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Ram Iyer on AI as Part of FDA’s Data Strategy
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Ram Iyer on AI as Part of FDA’s Data Strategy

Ram Iyer, chief data officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said FDA embeds artificial intelligence into its overall data strategy as the agency sees opportunities to use AI and data in its core operations.

Iyer told Beena Ammanath, executive director of the Deloitte AI Institute, in an interview published Wednesday on The Wall Street Journal about the factors FDA considers when it comes to building an AI-ready workforce.

“When it comes to developing an AI-ready workforce, we want people who keep user needs in front of the design, not as an afterthought. We will even train people on how to ask good questions,” Iyer said.

He also highlighted the importance of establishing trust and emphasizing ease of use when it comes to AI.

“AI relies on the readiness of data, the feature selection, the user experience, and the operationalization of the entire function. Keeping these factors in mind, at the FDA we run experiments and constantly improve,” he noted.

Iyer also discussed the agency’s Data Modernization Action Plan and its three pillars: driver projects, data practices and the right talent.

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Amentum Selected for GSA’s ASTRO IDIQ; CEO John Vollmer Quoted
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Amentum Selected for GSA’s ASTRO IDIQ; CEO John Vollmer Quoted

Amentum, a leading federal defense contractor, announced Wednesday that the company has been selected for nine pools on the General Service Administration’s multiagency, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity ASTRO contract to provide mission support for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

“We look forward to offering our technological services to help maintain and sustain our nation’s manned, unmanned, and optionally manned systems,” said Amentum CEO and six-time Wash100 Award recipient, John Vollmer. 

The ASTRO IDIQ is a master contract umbrella consisting of individual, multiple-award IDIQ contracts, or pools, administered through GSA, covering a scope of products and services focused on the development, integration, operation, maintenance and support of various platforms including unmanned systems and robotics.

Under the potential ten-year, multi-billion dollar IDIQ contract, Amentum’s work will span nine ASTRO pools including Data Operations, Mission Operations, Aviation, Ground, Space, Maritime, Development and Systems Integration, Support and Training. 

Amentum’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth, Ron Hahn, commented, “Amentum’s extensive experience in robotics and unmanned vehicles combined with our expertise in data operations, systems integration, training, and systems modernization/sustainment make ASTRO a perfect fit for us to continue to support the warfighter.”

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Marine Corps Focuses on Anti-Ship Missile Capability
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Marine Corps Focuses on Anti-Ship Missile Capability

The U.S. Marine Corps now prioritizes completing its ground-based, anti-ship missile system in alignment with the Commandant’s Planning Guidance and USMC's Force Design 2030.

The service said Tuesday its medium-range missile battery can support the naval expeditionary force when integrated with maritime sensors and communication networks, through the Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS).

NMESIS is an anti-ship missile technology that meets USMC's requirements for ground-based anti-ship missiles.

Fraser said medium-range missile batteries under Marine littoral regiments will use NMESIS. Marines at California-based Camp Pendleton will receive NMESIS assets in October.

USMC expects to equip a Marine littoral regiment with initial operational NMESIS launchers for fielding by the end of 2023.

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AFRL Opens New Wargaming, Simulation Laboratory at Kirtland AFB; Col. Eric Felt Quoted
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AFRL Opens New Wargaming, Simulation Laboratory at Kirtland AFB; Col. Eric Felt Quoted

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has broken ground on its new Wargaming and Advanced Research Simulation (WARS) Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. 

AFRL said the over 10,600-square-foot laboratory will starting housing analysis, wargaming and simulation efforts for its organizations focused on directed energy technologies and space vehicles in the spring of 2023.

The Directed Energy Directorate will occupy an auditorium with over 90 workstations at the WARS facility to work on directed energy applications with air and space warfighters and various Department of Defense agencies, according to Teresa LeGalley, a program manager within the organization.

Meanwhile, the Space Vehicle Directorate will perform modeling and simulation of future space technologies at a 450-square-foot area in the laboratory.

“This lab will promote the use of digital engineering, saving time and money, and will provide the opportunity for partnerships within AFRL, with industry and our allies,” said Col. Eric Felt, head of the Space Vehicles Directorate.

WARS will replace the original facility that has been hosting analysis and simulation work since 2005.

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Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel Names Leaders, Members of New Communications Council
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Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel Names Leaders, Members of New Communications Council

Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has appointed members of a reestablished group that will recommend ways to bolster 5G security. 

Billy Bob Brown, executive assistant director for emergency communications at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Nasrin Rezai, senior vice president and chief information security officer at Verizon Communications, co-chair the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, FCC said Tuesday.

“This collaboration with CISA, and with the additional government partners on the Council, will help advance a whole-of-government approach to security and ensure that the relevant federal expertise is informing policymaking at the FCC,” Rosenworcel said.

This reestablishment of CSRIC marks the council's eighth charter. CSRIC will inform FCC's policy and efforts with regard to the security, reliability and interoperability of U.S. communications networks.

The full list of CSRIC's new members can be found here. If you want to learn more about the government's and industry's interests in 5G, check out the Potomac Officers Club's 5G Summit on Thursday. Register here.

Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel Names Leaders, Members of New Communications Council

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Maj. Gen. Michael Langley Nominated as Marine Corps Forces Commander
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Maj. Gen. Michael Langley Nominated as Marine Corps Forces Commander

Maj. Gen. Michael Langley, deputy commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, has been nominated by President Biden as the commander of the service branch.

Langley, one of the only six Black generals in the U.S. Marine Corps, will also be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in line with the nomination, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

He will also continue to serve as the commanding general of the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic and commander of the Marine Forces Northern Command, Norfolk, Virginia.

Hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, Langley joined the Platoon Leaders Course program in 1982 and was commissioned as second lieutenant by 1985.

He previously served as deputy executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, director for strategy, plans and policy, J-5 at the U.S. Central Command and assistant deputy commandant at the Marine Corps Office of Programs and Resources.

He also worked as the deputy commanding general of the II Marine Expeditionary Force and commanding general of the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

The well-decorated general attended various institutions that include The Basic School, Officer Basic Artillery School, Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff Course, Naval War College and the Army War College.

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VA Working on 5G, Augmented Reality-Enabled X-Ray Vision for Doctors; Thomas Osborne Quoted
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VA Working on 5G, Augmented Reality-Enabled X-Ray Vision for Doctors; Thomas Osborne Quoted

The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) healthcare innovation office is eyeing the use of wireless 5G and augmented reality (AR) to enable the superimposition of medical imaging on patients, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

Thomas Osborne, National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) director, explained that the goal is to provide doctors with an “X-ray vision” of their clients “for safer and more effective procedures."

According to the official, the proposed system, consisting of a cutting-edge AR headset, powerful imaging software and a 5G network, would open more opportunities for the medical world such as enabling professionals to better understand the health of a sick person.

“There’s an opportunity for us to have safer, more effective procedures because we can go in and find the safest path without having to worry about hitting things that you don’t want to hit like vessels and nerves and going to the most precise and efficient way,” explained Osborne.

He also noted that using 5G, rather than the traditional wired or 4G wireless infrastructure, would allow for data transmission and processing at speeds where doctors could make a real-time clinical decision. 

“And the more elements you bring into that system, the better you are empowered to come up with the most precise action actionable and personalized care,” added the director.

Despite the 5G AR system remaining a goal for real-world use, Osborne shared that the NCCHI has already performed the “X-ray” vision the technology promises in a laboratory setting.

The “X-ray” effort is just one of many under the center's Project Convergence, which aims at using 5G to improve veterans' healthcare.

VA Working on 5G, Augmented Reality-Enabled X-Ray Vision for Doctors; Thomas Osborne Quoted

On Thursday, Sept. 16th, Potomac Officers Club will host its Fall 2021 5G Summit to provide some of the brightest technology experts with the opportunity to discuss the current set of challenges in the 5G journey as the federal government continues to expand its 5G exploration to create a new network of technologies that can be used to support critical missions.

Visit PotomacOfficersClub.com to register for the platform’s 5G Summit on Sept. 16th to learn more about the impact 5G integration has on the private and public sectors, as well as future programs, plans and priorities as the nation aligns with emerging technology.

Thank you for your continued support of the Potomac Officers Club and we hope to see you at the 5G Summit on Sept. 16th. 

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State Department, FDIC Working on New User Technologies Using Novel Approaches; Keith Jones Quoted
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State Department, FDIC Working on New User Technologies Using Novel Approaches; Keith Jones Quoted

The State Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) have adopted new approaches to securing modern technologies to fit their personnel's needs, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

State Chief Information Officer Keith Jones shared an ongoing customer-centric multicloud platform for DevSecOps where users across his agency could develop mission-specific tools and skills without worrying about overstepping their authorities.

“[It] provides them the flexibility to address the unique requirements, because each post, each embassy are all doing something different,” said Jones.

Meanwhile, FDIC CIO Sylvia Burns pointed out that her organization has tapped into the industry to speed up the development of tools for improved financial data analysis.

As part of FDIC's new approach, Novantas, Palantir, PeerIQ and S&P Global Intelligence Market received $200,000 to rapidly produce a prototype financial technology that the technology could select for production in the future.

“We are turning the tables around by going out to industry and basically asking them to propose solutions around issues we have,” noted Burns.

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Christine Michienzi: DOD Continues CMMC Review; Encourages Industry to Continue Prep Work
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Christine Michienzi: DOD Continues CMMC Review; Encourages Industry to Continue Prep Work

Christine Michienzi, chief technology officer under the deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy, said the government continues to review mechanisms of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, FCW reported Tuesday.

She said Monday at the Intelligence and National Security Summit that the defense industry should continue efforts to align with CMMC despite upcoming program changes that may result from the ongoing review.

The National Security Alliance hosted the event, where Michienzi chatted with Ellen Lord, former DOD acquisition chief and four-time Wash100 Award winner.

CMMC serves as the Department of Defense's new effort to standardize cybersecurity controls of the defense industrial base.

Michienzi said DOD would appreciate industry input and feedback as the Pentagon finalizes programmatic changes.

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Dovel Subsidiary, Medical Science & Computing Wins Spot on $3.6B NIH IDIQ; Damon Griggs Quoted
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Dovel Subsidiary, Medical Science & Computing Wins Spot on $3.6B NIH IDIQ; Damon Griggs Quoted

Medical Science & Computing (MSC), a subsidiary of Dovel Technologies, has won one of five spots on a potential five-year, $3.6 billion Scientific, Operations, and Administrative Resources (SOAR) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dovel announced Wednesday.

“We look forward to leveraging our deep subject matter expertise and combining it with our advanced technologies to support the SOAR program as well as make a positive impact for society,” said Dovel CEO, Damon Griggs.

In addition, Griggs noted that this new contract continues Dovel’s long-standing relationship with NIH. The award marks the Dovel subsidiary’s second NIH SOAR contract this year.

MSC will be contracted to provide support in a range of activities that span new and ongoing research, program deployment and implementation and other support necessary for NIH’s biomedical research program.

Anna Koroleva, senior vice president of Life Sciences at MSC, said, “Our team of scientists, analysts, technicians, engineers, and more are ready and excited to further support the advancement of scientific research and development.”

The IDIQ contract has over 300 labor categories available and will allow all 27 NIH Institutes and Centers to procure professional services in key areas including clinical, basic and translational scientific research, professional administration and facility operations.

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