Federal Announcements

STARBASE Arizona, a War Department educational program, celebrated 20 years of STEAM education outreach at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Jan. 7, recognizing two decades of service connecting students with science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs.

The warfare center's Innovation Lab strengthens readiness across the command. Employees can design, build and test ideas sooner, which helps deliver capability to the warfighter faster.

The warfare center operates two innovation labs, one at China Lake, and one at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. Both sites offer the same equipment and training, and employees can use either location. Shared access reduces wait times and helps teams working across both installations keep projects moving

The flag symbolizing the Army's new U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command was made in two weeks by two embroiderers assigned to Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, just in time for an activation ceremony held Dec. 5 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announces a joint $700 million conditional loan commitment with Vulcan Elements ("Vulcan") and ReElement Technologies ("ReElement") to increase domestic Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnet production and significantly bolster U.S. critical minerals supply chains.

The Department of War announced today a $29.9 million a Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III award to ElementUS Minerals, LLC (ElementUSA). ElementUSA will use this award to enable the development of a demonstration facility in Gramercy, Louisiana to separate and purify gallium and scandium from existing industrial waste. The company will also conduct initial development work at their Critical Resource Accelerator in Cedar Park, Texas.

The Department of War announced two Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III awards totaling $33.5 million to expand the solid rocket motor (SRM) industrial base. The awardees are Americarb. Inc. (Americarb) in Niagara Falls, New York and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) in Lincoln, Nebraska. These awards support the agency's objectives to expand the munitions industrial base, bolster supply chain resiliency, and increase domestic production in strategic priority areas.

The Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have outlined in a joint memorandum five Research and Development (R&D) budget priorities for FY2027 to ensure that America maintains its position as the leader in critical and emerging technologies, including AI and quantum information science and technology (S&T). Additional priorities aim to strengthen and uphold America’s leadership in energy, national security, health, biotechnology, and space.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has awarded $1.1 million in grants to three applicant organizations that will provide training and technical assistance to support small manufacturers in the SBA’s Empower to Grow (E2G) Program. These qualified awardees will deliver regional support to small manufacturers in critical industries, in support of the agency’s Made in America Manufacturing Initiative to restore American jobs, industry, and national security.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is requesting information on existing research or new concepts related to the development of technical solutions that bolster the domestic manufacturing workforce.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.5 million grant to North Baldwin Utilities in Bay Minette, Alabama, for water infrastructure upgrades to support a new aluminum manufacturing facility and create jobs in the region.