The U.S. Digital Service recently launched a hiring announcement for data scientists across 10 agencies, and in less than 48 hours, the 500-applicant limit was reached. Using what it calls an SME Qualification Assessment (SMEQA) pilot, USDS hopes to prove that the federal government can hire tech talent similar to how companies do in the private sector, with short resumes and interviews conducted by subject matter experts. Now subject matter experts and human resources specialists will set about assessing whether each applicant qualifies for one of the 63 openings between the agencies. Dave Nyczepir takes you inside.

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New cybersecurity coordinators will bridge feds to states, senator says

Sen. Maggie Hassan said that improving cyber defenses begins with "supercharging" the relationship between federal, state and local governments. Ben Freed has the latest.

The pandemic isn’t the only thing pushing CIOs to modernize IT

The pandemic has been a major driver of federal IT modernization. But according to CIOs, it's not the only thing generating the need for modern technologies. The Professional Services Council and one of its members, Attain, surveyed 11 federal CIOs or their deputies and one chief information security officer — finding that workforce gaps and existing technology debt are also driving them to modernize. Dave has this one too.

Telepresence robots help nursing students train remotely

Finding a way to safely train nursing students is one of many educational tasks made more difficult by the pandemic, but a new program using robots at the University of Texas at Arlington may prove a viable alternative to in-person training. The university announced this week that through a recent nursing innovation grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board it will expand its fleet of “telepresence robots” to assist nursing students who are training remotely. The robots, which are essentially tablets on wheels, allow remote users to navigate a clinical environment and meet with patients. Collin Wood has more.

Job of the Day

CIO |CISA

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for complying with policies and procedures set forth by the DHS CIO, which include activities such as IT strategic planning, architecture, capital planning and investment control for IT investments, and participation in DHS and CISA governance bodies. The incumbent is also responsible for reviewing and approving IT within acquisition programs in coordination with DHS, implementation of statutory requirements such as FITARA, and compliance with OMB policy such as Improving the Acquisition and Management of Common IT to name a few. The CIO aligns IT objectives and programs with Agency strategy, ensuring a steady-state IT operations environment. Strategic level responsibilities include: development and monitoring of business performance criteria and service levels; contingency planning and support for business continuity; logistics for hardware and software assets; and long-range planning for the sustained growth of a modern IT business enterprise. The CIO works hand in hand with peer executives responsible for setting the technology strategy of the Agency (Chief Technology Officer) and ensuring the security of the IT systems of the Agency (Chief Information Security Officer). See this job and more.