DOD Research Chief Lays Out Priorities
BU IN DC
Anthony Janetos, director of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, attended a meeting of the Space Studies Board, of which he is a member, at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine from May 1 through 3.
DOD RESEARCH CHIEF LAYS OUT PRIORITIES
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on promoting innovation at the Department of Defense (DOD), Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin discussed his top technology and research priorities:
- Hypersonics: DOD is developing a hypersonics roadmap to be delivered in July that will consolidate current prototyping and research efforts.
- Directed Energy Laser Weapons: In particular, developing megawatt-class directed energy weapons in space for space defense.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Under Secretary Griffin is overseeing the creation of a Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, to be launched within the next six month, to coordinate AI efforts within the DOD and potentially across federal agencies.
Other focus areas the Under Secretary touched upon include trusted microelectronics, sensing and communications assets in space, and quantum science.
BUZZ BITS:
- The U.S. Senate confirmed Jon Parrish Peede as the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mr. Peede has been serving as the Endowment’s acting chair since May 2017.
- James “Lynn” Woodworth started work as the latest commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education. He was appointed to the position earlier this year.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office released a $19.5 million funding opportunity announcement through its Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) program. This annual solicitation seeks to advance a range of technology areas related to building efficiency. This year, DOE is emphasizing early-stage research across six topical areas: advanced separation technologies for building energy efficiency, advanced building materials, high-performance windows, novel approaches for cyber-physical systems in buildings, integration research of advanced commercial energy efficiency packages, and advancements in natural gas and other fuel-driven equipment. A webinar for BENEFIT will be held May 8, and concept papers are due June 8.