FedScoop

09/05/2024

During the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, Clare Martorana said that the CFO Act agencies are in the “high 90% range” for zero-trust implementation.

During the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, Clare Martorana said that the CFO Act agencies are in the “high 90% range” for zero-trust implementation.

09/05/2024

The Digital GI Bill platform that was set to be fully operational by April 2024 is now “severely” delayed and will cost double the original amount, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.

Insufficient planning on the part of the Veterans Benefits Administration is to blame for delays and $479 million in additional costs for the Digital GI Bill Platform, which aims to modernize access to relevant services while reducing costs and setbacks from legacy systems. The VA OIG found in its report that during the contract planning process, VBA did not identify required steps along the proper timeline or “establish achievable contract requirements.” Additionally, OIG found that VBA neglected to assign appropriately trained and experienced personnel to develop requirements for the platform. https://scoopmedia.co/3ZcYi3J

09/05/2024

The Department of Energy is awarding $125 million in new funds to a pair of Energy Innovation Hubs teams that will focus on battery research and energy storage technology, the agency said in an announcement Tuesday.

The first team, based out of the agency’s Argonne National Laboratory, is the Energy Storage Research Alliance. Known as ESRA, the hub will focus on compact batteries for heavy-duty transportation and energy storage grid technology solutions. The second team, the Aqueous Battery Consortium out of Stanford University, will focus on long-duration grid storage technologies and aqueous batteries. https://scoopmedia.co/4eeeMMX

09/05/2024

NOAA’s latest high-performance computing system that’s aimed at advancing prediction research in areas such as weather and climate will be supported by General Dynamics Information Technology, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

GDIT won $100 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to “support the installation of a modular data center unit which will house” the high-performance computer “Rhea,” according to an announcement from the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That computer, or HPC, will be located at NOAA’s Environmental Security Computing Center in Fairmont, W.Va. https://scoopmedia.co/3MAEUpI

09/05/2024

The request for information aims to make progress on the agency’s Maritime Port Resiliency and Security Research Testbed.

The request for information aims to make progress on the agency’s Maritime Port Resiliency and Security Research Testbed.

09/05/2024

The investment will help the NLRB replace its "outdated system" with a newer cloud-based solution, "dramatically improving the agency's ability to protect workers' rights and process labor disputes efficiently."

The investment will help the NLRB replace its "outdated system" with a newer cloud-based solution, "dramatically improving the agency's ability to protect workers' rights and process labor disputes efficiently."

09/05/2024

More than 140 groups, including immigrant and civil rights organizations, are raising concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s use of artificial intelligence, arguing in a letter sent to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday that the agency is violating federal rules on the technology.

The letter calls on DHS and many of its components to suspend several AI use cases, including systems deployed by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It comes as federal agencies face two upcoming deadlines related to their use of AI use case inventories, which are required by law and under Biden and Trump administration executive orders. https://scoopmedia.co/4ecerKN

09/05/2024

Commissioner Martin O’Malley says the move away from physical signatures is aimed at “eliminating as many paint points as possible.”

Commissioner Martin O’Malley says the move away from physical signatures is aimed at “eliminating as many paint points as possible.”

09/05/2024

For more than two decades, USA.gov has served as an entry point for users searching for information about the federal government, with several satellite sites existing in its orbit that provide other resources to the public. This month, that approach will begin to change — a move that has drawn mixed reactions from former government IT officials.

The most visible representation of this transition is the shuttering of Benefits.gov, whose responsibilities will be absorbed by USA.gov. Mark Forman, the former administrator of the White House Office of E-Government and IT, said he believes the change is “really a step backward.” https://scoopmedia.co/3B305xZ

09/05/2024

A long-gestating recommendation on how federal law enforcement agencies should test the performance of artificial intelligence tools before implementing them is ready for the White House after an advisory panel to the president on AI approved the final findings Wednesday.

The National AI Advisory Committee unanimously voted in favor of the findings presented in the Law Enforcement Subcommittee’s 24-page document on the field testing of AI tools, a move that followed approval earlier this summer of three recommendations regarding the practice. https://scoopmedia.co/47fnwQK

09/04/2024

A national AI advisory group voted in favor of findings and recommendations to require federal law enforcement agencies to follow a checklist when testing AI tools in the field.

A national AI advisory group voted in favor of findings and recommendations to require federal law enforcement agencies to follow a checklist when testing AI tools in the field.

09/04/2024

Coming off the release of long-awaited FedRAMP modernization guidance last month, the White House is now considering how to navigate its technology budgeting needs in a “rigorous and thoughtful way,” the federal government’s top IT official said Thursday.

Speaking during an Information Technology Industry Council event, Federal CIO Clare Martorana said the government’s task of building trust in different cloud packages is based on “the competency, the rigor and the discipline that an agency put into the work that they were doing.” But succeeding in that task requires congressional support. https://scoopmedia.co/4eaTY9q

09/04/2024

The National Labor Relations Board has named David Gaston, its assistant general counsel, as the agency’s new chief artificial intelligence officer.

The appointment, announced by the NLRB on Thursday, comes as federal agencies continue to select members of their leadership teams to head internal efforts with artificial intelligence — and also as major unions and labor groups seek to mitigate the impact of AI on their members’ work. https://scoopmedia.co/47gfqY1

09/04/2024

🚨 As the role of AI in national security becomes more crucial, understanding its impact and applications is essential. Join us at the Google Public Sector Summit on October 16 in Washington DC, where leading agency and industry experts will discuss the intersection of AI and security. Discover strategies to leverage AI effectively to enhance security measures.

Register today: https://hubs.li/Q02Jrqs50

Google Cloud

09/04/2024

Bills included in a bipartisan package of artificial intelligence legislation announced by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., last week would create a biomedical data exchange center in the federal government and require reporting by the financial services industry.

The package of five bills ranges from health to the financial services industry to defense, and includes co-sponsorship from Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who co-chairs the Senate AI Caucus with Rounds and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., among others. https://scoopmedia.co/3z6uDhN

09/04/2024

The Digital GI Bill platform that was set to be fully operational by April 2024 is now “severely” delayed and will cost double the original amount, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.

Insufficient planning on the part of the Veterans Benefits Administration is to blame for delays and $479 million in additional costs for the Digital GI Bill Platform, which aims to modernize access to relevant services while reducing costs and setbacks from legacy systems. The VA OIG found in its report that during the contract planning process, VBA did not identify required steps along the proper timeline or “establish achievable contract requirements.” Additionally, OIG found that VBA neglected to assign appropriately trained and experienced personnel to develop requirements for the platform. https://scoopmedia.co/3ARU1bP

09/04/2024

The Department of Energy is awarding $125 million in new funds to a pair of Energy Innovation Hubs teams that will focus on battery research and energy storage technology, the agency said in an announcement Tuesday.

The first team, based out of the agency’s Argonne National Laboratory, is the Energy Storage Research Alliance. Known as ESRA, the hub will focus on compact batteries for heavy-duty transportation and energy storage grid technology solutions. The second team, the Aqueous Battery Consortium out of Stanford University, will focus on long-duration grid storage technologies and aqueous batteries. https://scoopmedia.co/3MyNrcC

09/04/2024

As Benefits-dot-gov shutters, former federal IT officials weigh in on the coming government website migration.

As Benefits.gov shutters, former federal IT officials weigh in on the coming government website migration.

09/04/2024

NOAA’s latest high-performance computing system that’s aimed at advancing prediction research in areas such as weather and climate will be supported by General Dynamics Information Technology, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

GDIT won $100 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to “support the installation of a modular data center unit which will house” the high-performance computer “Rhea,” according to an announcement from the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That computer, or HPC, will be located at NOAA’s Environmental Security Computing Center in Fairmont, https://scoopmedia.co/3TkrZvN. https://scoopmedia.co/3z5NNo2

09/04/2024

More than 140 groups, including immigrant and civil rights organizations, are raising concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s use of artificial intelligence, arguing in a letter sent to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday that the agency is violating federal rules on the technology.

The letter calls on DHS and many of its components to suspend several AI use cases, including systems deployed by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It comes as federal agencies face two upcoming deadlines related to their use of AI use case inventories, which are required by law and under Biden and Trump administration executive orders. https://scoopmedia.co/4g8O4Hx

09/04/2024

The letter to the secretary from a collection of immigrant and civil rights organizations, unions and more comes ahead of upcoming deadlines for agencies related to their AI use case inventories.

The letter to the secretary from a collection of immigrant and civil rights organizations, unions and more comes ahead of upcoming deadlines for agencies related to their AI use case inventories.

09/03/2024

General Dynamics Information Technology will support a new NOAA high-performance computer that promises to advance weather, climate, ocean and ecosystem prediction research.

General Dynamics Information Technology will support a new NOAA high-performance computer that promises to advance weather, climate, ocean and ecosystem prediction research.

09/03/2024

The $125 million funding awards are meant to help develop battery technologies that use more abundant materials.

The $125 million funding awards are meant to help develop battery technologies that use more abundant materials.

09/03/2024

A platform meant to modernize digital services is now looking at $479 million in additional costs due to contracting renegotiations and additional challenges, the report finds.

A platform meant to modernize digital services is now looking at $479 million in additional costs due to contracting renegotiations and additional challenges, the report finds.

09/03/2024

A select group of applicants for the Supplemental Security Income program are months away from a more streamlined and simplified online experience, the Social Security Administration said Tuesday, part of a multi-pronged effort to ease the process for people with disabilities and older adults who have limited or no income.

The revamped application process will begin this year with the expansion of the agency’s iClaim benefits system into SSI, leveraging the fully online program to incorporate user testing, easy-to-understand questions, step-by-step transitions and pre-filled answers when applicable. https://scoopmedia.co/4cPjwHR

09/03/2024

When Gundeep Ahluwalia took the CIO role at the Department of Labor in 2016, technology modernization meant basic digital upgrades: delivering Wi-Fi for agency offices and putting laptops in the hands of employees.

But those fundamental IT improvements would set the stage for subsequent and more meaningful transformative efforts across the department, like artificial intelligence, customer experience, and robotic process automation. And now, as he’s departed that job nearly eight years later and ponders what’s ahead for Labor, Ahluwalia said it’s incumbent upon the department’s IT leadership to keep their foot on the modernization gas pedal, anticipating a national digital revolution that DOL must keep pace with and support. https://scoopmedia.co/3Z7MBLm

09/03/2024

The National Science Foundation on Wednesday announced a $75 million award to support the creation of five “biofoundries” at academic institutions in a move it says will provide advancements in research and greater access to the resources needed to conduct that work.

Those five biofoundries, which are each focused on an unique area of biology and biotechnology research, are aimed at advancing biological and other sciences as well as making the tools needed to conduct that research accessible to a wider array of people. The biofoundries, for example, will provide access to resources like knowledge bases and cutting-edge technology needed “to ensure all ideas reach their potential,” according to an NSF press release. Those resources will also be free of charge. https://scoopmedia.co/3Mz0BWY

09/03/2024

Two of the biggest artificial intelligence providers have signed agreements to formally collaborate with the U.S. AI Safety Institute on research, testing and evaluation of their models.

The agreements, known as memorandums of understanding, were announced Thursday by the AI Safety Institute, which called them “first-of-their-kind” government and industry partnerships. Under those agreements, the institute, which is housed at the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, will “receive access to major new models from each company prior to and following their public release” and collaborate with the companies on evaluation and risk mitigation, according to a news release. https://scoopmedia.co/3X6uXVX

09/03/2024

🚀 Voting is now open for the 2024 Awards! This is your opportunity to recognize the trailblazers in federal IT who have dedicated their careers to transforming public service. Your vote celebrates their achievements in innovation, leadership, and service to the nation.

See this year's nominee's and cast vote today: https://scoopmedia.co/3ZbdEFY

09/03/2024

Coming off the release of long-awaited FedRAMP modernization guidance last month, the White House is now considering how to navigate its technology budgeting needs in a “rigorous and thoughtful way,” the federal government’s top IT official said Thursday.

Speaking during an Information Technology Industry Council event, Federal CIO Clare Martorana said the government’s task of building trust in different cloud packages is based on “the competency, the rigor and the discipline that an agency put into the work that they were doing.” But succeeding in that task requires congressional support. https://scoopmedia.co/4dNITLs