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DOE to Open Funding Opportunities to Advance Hydropower Tech Development; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE to Open Funding Opportunities to Advance Hydropower Tech Development; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy has announced plans to invest $28 million in research and development projects focused on advancing the deployment of hydropower technologies.

DOE said Friday it will offer three funding opportunities in the fall to support various activities supporting the development of hydropower and pumped storage hydropower technologies as a source of clean energy.

The department will invest about $14.5 million to encourage sustainable growth of hydropower and pumped storage hydropower technologies designed to decarbonize the U.S. power sector.

Another $10 million will be awarded to expand pumped storage hydropower to provide long-duration energy storage and $4 million will be used to seek stakeholder insights to inform hydropower R&D projects.

According to the notice of intent, the research projects will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and support the Biden administration’s goals of achieving a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.

“Funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will ensure that hydropower continues to play as big a role in our clean energy future has it has in our past,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

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Army Concludes ‘Saturn Arch’ Counter-IED Aircraft Mission
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Army Concludes ‘Saturn Arch’ Counter-IED Aircraft Mission

The U.S. Army’s Saturn Arch Quick Reaction Capability aircraft flew its last mission to support U.S. Central Command, concluding more than one decade of geospatial intelligence collection work for improvised explosive device neutralization efforts.

The Saturn Arch fleet has recorded 72,500 mission hours and produced over 18,000 data products, the Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors said Friday.

Leidos helped the branch manage ground and flight operations of the aerial counter-IED platform equipped with hyperspectral, electro-optical/infrared and high-resolution imagery sensors.

The Joint Improved Explosive Device Defeat Organization initially developed the system to address CENTCOM’s urgent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs in the Middle East.

Michael Payne, product manager for the Army’s Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System, said the service funded the Saturn Arch QRC program to build 10 planes over the past decade.

The Army is looking to transition the aircraft’s sensor suite to other programs as the branch shifts focus on addressing operational requirements in a multidomain environment.

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DHS OIG Offers 4 Recommendations to Help CISA Improve Quality of Shared Cyberthreat Data
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DHS OIG Offers 4 Recommendations to Help CISA Improve Quality of Shared Cyberthreat Data

The Department of Homeland Security’s office of inspector general has recommended that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency enable accurate reporting by establishing a process to verify the number of cyberthreat indicators and defensive actions being shared through CISA’s Automated Indicator Sharing platforms.

CISA should also come up with a new approach to encourage federal agencies and industry to comply with data sharing requirements and agreements to help improve information sharing under the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, the OIG said in an Aug. 16 report.

The inspector general made the recommendations after it found deficiencies in the quality of data shared with AIS participants, including the lack of contextual information in cyberthreat indicators.

“Deficiencies in the quality of threat information shared among AIS participants may hinder the Federal Government’s ability to identify and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities and threats,” the OIG report reads.

The inspector general also called on CISA to complete AIS 2.0 upgrades and prioritize the recruitment of operational and administrative staff to carry out strategic planning, performance measurement and analysis in order to mitigate cyber risks.

FAA Taps 5 Universities to Study Drone-Based Disaster Assistance
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FAA Taps 5 Universities to Study Drone-Based Disaster Assistance

The Federal Aviation Administration has selected five universities to examine drone-based approaches government organizations can apply when responding to manmade or natural disasters.

The research grants have a combined value of $2.7 million and represent the third round of awards made through the FAA-sponsored Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, which aims to facilitate the integration of unmanned aircraft system operations into the national airspace, the agency said Thursday.

“Every second counts in an emergency, and this funding will allow drones to safely and more quickly deploy in moments when minutes matter,” said acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen.

The grantees and their awards are provided below:

  • University of Vermont: $1.2 million
  • University of Alabama Huntsville: $828,070
  • New Mexico State University: $400,000
  • North Carolina State University: $200,000
  • Kansas State University: $145,000

FAA noted the latest ASSURE funds bring the total awarded under the alliance during fiscal 2022 to $21 million.

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4 States Approved for $750M in Funds to Support Small Businesses; Janet Yellen Quoted
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4 States Approved for $750M in Funds to Support Small Businesses; Janet Yellen Quoted

The Department of the Treasury has approved four states for up to $750 million in funds to help expand access of small businesses and underserved entrepreneurs to capital.

Venture capital, loan guarantee and capital access initiatives operated by the governments of Colorado, Oregon, Montana and New York will receive funding under the State Small Business Credit Initiative, the department said Friday.

New York, for instance, has been approved for up to $501.5 million in funds to run loan participation, venture capital, loan guarantee and venture capital programs in support of small companies.

“This is an historic investment in entrepreneurship, small business growth, and innovation through the American Rescue Plan that will help reduce barriers to capital access for traditionally underserved communities,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

“I’m excited to see how SSBCI funds will promote equitable economic growth across the country,” Yellen added.

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Senators Introduce Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 2022
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Senators Introduce Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 2022

Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., have proposed a bill that seeks to eliminate duplicative government programs to address wasteful spending and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

The proposed Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 2022 will create a task force to come up with federal goals and policies for programs that seek alternatives to radiation technologies used for medical and industrial purposes and advance the implementation of a pilot program within the Department of Energy that looks at a safe method for nuclear waste disposal, Hassan’s office said Thursday.

The measure will also address duplication by streamlining 200 various efforts seeking to address diet-linked chronic health conditions through the implementation of a national coordination strategy.

“Our citizens expect us to do everything that we can to ensure that their taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently, and this legislation will help us cut wasteful spending,” said Hassan.

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Space Force to Solicit Industry Comments on Space Test Experiment Platform Procurement
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Space Force to Solicit Industry Comments on Space Test Experiment Platform Procurement

The U.S. Space Force will conduct an industry day on Oct. 25 and 26 to solicit industry comments on the planned acquisition of spacecraft for science and technology experiments.

The Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico will host the event to discuss the forthcoming Space Test Experiment Platform 2.0 contract vehicle for the development of a spacecraft and integration of payload and launch vehicle, according to a notice posted on SAM.gov Thursday.

The government anticipates awarding STEP 2.0 as an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cascading set-asides to support the Space Test Program’s spacecraft requirements.

A draft request for proposals for the contract vehicle is expected to be posted on Oct. 11.

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Air Force Invests in $309M Runway Extension Project at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
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Air Force Invests in $309M Runway Extension Project at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $309 million contract for an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center-led runway extension work at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

The construction project is aimed at building on the base’s critical infrastructure to help enhance global air mobility and mission capabilities, the Air Force Materiel Command said Thursday.

Upon project completion in September 2025, two 10,000-foot runways will be available at JBER to handle the capacity required to ensure Indo-Pacific Command contingencies set in the National Defense Strategy. Reduced military traffic is also one of the expected results of the construction.

Lt. Col. Gary Moore, deputy director for AFCEC’s Facility Engineering Directorate, said the Air Force’s investment will help with the sustainment of lethal and combat-ready forces and will support the Department of Defense’s mission and overall tactical goals.

JBER hosts the 3rd Wing, Alaskan Command and U.S. Army Alaska, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and 11th Air Force, among other units.

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ICF Earns Spot on $320M NIH Contract for Cancer Research Activities; Mark Lee Quoted
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ICF Earns Spot on $320M NIH Contract for Cancer Research Activities; Mark Lee Quoted

Consulting and digital services company ICF has secured a spot on a potential 10-year, $320 million contract award from the National Institutes of Health to conduct epidemiological and clinical operations activities for cancer research.

Under the multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, ICF will compete with four other organizations for research task orders assisting the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, the Fairfax, Virginia-based company said Monday.

Mark Lee, executive vice president and public sector lead at ICF, shared that the work will build on a long line of partnerships with the NIH carrying out epidemiological and clinical research spanning “statistical data management, digital modernization of data collection systems and more.”

“We are excited to bring all of these skills to support DCEG in meeting its mission—to discover the causes of cancer and inform future prevention,” Lee added.

The contract work will involve three primary focus areas: field preparation and study management; exposure assessment; and clinical services. ICF’s roster of health research and public health aficionados will collaborate with DCEG’s epidemiologists, geneticists and biostatisticians on the various projects that will be assigned.

ICF has reportedly worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for more than four decades, completing missions related to public health, epidemiology, survey research, genetics, biostatistics, clinical informatics and digital modernization, among others.

The latest NIH contract has a five-year base period, with the potential to expand to 10 years if all options are exercised. It was given to the company, as well as the four other awarded organizations, in the second quarter of 2022.

It follows ICF’s June win of a four and a half year, $30 million recompete contract from the Defense Health Agency, under which their team will conduct research and operational assistance for mental health research endeavors within the Department of Defense.

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CACI Pledges to Provide Resources, Education Assistance to Alabama Tech Magnet School; CEO John Mengucci Quoted
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CACI Pledges to Provide Resources, Education Assistance to Alabama Tech Magnet School; CEO John Mengucci Quoted

CACI has entered into an agreement to support a Huntsville, Alabama-based residential magnet high school that specializes in cyber technology and engineering training and preparation.

In conjunction with the Alabama School of Cyber Engineering and Technology Foundation, CACI has pledged to offer internships, mentorships and constructive input to curriculums, among other contributions, the Reston, Virginia-headquartered company said Friday.

John Mengucci, CEO and president of CACI, commented that the company’s involvement is intended to foster talent in the technology field, which he said is critically needed.

“As we grow our presence in Huntsville, I am confident that this partnership will provide students with cutting-edge technology and resources and will also build an invaluable talent pipeline for government and industry,” three-time Wash100 Award winner Mengucci continued.

Through the partnership, the CACI team has agreed to furnish interim teachers for certain courses and conduct career coaching for students. Additionally, they plan to initiate an ASCTE Speaker Series and provide professional development for the Huntsville school’s staff.

ASCTE is distinguished as the sole Alabama public high school with full-fledged advanced engineering and cyber technology programs. It was created in order to fill gaps and make up for deficiencies in national security personnel.

“We are thrilled and thankful for this investment into our students and community…CACI’s position as a technology and national security leader supports and aligns with ASCTE’s mission to produce graduates who will drive the innovation needed to secure tomorrow’s prosperity,” remarked Matt Massey, president of ASCTE.

The partnership announcement comes on the heels of CACI’s win of a $31.3 million U.S. Navy contract for the performance of naval force logistics services for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command earlier this week.

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