Federal Drive with Tom Temin

You might not realize the extent of the federal government's network of laboratories. They fund or conduct research is nearly every domain, and help make sure the results find their way into the market. John Eisemann is the new vice chair of the Federal Laboratory Consortium, and in his day job a technology transfer program manager at the USDA National Wildlife Research Center. He spoke with the Federal Drive's Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 97% of employees at the Farm Credit Administration gave the agency high marks for its COVID-19 responses over the last year, the most of any large, medium or small federal organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Navy’s $223 million contract with CGI for a new contract writing system is at risk of collapse. The service says problems ranging from vendor performance to implementing an unsatisfactory and inflexible product to significant cost and schedule increases are plaguing the effort.The Army has a similar project with CGI that's not much better off. FNN's Jason Miller discussed his exclusive reporting with the Federal Drive's Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FNN's DoD reporter Scott Maucione talks with the Federal Drive's Tom Temin about: - How often the Defense Department asks for a shift in funds? - What stands out in this request? - Is anything new being funded in this request? - What will happen if DoD doesn’t get this to go through? - What are its chances for success or failure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Appropriations for 2022 are occupying a House that this week is devoted to committee work, while the Senate has a fresh rafter of nominations to consider. Federal Drive's Tom Temin gets a look at the week ahead, as he talks with Bloomberg Government editorial director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Navy recently conferred a civilian service achievement medal on an engineer at the Electro-Optic Technology Division of its Naval Surface Warfare Center. Phillip Smith was cited for the quality of technical review processes and for maintaining that quality during the pandemic. Philip Smith talked with the Federal Drive's Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might not think of the National Security Agency as a federal laboratory that does technology transfer. But it is. And it does. And now its technology transfer program director is the new chairwoman of the Federal Laboratory Consortium. Federal Drive's Tom Temin talked with Linda Burger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GSA auctions act as the government's clearinghouse for surplus assets and equipment, even when those assets are intangible. Recently GSA auctioneers disposed of eleven lots of cryptocurrency. It had an estimated value of $377,000. For details, Federal News Network's Jonathan Tercasio spoke with the Regional Commissioner for GSA's federal acquisition service, Thomas Meiron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The more complex and in-demand online federal services become, the more difficult it is to offer both good customer experience and good security. A study commissioned by Transunion points up the need for agencies to up their game here. The Federal Drive got more now from Transunion's senior director of public sector identity, Stuart Levy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The technology industry is rooting for a bill the Senate passed earlier this year. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act authorizes $110 billion over five years to fund research in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and related technologies. For why at least one sector like the bill, we turn to the president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, Jason Oxman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden administration officials express hope they'll never again have to measure, on the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, how agencies responded to a global pandemic. But there's one agency that earned a near-perfect score on its COVID-19 response efforts. 97% of employees at the Farm Credit Administration say they're satisfied with how the agency supported their physical and mental well-being during the pandemic. That's the highest score of any agency of any size on the 2020 Best Places to Work rankings. It even beat NASA. Vonda Bell is FCA's chief human capital officer. Glen Smith is chairman. They tell Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko, what they attribute the high scores to in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Geospatial Agency is building tighter relationships with commercial space companies by using the same kind of legal agreement you enter into when you leave your car in a paid lot. So-called “bailment agreements” give NGA a chance to test a company’s product and provide some feedback. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday spoke with NGA’s Director of Commercial and Business Operations, Dave Gauthier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Defense Information Systems Agency sought a new satellite services acquisition on behalf of the Navy, it included a spreadsheet so bidders could fill in their prices. But the spreadsheet included the prices from the current contract, which were supposed to be inaccessible. Uh oh. For how things turned out, Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since there have been building fires, firefighters have had to worry about the dangerous phenomenon known as flashover. Now researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed an artificial intelligence tool that promises help in predicting flashover. Joining the Federal Drive with more, NIST mechanical engineer Dr. Andy Tam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People sometimes overlook the T in USPTO. But trademarks are an important enabler of fair and open commerce. In fact, during the pandemic, applications to the office of trademarks, part of the Commerce Department's Patent and Trademark Office, exploded over the last year. For details and how they're coping, the Commissioner for Trademarks, David Gooder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices