/
White House Names 6 Leaders to Oversee CHIPS for America Program Implementation
Published on
White House Names 6 Leaders to Oversee CHIPS for America Program Implementation

The White House has announced the appointment of six executives to the leadership team that will be key in implementing a program that will invest $50 billion in the U.S. semiconductor industry in accordance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, chief economist of the Department of Commerce, will serve as the White House Coordinator for CHIPS Implementation at the National Economic Council and oversee CHIPS Implementation Steering Council’s work as outlined in an executive order that President Biden signed in August, the White House said Wednesday.

Michael Schmidt, most recently a senior adviser at the Department of the Treasury, will serve as director of the CHIPS Program Office at the Department of Commerce.

Eric Lin, director of the Material Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will serve as interim director of the CHIPS Research and Development Office.

Todd Fisher, program director for the American Rescue Plan Funds at the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, will be the interim senior adviser within the CHIPS Program Office at NIST.

Donna Dubinsky, a serial entrepreneur and former CEO of Palm Computing and Handspring, will serve as senior counselor to the secretary of Commerce for CHIPS implementation.

J.D. Grom, who recently performed the duties of the assistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairs at the Commerce Department, will be senior adviser to the secretary on CHIPS implementation.

“After outlining a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy for CHIPS for America, we are wasting no time building an office with experts and leaders who will efficiently execute this work,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. 

Raimondo noted that these leaders have decades of government, research and development and industry experience and their work will be key in improving U.S. supply chains, strengthening national security, creating jobs and driving investments in research.

/
Senate OKs Bill to Reauthorize Small Business Innovation Research, Tech Transfer Programs
Published on
Senate OKs Bill to Reauthorize Small Business Innovation Research, Tech Transfer Programs

The Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs through the end of September 2025.

“SBIR and STTR represent the best of government-industry partnerships—harnessing the creativity and ingenuity of American entrepreneurs to solve our nation’s most pressing public health and national security challenges,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said in a statement published Wednesday.

The proposed SBIR & STTR Reauthorization Act of 2022 includes new safeguards to protect technologies developed under the two programs from foreign adversaries as well as changes meant to help large award recipients bring their tech platforms to market.

“This bill will keep SBIR and STTR going for an additional three years, increase commercialization of technology developed through the programs, and protect our nation’s intellectual property. Passing this important bill gives our nation’s innovative small businesses and research institutions the certainty they need to continue developing the technology that will power the economy of tomorrow,” added Cardin, who introduced the measure with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

Under the SBIR program, federal agencies that spend at least $100 million annually on outside research should earmark 3.2 percent of the funds to support small businesses’ research efforts. 

With STTR, agencies that have an annual budget of at least $1 billion for outside research should appropriate 0.45 percent of the funds to back research initiatives of small companies and academic research institutions.

GAO: Federal Preparation for Climate Hazards Could Reduce Disaster Costs
Published on
GAO: Federal Preparation for Climate Hazards Could Reduce Disaster Costs

The Government Accountability Office said the U.S. government needs to plan and prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change in order to significantly reduce its spending on disaster assistance.

In a report released Monday, the agency called for strong leadership and a cohesive, strategic approach to mitigate federal fiscal exposure to climate change.

GAO cited the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, which warned that the cost of disaster response and recovery efforts are projected to increase as extreme rainfall or drought become more frequent.

The government watchdog agency proposed establishing a national climate information system, assigning a federal entity to develop and update climate data, and building climate resilience into infrastructure and facility planning.

Lawmakers and federal agencies should review information on the potential economic effects of climate change so they can pinpoint significant risks and formulate better disaster responses, the agency added.

Government spending on disaster assistance amounted to $315 billion between its 2015 and 2021 fiscal years. GAO has petitioned since 2013 to limit federal fiscal exposure through enhanced climate resilience.

/
Iridium Announces Operation Pacific Waves; Scott Scheimreif Quoted
Published on
Iridium Announces Operation Pacific Waves; Scott Scheimreif Quoted

Iridium Communications has announced its Operation Pacific Waves (OPW), a series of partnership-driven field exercises involving more than 20 organizations to focus on the Indo-Pacific region, the company reported Wednesday.

“As home to more than half of the world’s population, almost two-thirds of the world’s economy, and some of the world’s largest militaries, the importance of the Indo-Pacific region cannot be understated,” said Scott Scheimreif, executive vice president of Government Programs with Iridium. “We’re especially proud to have new and returning partners eager to participate.”

OPW will deploy Iridium and Iridium Connected equipment in live scenarios highlighting the Iridium network’s resilient, real-time and truly global capabilities. OPW will highlight capabilities that directly support Indo-Pacific mission sets enabled by Iridium’s Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) contract with the U.S. federal government.

The EMSS contract provides unlimited narrowband subscribers and usage over a secure USG gateway. Innovative technologies and capabilities featured includes Iridium Certus broadband and mid band; Push-To-Talk (PTT). 

“It was a natural step to follow-up the success of Operation Arctic Lynx by exercising Iridium technology in the Indo-Pacific to showcase the Iridium network’s strength in providing real-time interoperability, communications-on-the-move, command-and-control, and developing and maintaining a common operational picture across a vast Area of Responsibility,” Scheimreif added.

Iridium SATCOM field demonstrations will take place, on Sept. 28th and Sept. 30th, 2022, in coordination with an international contingent of organizations including Iridium partners and existing customers like the U.S. Department of Defense, coalition partners and scientific research organizations. 

//
Intelsat Attempts to Share Worldwide Internet Connectivity Through Partner2Connect Collaboration; CEO Dave Wajsgras Quoted
Published on
Intelsat Attempts to Share Worldwide Internet Connectivity Through Partner2Connect Collaboration; CEO Dave Wajsgras Quoted

Satellite services company Intelsat has entered into an organization that is operated to boost underserved communities by providing technological resources.

Going forward, Intelsat’s team will work with the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition to bring about positive change through telecommunications services, including by filling in gaps where internet access is scarce and providing disaster relief, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based company said Wednesday.

“The Partner2Connect Digital Coalition is a great initiative to accelerate and promote digital inclusion. Contributing to this common goal is part of Intelsat’s mission – and developing innovative, space-based technology that solves complex communications issues is central to our work,” commented Dave Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat.

Wajsgras, who is a six-time Wash100 Award winner, also said that the collaboration with Partner2Connect is an important cause due to the billions of people internationally who remain without a network connection and thus unable to utilize its benefits, such as work or communication, or health, education and government services.

In their work with the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations, who founded the multistakeholder alliance that is Partner2Connect, Intelsat has made three pledges. The first is to use the company’s software-rooted, multi-orbit 5G unified network to amplify connectivity for communities across the globe. The architecture would reportedly be applicable to various technologies and endpoints.

Intelsat’s second pledge is to install internet access for rurally and remotely located schools over the next two years, hopefully encouraging digital literacy in children at a young age. They plan to ensure connectivity for 100 schools in support of the GIGA endeavor, put forth by UNICEF and the ITU.

Additionally, the second pledge holds that Intelsat is in favor of a memorandum of understanding that will lend a total of $500,000 worth of airtime, along with equipment that could assist during a natural disaster.

Lastly, through its third pledge with Partner2Connect, Intelsat will conduct studies and draw conclusions surrounding space sustainability and satellites as a mechanism for helping with digital transformation.

Wasjgras joined Intelsat from Raytheon Technologies this March.

In April, the company launched a service called Cloud Connect Media aimed to assist programmers securely access Amazon Web Services and the IntelsatOne Media Network.

/
Johns Hopkins APL Execs James Miller, David Van Wie Join Defense Science Board
Published on
Johns Hopkins APL Execs James Miller, David Van Wie Join Defense Science Board

James Miller, assistant director for policy and analysis at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and David Van Wie, head of the APL’s air and missile defense sector, have been appointed to serve on the Defense Science Board.

They join the 40-member federal advisory committee providing independent advice and recommendations to the Department of Defense on matters related to science, technology, acquisition process and manufacturing, APL said Tuesday.

Miller, who previously served as undersecretary of defense for policy, is responsible for overseeing the laboratory’s national security and research and development initiatives.

He brings to the board his expertise in missile defense, nuclear deterrence, cyber and space policy.

Van Wie is a four-decade veteran at APL who has previously supported the DSB, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board in various studies.

“The Defense Science Board pulls together distinguished technical leaders from across the community, and we are so fortunate to have James Miller and David Van Wie as members of our new board,” said DSB Chair Eric Evans.

/
NASA Releases Revised Objectives for Deep Space Exploration Mission; Pam Melroy Quoted
Published on
NASA Releases Revised Objectives for Deep Space Exploration Mission; Pam Melroy Quoted

NASA has released a revised set of deep space exploration objectives providing a framework for the agency’s Moon to Mars mission after receiving feedback from industry, academia and international partners.

The space agency identified 63 final objectives under four categories of exploration, namely transportation and habitation, Moon and Mars infrastructure, operations and science.

“These objectives are both practical and aspirational, and we were gratified by the thoughtful contributions of our workforce, industry, and international partners who will join us in shaping our future together,” said Pam Melroy, deputy administrator of NASA.

The space agency started working with an Agency Cross-Directorate Federated Board to develop the draft list of 50 Moon to Mars objectives in November 2021.

NASA released the objectives to its workforce and the public in May and released a request for comments in June, which gathered more than 5,000 inputs from industry and other stakeholders.

Transportation Department, Partners to Boost Small Businesses’ Participation in Infrastructure Projects
Published on
Transportation Department, Partners to Boost Small Businesses’ Participation in Infrastructure Projects

The Department of Transportation has entered into partnerships with the Small Business Administration and Minority Business Development Agency to help small and disadvantaged businesses in the transportation industry pursue work on government infrastructure programs.

Under the partnerships, USDOT aims to provide small and minority-owned businesses with improved access to resources and capital and connect them with large companies and transportation modal representatives from state, federal and municipal agencies.

USDOT signed two memorandums of understanding with SBA to increase the bonding capacity of small transportation businesses and facilitate access to private capital from the Office of Investment and Innovation.

MBDA will work with the department to expand the presence of underrepresented minority business enterprises in national transportation supply chains through data sharing and reporting under a separate MOU.

“These new initiatives with our partners at SBA and MBDA will help more small business owners secure federal contracts to modernize our country’s infrastructure for decades to come,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

/
Consultancy Founder Gabe Klein to Head Joint Energy & Transportation Office
Published on
Consultancy Founder Gabe Klein to Head Joint Energy & Transportation Office

Gabe Klein, co-founder of urban change management consulting firm CityFi, has been appointed executive director of a newly formed coordinating organization between the departments of Energy and Transportation, effective Sept. 26.

He will lead efforts at the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to help the U.S. government deploy a $7.5 billion fund for electric vehicle charging systems nationwide under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOE said Tuesday.

Under his leadership, the office will aim to help states and localities invest in passenger, heavy-duty and transit vehicles to support the Biden administration’s initiative to ensure underserved communities receive at least 40 percent of gains from climate and clean energy investments by the federal government.

“I will seize the opportunity to steward a critical shift in our transportation economy from fossil fuels to clean, electric energy systems, as there has never been a more important mission in our recent history than solving the climate crisis,” Klein said.

Klein previously served as DOT commissioner in Chicago from 2009 to 2011 and director in Washington, D.C., from May 2011 to December 2013.

He helped the Biden-Harris transition team to develop an all-of-government strategy for fleet electrification.

/
Survey: 60% Doubt Federal Cyber Defense Capability
Published on
Survey: 60% Doubt Federal Cyber Defense Capability

Sixty percent of nearly 1,000 Americans from all 50 states who responded to a PC Matic survey do not believe the U.S. government is prepared to defend its assets in the event of a cyber attack.

The 2022 “Americans on Cybersecurity” report showed that public trust in the government’s cybersecurity readiness has eroded by 3 percent compared to last year’s findings, PC Matic said Tuesday.

The number of respondents who believe the federal government should increase measures to protect citizens from internet-based threats increased from 61 percent in 2021 to 66 percent this year.

“In our increasingly reliant cyber world, and especially considering the lack of confidence Americans currently have, preventative cyber technologies must be prioritized and put in place to harden American’s cyber defenses and boost public confidences immediately,” said Rob Cheng, founder and CEO of PC Matic.

PC Matic found public confidence was highest in Washington, D.C., and lowest in Kansas when it comes to state preparedness in information technology security. 

The nationwide survey included IT professionals, 38 percent of whom expressed a lack of confidence in government cyber defense abilities.

1 … 766 767 768 769 770 … 2,659