Motivational Quote of the Week
"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved."— Mattie Stepanek
Technical Quote of the Week
“The most important thing in government collaboration is not the technology itself, but the trust and partnership that enables it to be deployed at speed and scale.” — Ellen Lord, former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (2017–2020)
Welcome
I’m Rashid Miraj, D.Sc., founder of Miraj Consulting LLC, working to bridge academia, primes, and government agencies via CRADAs, BAAs, and OTAs. This biweekly briefing curates Department of Defense (DoD) priorities, university breakthroughs, global tech watch, collaborative opportunities, upcoming events, and foundations for talent pipelines.
SBIR/STTR reauthorization advances: Senate unanimously passed S. 3971 on March 3, 2026, extending through September 30, 2031 (with reforms like strengthened due diligence and “strategic breakthrough” awards).
Bill received in House on March 4, 2026, and held at the desk (no further action yet; not enacted).
No confirmation of full reauthorization or resumption of solicitations/awards. Carryover of leftover FY2026 funds to 2027 is authorized if enacted.
Edition #4 continues our rotation through DoD’s six Critical Technology Areas (announced November 17, 2025 by USD(R&E) Emil Michael). We focus on Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI) — DoD's top CTA, driving an “AI-first” force for decision superiority via embedded AI in C2, autonomy, and operations.
Link to Edition #3 (BIO overview): https://www.mirajconsulting.com/p/miraj-tech-transition-pulse-3
Let’s accelerate America’s tech edge — together.
Please note shared URLs are current as of March 8, 2026; search site if moved.
Quick Wins This Week — AAI Edition
Join SOSSEC, NSIN, MTEC or similar (free/low-cost) consortium → access AAI-related OTA solicitations. SOSSEC: https://sossecinc.com/join
Reply with an email to [email protected] with your AAI-related research interest — I’ll connect you with early Talent Bridge opportunities.
1. What the Government Wants – DoD Priorities in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI)
The DoD has designated Applied Artificial Intelligence as its top Critical Technology Area. The aim is to create an “AI-first” organization for decision superiority. (CTA one-pager: https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CTA-One-Pager-Option-Nov2025.pdf).
Key DoD goals for AAI in 2026 include:
Embedding AI into command-and-control systems for intelligent workflows and operational efficiency.
Executing seven Pace-Setting Projects (PSPs) across warfighting, intelligence, and enterprise operations (detailed below).
Expanding AI compute infrastructure from data centers to tactical edges, with strict data access mandates.
Boost autonomous systems, decision support, predictive analytics, and barrier removal for wartime-speed adoption.
Expanded PSP Details (from January 9, 2026 AI Acceleration Strategy):
Warfighting: Swarm Forge (competitive mechanism pairing elite units with innovators for iterative testing/scaling of AI-enabled combat); Agent Network (AI agents for battle management/decision support, campaign to kill-chain); Ender's Foundry (accelerated AI simulation + feedback loops).
Intelligence: Open Arsenal (accelerating TechINT-to-capability pipeline, intel to weapons in hours); Project Grant (transforming deterrence to dynamic pressure with interpretable AI results).
Enterprise: GenAI.mil (secure department-wide generative AI access for personnel); Enterprise Agents (rapid playbook for secure AI agent deployment in workflows).
PSPs feature single leaders, aggressive timelines, monthly reporting, and rapid iteration—initial demos targeted within 6 months.
AAI is backed by $13.4 billion in FY2026 requests. Mr. Cameron Stanley is the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) for the Department of War (DoW). In this role, he leads the acceleration of DoW’s adoption of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to generate decision advantage.
AAI vs. Trusted AI Comparison: Previous CTAs included "Trusted AI" for assurance/safety/verification focus. AAI absorbs those elements but shifts emphasis to applied, operational deployment — rapid integration for real-world decision superiority and efficiency in contested environments, rather than foundational trust research alone.
AI Strategy Memo: https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/12/2003855671/-1/-1/0/ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-STRATEGY-FOR-THE-DEPARTMENT-OF-WAR.PDF
2. SBIR/STTR Status Update – Latest as of March 8, 2026
On March 3, 2026, the Senate unanimously passed S. 3971 (Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act) to reauthorize SBIR/STTR through September 30, 2031, with reforms like strengthened due diligence and new “strategic breakthrough” awards up to $30 million.
The bill is now in the House, where a previous 1-year extension (H.R. 5100) passed in 2025. If enacted, agencies can roll forward leftover FY2026 funds into 2027.
Programs remain lapsed since October 1, 2025 — no new solicitations or awards until full reauthorization.
Immediate Next Steps
Monitor House action on S. 3971:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3971Prepare for potential reauthorization by reviewing reforms and prep AAI-aligned proposals.
Bookmark these trackers and review weekly:
Send an email to [email protected] if you need a quick review of AAI-aligned alternatives.
3. What Universities Are Doing – Recent Breakthroughs in AAI
Universities are advancing AAI through new programs and initiatives:
University of Oklahoma: Launched accelerated bachelor’s degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence in January 2026.
https://www.ou.edu/news/articles/2026/university-of-oklahoma-to-launch-accelerated-bachelors-degree-in-applied-artificial-intelligenceUniversity of Minnesota: Launched AI Hub in March 2026 for statewide innovation, education, and partnerships.
https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/university-of-minnesota-launches-ai-hub-drive-statewide-innovation-education-and-publicUniversity of North Texas (UNT): Introduced undergraduate major in Artificial Intelligence in February 2026.
https://news.unt.edu/news-releases/unt-launches-new-ai-major-meet-surging-workforce-demandsGrand Valley State University (GVSU): Received $1 million federal grant for new AI consortium in February 2026.
https://www.gvsu.edu/news/gvsu-receives-1-million-federal-grant-for-new-ai-consortiumRice University Clusters (2025–2026): TRUST-AI for trustworthy AI, HAPI for human-centered physical AI.
https://kenkennedy.rice.edu/research-clusters-2025-2026Additional: Carnegie Mellon (DoD-aligned AI decision systems via autonomy labs); MIT CSAIL (ongoing DoD partnerships in resilient/edge AI).
These efforts emphasize ethical AI, interdisciplinary applications, and workforce preparation.
Case Study Spotlight
Rice University TRUST-AI Cluster — Developing trustworthy AI for high-stakes decision-making, with applications in defense operations (2025–2026).
Impact: Enhanced AAI reliability.
https://kenkennedy.rice.edu/research-clusters-2025-2026
4. Contractual Vehicles Bridging Them – Active Opportunities
Active or Recently Open Vehicles for Applied Artificial Intelligence Research (as of March 2026)
DEVCOM ARL Broad Agency Announcement (W911NF-23-S-0001) — Includes AAI topics (continuously open through 2027). https://arl.devcom.army.mil/opportunities/arl-baa/
AFRL AAI-focused BAAs — Active solicitations for edge AI, resilient systems, and decision support. https://www.afrl.af.mil/Technology-Transfer/
ONR AI-related BAAs — Multiple active calls under relevant codes. https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities
Logical Lab Partners for AAI Research:
DARPA I2O/STO (PSP alignment)
AFRL Information Directorate
Army CFTs (AI/ML-focused)
CDAO ecosystem
Specialized OTAs Actively Addressing AAI and frequently issuing AAI calls.
SOSSEC Consortium → https://sossecinc.com/
NSIN → https://www.nsin.us/
DIU → https://www.diu.mil/
AFWERX → https://afwerx.com/
Quick Recommendation:
Start with SOSSEC and AFWERX — strongest direct alignment with DoD AAI CTA PSPs and rapid prototyping.
5. Global Lens – Adversaries’ Advances in AAI
China — Massive state investment in intelligentized warfare, edge AI deployment, unmanned swarms, and civil-military fusion (PLA priority per 2025 reports). This includes AI applications for military decision-making processes (MDPW), wargaming, cyber operations, and autonomy, with aggressive MCF strategies leveraging academia and industry for dual-use advancements.
Key peer-reviewed references
Elsa B. Kania's 2017 paper "Battlefield Singularity: Artificial Intelligence, Military Revolution, and China’s Future Military Power" details PLA pursuits in AI for command decision-making, simulations, and autonomous unmanned systems under the "intelligentized warfare" paradigm. Battlefield-Singularity-November-2017.pdf
Similarly, Elsa B. Kania's 2020 Brookings analysis "AI weapons” in China's military innovation" explores autonomy in swarms and edge AI, highlighting MCF-driven R&D in robotic systems and precision-guided missiles.
Additional insights from Isaac Carrozza's 2026 article in the Journal of Contemporary China on "China and the Ethics of Military AI" emphasize CCP control over AI in wargaming and decision-support for cyber/electronic warfare.
Jinghan Zeng's 2021 ResearchGate publication "Artificial intelligence in China's revolution in military affairs" examines MCF integration for AI in multi-domain operations and training simulations.
Russia — Advancing AI for command and control (C2) and modeling in contested environments/domains, with emphasis on automated C2 architectures, unmanned systems integration, and AI as decision-support in high-intensity combat. These underscore U.S. urgency for AAI leadership.
Key peer-reviewed references:
Samuel Bendett's 2024 CNAS report "The Role of AI in Russia's Confrontation with the West" discusses AI in C4ISR for UAVs, data analysis, and intellectualized warfare evolution, with humans retained in decision loops for contested domains.
The 2025 arXiv paper "Digital Sovereignty Control Framework for Military AI-based Cyber Security Applications" analyzes Russian datasets for AI in cyber defense, agent-based modeling, and C2 network topologies in contested environments.
James Johnson's 2022 article in the Journal of Military Ethics "The AI Commander Problem" explores ethical/political aspects of AI in Russian C2 for modeling and decision-making in digitized warfare.
Additionally, a 2021 DTIC report "Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Command and Control (C2) of Multi-Domain Operations" includes Russian influences on AI for high-speed MDO decision-making in contested settings.
CSIS's 2026 analysis "How Russia Is Reshaping Command and Control for AI-Enabled Warfare" details tactical AI shifts for unmanned systems and sensor fusion in contested domains, assessing maturity at TRL 6–9.
These developments underscore the strategic urgency for U.S. leadership in AAI.
6. STEM Talent Bridge & Diversity Hires
AAI requires interdisciplinary talent (AI engineers, data scientists, ethicists, human-AI teaming experts). Our Talent Bridge initiative develops pipelines from HBCUs, MSIs, veterans, and first-gen students to meet DoD’s AAI workforce needs.
Professional Societies Related to Applied Artificial Intelligence
AAAI (Association for the Advancement of AI): https://aaai.org/
Leading College Programs:
Carnegie Mellon AI
MIT CSAIL
Stanford AI Lab
UC Berkeley BAIR
Georgia Tech ML
2026 Opportunities
NSBE 2026 Convention (March 18–22, Baltimore)
SHPE 2026 Convention (Oct 28–31, Indianapolis)
SACNAS CareerCon 2026 (April 7–9, virtual)
Reply to this email, [email protected], to start matching talent.
7. Upcoming Events & Conferences – Register This Week
March onward: Monitor CDAO/AI industry days and PSP progress updates (potential virtual/in-person).
AFCEA events (ongoing AI tracks)
AAI-related: Watch DARPA/AFRL spring 2026 AI acceleration events (watch for PSP demos, barrier removal sessions).
8. Next Edition
Edition #5 (late March 2026) will focus on LOG — DoD’s push for Contested Logistics Technologies in denied environments.
Rashid Miraj, D.Sc. | Miraj Consulting LLC | [email protected] |
@MirajConsult | www.linkedin.com/in/rashid-miraj | 571-201-7594
Verification Links (as of March 8, 2026)
CTA Overview: https://www.cto.mil/cta