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OMB Asks Congress for $38B More in Funds for Ukraine Assistance
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OMB Asks Congress for $38B More in Funds for Ukraine Assistance

The Office of Management and Budget is calling on Congress to provide Ukraine with $38 billion in additional funding to help the European country defend itself against Russian invasion.

“We are urging the Congress to provide additional appropriations to ensure Ukraine has the funding, weapons and support it needs to defend itself and that vulnerable people continue to receive lifesaving aid,” OMB Director Shalanda Young wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday.

Defense News reported the White House is requesting $38 billion in additional funds for Ukraine.

The request for Ukraine aid includes $21.7 billion in security assistance; $14.5 billion for direct financial support to the government of Ukraine and humanitarian support; and $900 million in funds for the Department of Health and Human Services to provide health care assistance to Ukrainian parolees.

Through the letter, Young presented the president’s fiscal year 2023 emergency supplementary funding request, which also seeks additional funds for disaster response and COVID-19 relief efforts.

The White House is urging Congress to address those three critical funding requirements as lawmakers work to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund government operations for the rest of FY 2023 before a stopgap measure expires on Dec. 16.

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DOE Funds 10 EV Battery Recycling Tech Development Projects; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE Funds 10 EV Battery Recycling Tech Development Projects; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy will allocate $74 million in funding to support 10 projects that will develop new technologies and processes to recycle and reuse batteries of electric vehicles.

As part of a $7 billion investment from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the projects are meant to strengthen the country’s battery supply chain, DOE said Wednesday.

To do so, reportedly the projects will focus on advanced materials separation and reintegration for lithium-ion battery recycling and second life scale-up demonstration projects.

Recipients of the award are:

  • American Battery Technology Co.
  • Cirba Solutions
  • Element Energy
  • Michigan Technological University
  • Princeton NuEnergy
  • RePurpose Energy
  • Smartville
  • Tennessee Technological University
  • University of Alabama
  • University of California San Diego

“Recycling advanced batteries presents an enormous opportunity for America to support the creation of a secure and resilient domestic battery supply chain to reach our clean energy and transportation future,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. 

Granholm noted that the investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law help advance cross-sector collaboration that will drive technological breakthroughs and reduce reliance on other countries to meet clean energy goals.

DARPA Launches Research Program on Behavioral Health Mechanisms
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DARPA Launches Research Program on Behavioral Health Mechanisms

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is soliciting research proposals focused on neurobehavioral protective factors and wellbeing as part of a Defense Sciences Office-led program aimed at enhancing mental health of military service members.

The STRENGTHEN program, or Strengthening Resilient Emotions and Nimble Cognition Through Engineering Neuroplasticity effort, seeks to address traumatic stress effects that cause behavioral health disorders and suicidality among warfighters, DARPA said Tuesday.

Optimizing the brain circuits responsible for cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation by building on neuroscience and clinical practice advances is the target of the initiative. It aligns with one of the Department of Defense’s top priorities: suicide prevention.

“Current mental health intervention approaches rely on diagnostic categories based on descriptive symptoms rather than a mechanistic understanding of brain network dysfunction causing those symptoms,” said Dr. Greg Witkop, a former Army surgeon who manages the STRENGTHEN program in DSO. “By identifying and optimizing the brain networks associated with cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation, STRENGTHEN seeks to heal — and prevent — changes in the brain networks caused by traumatic stress,” he added.

Developing CF and ER network models and designing hybrid interventions for inducing neuroplastic change in functional connectivity are STRENGTHEN’s top goals. Interested parties are welcome to join the program proposers day on Friday to learn more about the initiative.

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GAO Urges CISA, FBI, Secret Service to Improve Coordination Against Ransomware Attacks
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GAO Urges CISA, FBI, Secret Service to Improve Coordination Against Ransomware Attacks

The FBI, Secret Service and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency should fortify their collaboration to fight the rising incidents of ransomware attacks on public and government institutions, the Government Accountability Office has instructed.

In a study published Wednesday, the GAO cited gaps in processes for assisting state, local, tribal, and territorial government organizations vulnerable to ransomware that put operations and services at greater risk.

Based on data from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, SLTTs reported approximately 2,800 ransomware attacks from Jan. 2017 to March 2021, the federal watchdog noted. It emphasized the importance of addressing such crimes in the government’s commitment to cybersecurity resilience.

To improve cyber ransom prevention and response, GAO recommended that FBI, CISA and the Secret Service bolster interagency coordination, and review the challenges identified by SLTTs in accessing federal assistance.

GAO also suggested the establishment of a coordinating council involving the Department of Education, K-12 schools, CISA and other concerned federal agencies. The recommendation is in light of research data showing that between 2018 and 2021, more than 1 million children were estimated to have been affected by cyber ransom threats, and took an average of two to nine months to recover from the incidents.

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Former DOE Official Cheryl Ingstad to Lead DOD’s National Security Innovation Network
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Former DOE Official Cheryl Ingstad to Lead DOD’s National Security Innovation Network

Cheryl Ingstad, former director of the Department of Energy’s Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office, has been instated as managing director of the Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network.

Ingstad will manage the Pentagon’s partnerships with academia, entrepreneurial innovators and venture communities that are aimed at developing new national security technologies, NSIN said Monday.

At DOE, Ingstad oversaw the development of the department’s AI strategy and directed the coordination of AI best practices for various applications such as climate change and disaster response and management.

Ingstad will also draw on two decades of experience leading research and development efforts for corporate and defense organizations in her new role.

“NSIN is a key driver in propagating our defense innovation priorities across the country. Cheryl’s background and passion make her uniquely well positioned to lead this organization and I look forward to working with her to chart the course for the future of NSIN,” said Heidi Shyu, undersecretary for research and engineering at the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner. Shyu swore Ingstad in at her Nov. 9 confirmation ceremony.

“Cheryl brings critical public and private sector leadership experience working at the intersection of national security and breakthrough technologies with nontraditional problem solvers,” commented Mike Madsen, acting director of the Defense Innovation Unit and a previous Wash100 awardee.

Over the next three months, Ingstad will meet with NSIN network partners throughout the U.S., beginning in the Northwest this week.

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7 DOD Components Get Unmodified Opinions in Departmentwide Financial Audit; Mike McCord Quoted
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7 DOD Components Get Unmodified Opinions in Departmentwide Financial Audit; Mike McCord Quoted

The Department of Defense completed its fifth annual financial audit and reported that seven component agencies sustained unmodified opinions and one secured a qualified audit opinion.

DOD News reported those seven components that received clean audits in fiscal 2022 are the Military Retirement Fund; Defense Commissary Agency; Defense Contract Audit Agency; Defense Finance and Accounting Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Civil Works; National Reconnaissance Office; and the Defense Health Agency-Contract Resource Management.

The Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund got a qualified opinion in the audit.

“The results of the fifth annual DOD-wide financial audit will be a disclaimer of opinion for DOD as a whole,” said Mike McCord, undersecretary of defense (comptroller)/chief financial officer.

“This is the same as last year and … not unexpected. We did expect this disclaimer, but we will also sustain all of our prior year positive opinions, which cover approximately 39 percent of our assets,” added McCord, a previous Wash100 awardee.

According to the audit, DOD is advancing the use of robotic process automation to help financial managers reduce manual tasks while enabling them to focus on more complex efforts.

As of October, the Pentagon has fielded 607 bots. Of those bots, 54 percent helped support financial management processes while 20 percent focused on audit response and compliance.

The department also cited improved business operations in its annual audit. For instance, the U.S. Air Force rectified historical variances worth about $5.2 billion on its accumulated depreciation general ledger accounts and equipment.

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Booz Allen Launches the Helix Center for Innovation to Showcase Technology; Susan Penfield Quoted
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Booz Allen Launches the Helix Center for Innovation to Showcase Technology; Susan Penfield Quoted

Booz Allen Hamilton has opened a new space within the organization’s Washington, D.C. facility dedicated to showcasing its technology through a variety of methods.

The 9,422-square-foot Helix Center for Innovation includes over 30 demonstrations and activities to immerse clients in Booz Allen’s products, the McLean, Virginia-based company announced on Wednesday.

“The world is being transformed by the rise of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cyber, 5G, quantum, edge computing, and so many more. The Helix is the physical manifestation of our company’s VoLT (velocity, leadership, technology) growth strategy—leveraging emerging technology to speed solutioning against our clients’ most challenging mission needs,” said Booz Allen CTO and three-time Wash100 Award winner Susan Penfield.

Combining tangible and virtual elements, the space offers simulations, product and capability demonstrations, hands-on activations and interactive environments.

These include the AI Adoption Studio, which gamifies the end-to-end AI lifecycle, the Storytelling Rotunda, a 220 degree, floor-to ceiling screen that visualizes the potential of numerous technologies and the Digital Library, which allows clients to search through over 100 pieces of media focused on Booz Allen’s technology, values and people.

Initial, rotating demonstrations feature various technologies and highlights their uses. A simulated Special Missions event in the Digital Battlespace demonstrates how modern hardware and partner technologies combine to support informed military decision-making. Booz Allen’s AI factory, aiSSEMBLE is also presented to show how crucial technical enablers can accelerate AI projects and scale client services. Additionally, 5G gamification will be used to explain technology developed in the organization’s new 5G lab and its role in current mission challenges.

“The Helix is purposefully designed to explore the art of the possible while demystifying how emerging technologies can be applied to the U.S. government’s current and future challenges,” said Melissa Lazarofsky, director of the Helix.

She also noted the center’s goal of making technology more accessible and understandable for Booz Allen’s clients.

The Helix’s establishment follows multiple achievements for the organization this year, one of which was the launch of BrightLabs, which incubates, prototypes and stress-tests Booz Allen’s technology for enterprise integration.

Additionally, the company formed Booz Allen Ventures, a corporate venture capital department committed to investing in strategic dual-use, commercial technologies to support federal clients. The new division has already invested in Latent AI, Synthetaic and Reveal Technology, which will be showcased in the Helix.

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Christopher Wray: FBI Has National Security Concerns Over TikTok
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Christopher Wray: FBI Has National Security Concerns Over TikTok

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Chinese government could potentially exploit social media platform TikTok to gain control over the collection of users’ information, The Record reported Tuesday.

“We do have national security concerns from the FBI’s end about TikTok,” Wray said in response to a question by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on global threats Tuesday.

“They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so choose, or to control software on millions of devices which gives the opportunity to potentially technically compromise personal devices,” he added.

The Department of the Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is conducting a review of TikTok over national security issues as the video app negotiates to continue its operations in the U.S. Wray said the bureau’s foreign investment unit is collaborating with CFIUS on the review.

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a previous Wash100 awardee, and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid joined Wray during the hearing. Mayorkas fielded questions from lawmakers over cybersecurity.

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Multi-lab Survey Led By Sandia Finds Cybersecurity Flaws in EV Charging
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Multi-lab Survey Led By Sandia Finds Cybersecurity Flaws in EV Charging

A team of researchers led by Sandia National Laboratories found various vulnerabilities in electric vehicle charging that could be exploited by hackers and other cyber threats.

Sandia said Tuesday that it collaborated with national laboratories including Argonne, Idaho, Pacific Northwest and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to conduct the four-year survey.

Security flaws in EV charging ranged from simple credit card hacking during payments to possible interference in grid operations, according to the survey. It showed that not all EV chargers are equipped with firewalls to protect users’ private information and reflected that some of them were easy to corrupt with malicious firmware updates.

To address the weaknesses, the team published recommended solutions such as employing plug-and-charge public key infrastructure to enhance EV owner authentication. They also created a best practices document and started developing a platform that uses cyber-physical data to shield EV charging infrastructure from attacks.

“By conducting this survey … we can prioritize recommendations to policymakers and notify them of what security improvements are needed by the industry,” said Jay Johnson, electrical engineer at Sandia and one of the study’s researchers. He stated that organization hopes the review encourages states to tighten their implementation of physical and virtual security strategies, and “help the federal government standardize best practices and mandate minimum security levels for electric vehicle chargers in the future.”

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Oak Ridge National Lab Licenses Li-ion Battery Additive to Venture-Backed Startup
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Oak Ridge National Lab Licenses Li-ion Battery Additive to Venture-Backed Startup

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has granted Safire Technology Group exclusive rights to commercialize a lithium-ion battery safety additive developed at the Department of Energy-funded research institution.

ORNL invented the SAFe Impact Resistant Electrolyte, which Safire intends to market for use in electric vehicles, and authorized access to five patents for the technology under a licensing deal, the venture-backed company said Tuesday.

The additive works to solidify liquid electrolytes upon kinetic impact and avert fire and explosion in the event of an EV crash. It is designed for ground as well as vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and other electric-powered defense equipment.

A team of ORNL researchers produced the technology in collaboration with the University of Rochester using funds from the laboratory and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.

The government-backed development project and a Fedtech-sponsored commercialization initiative led to the formation of Safire.

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