SEP 7, 2022

DAU-AIRC Partnership Converges on Methods and Best Practices for Acquisition Workforce Development

AIRC is engaging university faculty to apply education best practices and methodological advances to needs and challenges identified by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). This is important for identifying and implementing innovative, improved workforce training offered by DAU while meeting the statutory requirements in 10 U.S. Code Section 1746a (codified in Section 801 of the FY2022 NDAA). 

In September, DAU reported to Congress on acquisition workforce educational partnerships. DAU credited AIRC with developing courses on artificial intelligence and machine learning for the DAU curriculum.  

“DAU could not have designed, developed, and delivered these two new courses for the acquisition workforce without AIRC’s expertise,” the report stated. 

DAU and AIRC are also launching a series of Quarterly Research Forums to provide a platform for AIRC researchers to present their findings. These forums, organized by David Gallop, Director, Acquisition Workforce Education Partnerships, DAU and Principal Investigator for the project, Kara Pepe, Director of Operations, SERC/AIRC, are designed to inform DAU faculty of relevant research within AIRC; engage academic experts on DAU’s strategic curricula initiatives and challenges, informing the assessment and modification of DAU curricula to enhance the capabilities of DAU; and provide AIRC researchers with feedback on their research efforts from practitioners and experts in the field.  

The first forum, scheduled for September 15, will be online and open to the public. The inaugural topics include innovative, data-enabled acquisition; systems engineering modernization; research questions from the field; and updated Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification framework and workforce development. 

Featured speakers at the first forum include Dr. Dinesh Verma (AIRC Executive Director), Dr. Dennis K. McBride (Director of AIRC in the Office of the Secretary of Defense), Mr. Tom McDermott (SERC/AIRC CTO), Dr. Philip S. Antón (AIRC Chief Scientist), Dr. Laura Freeman (Virginia Tech, AIRC Researcher). 

Attendees of the forum will receive a certificate to claim three Continuous Learning Points. To read speaker bios and more information on attending, visit the Quarterly Research Forum registration page.