Ian Kalin, chief data officer of the Commerce Department, has said the new Commerce Data Service initiative seeks to apply the department’s data resources toward efforts to drive U.S. technological innovation and competitiveness. Kalin wrote in a blog entry posted Monday that Tyrone Grandison, formerly a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the Labor Department, …
Read More »GAO Seeks Final DOE, State Dept Strategies to Manage Unobligated Balances
The Government Accountability Office recommends the departments of Energy and State finalize their strategies to manage the unobligated balances in two separate accounts as part of GAO’s study into the use of public funds. GAO said in a report published Friday the unobligated balances for fiscal years 2012 to 2014 are in DOE’s Western Area Power Administration construction, rehabilitation, …
Read More »CompTIA Gets NIST Research Grant for Cyber Jobs Heat Map; Rodney Petersen Comments
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded the Computing Technology Industry Association a three-year grant to perform research and develop a tool that will help visualize the supply and demand of cybersecurity jobs in the country. CompTIA has received $249,000 in initial funding from NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity …
Read More »Michelle Lee: New USPTO Program Aims to Encourage Women to Pursue STEM Education
Michelle K. Lee, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has announced a USPTO initiative to encourage women to take courses and pursue careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Lee, who also serves as undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property, unveiled the All in STEM program at …
Read More »SBA Boosts Export Funding for Small Biz Nationwide; Maria Contreras-Sweet Comments
The Small Business Administration has pumped $17.4 million in funding into a program intended to help small businesses across the country increase their exports. Small businesses from several states received 40 awards through SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion program to compete in the global marketplace, SBA said Monday. “SBA’s …
Read More »DJ Patil: Federal Agencies Use Data to Transform Public Service
U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil on Wednesday released a memorandum to explain how the federal government uses data to address transparency, security and innovation issues for the general public benefit. “The only way to make sure the federal government is using data responsibly is to engage with the public …
Read More »Commerce Dept Adds 2 New Members, Reappoints 2 Others to FirstNet Board
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker has appointed Neil Cox, a technology executive in Illinois, and New York-based venture capitalist Edward Horowitz as new members of the First Responder Network Authority Board. The Department of Commerce said Wednesday that Pritzker also reappointed Kevin McGinnis, a Maine-based emergency medical services executive, and Houston …
Read More »NIST: Draft Report Calls for For More Gov’t Employee Help in Intl Cyber Standards
An interagency group has released a draft report advising the federal government to further involve government employees in the development of international standards on cybersecurity in an effort to protect data and communications systems from cyber threats. The Commerce Department and the National Institute of Standards and Technology leads the …
Read More »Ian Kalin: Commerce Dept Turns to Entrepreneurs for Tech Ideas
Ian Kalin, chief data officer of the U.S. Commerce Department, told Nextgov in an interview published Friday that the department hosts forums for technology startup companies to share their innovation strategies with the government sector. Kalin told Nextgov reporter Mohana Ravindranath he also wants to find out what kinds of government …
Read More »Commerce Dept’s Penny Pritzker Welcomes 28 New Officers for USFCS, USPTO
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker swore in 27 new officers for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service and one new intellectual property attache for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office during a ceremony last week. The Commerce Department said in an announcement posted Friday that 14 officers will work overseas, nine have received assignments at domestic …
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