Since the onset of COVID-19, the government and industry have expedited the development process of new technologies and offerings to remain competitive in the evolving landscape. Innovation units across the nation have focused on artificial intelligence, autonomy and robotics, to support data and networks.
During Potomac Officers Club’s 7th Annual Defense Research and Development (R&D) Summit, notable federal and industry leaders will meet to discuss the latest priorities across the R&D landscape.
Featuring Dr. Victoria Coleman, director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), as keynote speaker, the summit will also address advancements and challenges within the development and delivery of innovative solutions.
To register for the 7th Annual Defense R&D Summit, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page.
In August 2020, Coleman was appointed as the 22nd director of DARPA. An expert in artificial intelligence and microelectronics, Coleman served as a founding member of DARPA’s Microsystems Exploratory Council and a member of the Defense Science Board.
“During this era of great power competition, DARPA is critical to strengthening the U.S. military’s technological dominance and advancing innovations that benefit our warfighters,” said Michael Kratsios, acting under secretary of defense for Research and Engineering, and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, in regards to Coleman’s appointment.
Since joining the agency, Coleman has driven R&D and modernization efforts to prepare for the digital future. In Oct. 2020, DARPA’s Innovation Office issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) seeking information technology research topics that are not covered under current I2O projects.
The office has organized its programs into four thrust areas, namely proficient artificial intelligence; advantage in cyber operations; confidence in the information domain; and resilient, adaptable and secure systems.
According to the BAA notice, I2O may also consider ideas outside those categories if interested parties propose novel software‐based platforms that have the potential to help U.S. and allied forces gain a “decisive information advantage.”
The agency enacted another BAA in Nov. 2020 to identify potential sources of technologies and techniques to help the government combat disinformation campaigns.
DARPA said that the Influence Campaign Awareness and Sensemaking (INCAS) effort seeks to help analysts identify and track geopolitical influence campaigns that spread misinformation and false narratives through online channels.
According to the BAA, DARPA’s Information Innovation Office intends to use research proposals focused on digital marketing analysis tools and natural language processing to analyze audience demographics and generate predictions.
In addition to DARPA’s BAAs, the agency has also partnered with several organizations across the industry to support critical missions. Perspecta’s applied research unit was awarded a $5.1 million contract modification in Oct. 2020 to mature a radio-frequency management system for DARPA and demonstrate the technology on an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Perspecta Labs will perform Phase 3 activities for its RF resource manager system throughout a 21-month period as part of DARPA’s Converged Collaborative Elements for RF Task Operations program.
During Potomac Officers Club’s 7th Annual Defense Research and Development (R&D) Summit, Coleman will further address DARPA’s latest initiatives, industry partnerships and modernization efforts to maintain an advantage across the competitive tech landscape.
The summit will also feature Dr. Mark Lewis of the Department of Defense, Dr. Derek Tournear of the Space Development Agency (SDA) and RADM Lorin Selby of the U.S. Navy as keynote speakers.
Join Potomac Officers Club to learn about research and development within the defense sector as competition rises across emerging technologies. As new capabilities continue to influence every aspect of the GovCon and industry, top executives must stay ahead of the curve to defeat adversaries.
To register for the 7th Annual Defense R&D Summit, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page.
