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NIH to Invest $130M in Biomedical, Behavioral AI Projects
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NIH to Invest $130M in Biomedical, Behavioral AI Projects

The National Institutes of Health plans to spend $130 million on projects aimed at generating biomedical and behavioral data sets to facilitate artificial intelligence model training for research purposes.

NIH said Tuesday its four-year investment plan for the Bridge2AI program will support researchers as they develop standards, tools and approaches to prepare AI-ready data for the two fields of study.

The agency granted awards to four data generation projects that will apply the “findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable” principle.

Part of the funding has also been awarded to three teams that will create an Integration, Dissemination And Evaluation Bridge Center. Aside from integrating activities and distributing products and training materials, the center will coordinate standards, diversity and ethics to ensure that data sets are ethically sourced.

According to NIH, AI technology has the potential to help researchers pinpoint abnormal changes in the body using voice or other data and understand how genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors work together to influence human health.

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DCSA Introduces National Background Investigation Services Software for Form Collection
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DCSA Introduces National Background Investigation Services Software for Form Collection

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has released a training video introducing a new security clearance application form collection platform that replaces the legacy Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing system.

In the video presentation, DCSA provided an overview of the various features and functionality of the National Background Investigation Services program‘s eApp software, which is designed to help accelerate U.S. background investigations.

The agency also demonstrated the differences between the two systems to guide users as they prepare for the future transition from e-QIP.

The NBIS software serves as the federal government’s one-stop-shop system that provides end-to-end personnel vetting. The Defense Information Systems Agency transferred responsibility for the platform to DCSA in October 2020.

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NASA’s Science Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen to Step Down
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NASA’s Science Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen to Step Down

Thomas Zurbuchen is stepping down as associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the end of 2022 after being in the position since 2016.

The space agency said Wednesday Zurbuchen is responsible for overseeing approximately 100 science missions including the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars.

He also helped select 36 new missions such as the SPHEREx space-based telescope and Mars Sample Return and Dragonfly missions.

Throughout his career, Zurbuchen has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals on solar and heliospheric phenomena.

“Thomas has made an indelible mark at NASA – indeed, he has held this job continuously longer than any other person – and I am thankful for his dedication to our agency,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

NASA is conducting a nationwide search for Zurbuchen’s successor.

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Bipartisan Bill Would Establish Space Junk Removal Tech Demo Program
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Bipartisan Bill Would Establish Space Junk Removal Tech Demo Program

A bipartisan group of four senators has introduced a bill that would create a NASA-run demonstration program for systems designed to remove orbiting debris such as obsolete government satellites from outer space.

Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., presented the Orbital Sustainability or ORBITS Act Monday.

They proposed the legislative measure in response to an incident in March 2021, when a large piece of orbiting debris crashed into a farm in Grant County, Washington.

“Space junk is not only dangerous to humans exploring space, it is also a major risk to satellites that people in Wyoming and around the country rely on for basic communication,” said Lummis, a ranking member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and Science.

Provisions of the bill include requiring NASA, the Office of Space Commerce and the National Space Council to produce a list of the debris that could endanger orbiting spacecraft.

“This bill will jumpstart the technology development needed to remove the most dangerous junk before it knocks out a satellite, crashes into a NASA mission, or falls to the ground and hurts someone. We must continue to explore space, and we have to do it safely,” Cantwell said.

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Cybersecurity Advisory Panel Offers Recommendations to CISA Director Jen Easterly
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Cybersecurity Advisory Panel Offers Recommendations to CISA Director Jen Easterly

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency hosted the fourth meeting of its advisory panel on Tuesday and committee members offered updates and recommendations to Jen Easterly, director of CISA and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, to help strengthen the country’s cybersecurity posture.

Some of the recommendations offered by the subpanels of CISA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee are identifying additional approaches to promote the agency’s multifactor authentication campaign and working with the FBI and other agencies within the Intelligence Community to prioritize election officials’ information needs about foreign disinformation, CISA said Tuesday.

The subcommittees also recommended that CISA launch a “311” campaign to provide an emergency hotline in the event of a cyberattack, improve national risk management and share with the courts information on foreign disinformation attacks and hacking.

“I was especially pleased to receive recommendations from our subcommittees specializing in protecting election infrastructure from the threat of foreign malign disinformation and from our experts on building resilience and reducing systemic risk,” said Easterly.

“The insight from these recommendations, and the thoughts of the full committee, promise to make CISA the cyber defense agency this nation deserves,” she added.

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Idaho National Lab Launches 5G Wireless Test Range
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Idaho National Lab Launches 5G Wireless Test Range

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory has unveiled a wireless test range to enable government, industry and academic researchers to test 5G equipment and related capabilities and identify and address security vulnerabilities.

INL said Tuesday it secured funding from the office of the undersecretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense and worked with Mavenir Systems to equip the test range with 5G radios, base stations, antennas, a computerized core network and other cellular equipment.

“As the 5G ecosystem advances and becomes part of our daily lives, information and data security will be a critical consumer demand that we’ll address on this range,” said Dan Elmore, executive director of INL’s Wireless Security Institute.

Amanda Toman, director of 5G transition office and cross-functional team at DOD, said the new 5G test range could enable DOD to continue to advance 5G security, address challenges related to mission-critical communications and help soldiers ensure the security of their operations through any 5G network.

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Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman: Tech, Training on His Agenda as Space Force Nominee
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Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman: Tech, Training on His Agenda as Space Force Nominee

U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, the White House’s nominee for the role of chief of space operations, said that if confirmed, he would prioritize the development and deployment of space capabilities and ensure the training of guardians for them to operate in contested environments and counter the threats posed by strategic competitors, DOD News reported Tuesday.

“We’re also looking at flexible and innovative ways to make sure that we have viable and flexible career paths for our guardians,” Saltzman told Senate Armed Services Committee members during his nomination hearing Tuesday.

“It’s important that we retain this talent for an extended period of time to get the most out of them. If confirmed as CSO, I would certainly welcome the opportunity to continue to work with members of this committee and other stakeholders to make sure that we get the right organizational structure to take advantage of these capabilities,” he added.

Saltzman currently serves as deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear at the Space Force and would succeed the retiring Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, once confirmed by the Senate.

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New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Expedite DOD Procurement Processes to Refill Stockpiles
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New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Expedite DOD Procurement Processes to Refill Stockpiles

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced a bill aimed at providing the Department of Defense with stronger buying powers to expedite replenishment of U.S. defense stockpiles following delivery of aid to ally or partner targeted by a foreign adversary.

In a press release on Monday, Shaheen said the Securing American Acquisitions, Readiness and Military Stockpiles Act would also cover refilling American stockpiles after the U.S. sent lethal aid to Ukraine to support its defense against Russia.

“As the United States continues to lead the global military aid response to Ukraine amid Putin’s unprovoked war, it has become increasingly critical that we simultaneously ensure the sustainment of our defensive weapons stockpile while also providing the materials our allies and partners need to defend themselves. This bipartisan legislation would enhance our ability to both maintain our own defenses while also helping our friends,” Shaheen remarked.

If passed, the legislation would allow DOD to employ non-competitive procedures for accelerated contract award by amending the emergency acquisition authorities of the department.

“When providing aid to allies under attack, we must ensure we can quickly replenish our own stockpiles in the process. This legislation would authorize faster procurement of weapons and combat articles so helping our allies and partners doesn’t diminish our ability to protect ourselves,” said Cornyn.

Aside from the current bill, Shaheen and Cornyn earlier introduced the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, which was signed into law in May, to develop a military lend-lease program aimed at boosting security assistance to Ukraine.

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Labor Department Requests Comments on Proposed Changes to Form LM-10
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Labor Department Requests Comments on Proposed Changes to Form LM-10

The Department of Labor is seeking comments on proposed changes to the Form LM-10 issued by the Office of Labor-Management Standards to require certain employers to report their status as federal contractors or subcontractors.

The department said Monday a checkbox will be included in the form for employers who engaged with reportable activities to indicate if they worked under a federal contract or subcontract in their prior fiscal year.

The form will also add a field for employers’ Unique Entity Identifier and information on the federal contracting agencies, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register.

“The change would give workers access to information about the indirect source of funding used to persuade or surveil them in connection with organizing and collective bargaining,” said Jeffrey Freund, director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards.

Responses to the request for comments are due Oct. 13.

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USMC Maj. Gen. James Glynn Nominated as Deputy Commandant for Manpower, Reserve Affairs
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USMC Maj. Gen. James Glynn Nominated as Deputy Commandant for Manpower, Reserve Affairs

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James Glynn has been nominated to serve as the service branch’s next deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs.

Glynn, the deputy commanding general of Training and Education Command, is also nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, according to a general officer announcement published Friday.

He will take on the role that was previously held by Lt. Gen. David Ottignon, commander general of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Glynn previously served as the eighth commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command. He was the deputy commanding general of Special Operations Joint Task Force, Operation Inherent Resolve and director of the Office of U.S. Marine Corps Communication.

His military career started in 1989 after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

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