S. national security.

“To make sure the U.S. – not China – continues to lead this global industry, we must streamline our regulatory processes to unleash innovation while also ensuring our laws fully protect the American public,” Pallone and Rodgers remarked in a joint statement.

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SAP NS2 CEO Harish Luthra on Driving Innovation & Progress in Federal Government
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SAP NS2 CEO Harish Luthra on Driving Innovation & Progress in Federal Government

Cybersecurity has become a major focus in the federal government over the last decade, and especially after the major breaches and attacks we’ve seen in recent years. Harish Luthra, CEO of SAP NS2, spoke with the Potomac Officers Club recently about the importance of the public and private sectors joining forces and building a united front against cyberwar as cyber threats continue to increase.

Luthra touched on cybersecurity and compliance through the lens of executive leadership in this excerpt from his Executive Spotlight interview:

“If you are always leading with security and compliance, you will accomplish the most critical task: driving constant innovation without compromise. As leaders, it’s critical we embrace lifelong learning and adaptability to meet the ever-changing challenges of the federal landscape. Even as a CEO, I’ve made it a priority to understand the full picture — from security controls to emerging government policies. We can never stop anticipating the needs of our customers.”

Read Harish Luthra’s full POC spotlight interview here to find out what changes he would enact in the federal government if given free rein, who has inspired him over the course of his career, and his thoughts on the differences between the commercial and federal realms.

Do you want to be featured in an Executive Spotlight interview? Check out the Potomac Officers Club’s membership options and benefits here.

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U.S. Army, Leidos Win Award for Innovation That Accelerates DOD Biometric Data Transfer
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U.S. Army, Leidos Win Award for Innovation That Accelerates DOD Biometric Data Transfer

A team of researchers from Leidos and the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office and biometrics division received recognition for developing a technology that speeds up data transfer in the Department of Defense biometric system.

The Biometrically Enabled Watch List Dissemination Management Functionality won the Best Technical Advancement Award at this year’s Federal Identity Forum & Exposition, the service branch said.

The BDMF capability is a result of the collaborative effort of Leidos, the Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors and the Defense Forensics Science Center Biometrics Operations Division, a unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

Implemented on DOD’s Automated Biometric Identification system, BDMF proved effective in reducing the duration of watch list importation from several days down to several hours, and exportation from hours to minutes. It also significantly accelerated the transfer time for large files containing fingerprints, facial recognition images and other data used by the government in critical intelligence targeting and investigations.

“This game changer enables Army data-centric biometrics operations to speed up information for the warfighter to make decisions to protect DOD forces and the homeland,” said Forrest Church, Product Manager for PEO IEW&S Biometrics Enabling Capability.

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Gen. Thomas Bussiere Sworn in as Leader of Air Force Global Strike Command
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Gen. Thomas Bussiere Sworn in as Leader of Air Force Global Strike Command

Gen. Thomas Bussiere has assumed leadership of Air Force Global Strike Command, the organization headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

Bussiere, who served as deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, will oversee the U.S. Air Force component that manages the nation’s nuclear weapon systems, including the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, and strategic bomber aircraft, the service branch said Thursday.

He replaces Gen. Anthony Cotton, who has served as commander of AFGSC since August 2021 and is scheduled to take command of USSTRATCOM.

Bussiere joined the service branch in 1985 after graduating from the Air Force ROTC program at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, and went on to become a command pilot with more than 3,400 flight hours across the T-38 Talon, F-15C Eagle, B-2A Spirit, B-1B Lancer and F-22 Raptor aircraft.

He also led combat missions during operations Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, Operations Southern Watch and Vigilant Warrior.

AFGSC provides strategic deterrence, combat support and global strike capability to USSTRATCOM and other geographic combatant commands.

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House OKs $858B Annual Defense Authorization Bill; Rep. Adam Smith Quoted
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House OKs $858B Annual Defense Authorization Bill; Rep. Adam Smith Quoted

The House on Thursday voted 350-80 to pass the compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, moving the $858 billion defense policy bill to the upper chamber for consideration.

“For the sixty-second consecutive year, Members of Congress have crossed party lines to deliver a defense bill that benefits those in uniform and advances the American people’s national security priorities,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement published Thursday.

“The bill supports the largest pay raise since 2007 for service members, authorizes historic funding to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities driving research in science and technology, and sustains America’s innovation edge,” Smith added.

According to HASC, the bill includes a 4.6 percent salary increase for service members.

Defense News reported the NDAA would authorize military aid of up to $10 billion for Taiwan over five years and $800 million for security assistance to Ukraine.

The Senate is expected to decide on the measure next week, according to the publication.

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