Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are building an automated, artificial intelligence-guided, robot-operated laboratory to speed up materials science discoveries. The laboratory, called the A-Lab, can process up to 100 times as many samples as humans can using AI. The facility can help scientists working on solar cells, fuel cells, thermoelectrics […]
The Department of Agriculture is establishing a fellowship-style digital services team within the Office of the Chief Information Office to modernize agency systems. Arianne Gallagher-Welcher is currently the only member of the USDA Digital Service. She was hired in December 2022 as its executive director in charge of forming the team. According to Gallagher-Welcher, a […]
The Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security plans to improve how it uses data to protect personnel and facilities. According to Diplomatic Security Chief Data Officer Rachel Wang, data sharing and data systems interoperability will enable more advanced analytics. She also called for a change in culture within the bureau so employees would realize […]
A new Office of Management and Budget memorandum sets a 30-day deadline for federal organizations to update telework plans aimed at transitioning employees back to in-person work. It also gives agencies 60 days to submit plans for customer-facing units and 90 days for senior leaders such as chief information and technology officers to assess their […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is asking small businesses to provide the agency with data and analysis on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and fabrication plants to properly evaluate businesses applying to receive funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. Under the law, NIST must allocate $50 billion in funding meant to strengthen the domestic […]
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have launched a new supercomputer that would tackle climate science research. The supercomputer, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Cray system that can deliver up to 10 petaflops of peak performance, is formally known as Gaea. It is also referred to as C5; it is the […]
The Department of Commerce has issued a notice of funding opportunity for the first round of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, which provides $1.5 billion to support the development of open-architecture approaches to communications networks. Financed by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the grant program is aimed at securing the wireless […]
Mukunda Penugonde has taken on the role of Technology Transformation Services deputy director at the General Services Administration. He joined TTS on April 10 after a stint as director of technical program management at Disney Streaming. As deputy director, Penugonde will oversee the implementation of strategic initiatives and the delivery of TTS products and services. […]
The Federal Communications Commission has established the Space Bureau, a standalone organization designed to oversee satellite regulations modernization. The organization is led by Julie Kearney, a law and policy veteran who recently served as a charter member at TechGC and the vice president of communications, regulatory affairs and policy at communications hardware provider Twilio. According […]
A new request for comment from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration would collect input from various commercial and academic stakeholders to ensure the trustworthiness of artificial intelligence. NTIA Administrator and Commerce Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson explained at a recent University of Pittsburgh event that the findings would inform the creation of […]
