The U.S. intelligence community may acknowledge professional excellence by presenting employees or others with one of several monetary or honorary awards specified in a new Intelligence Community Directive (pdf).
“It is the policy of the DNI to recognize and honor all individuals and groups for distinguished service and/or exceptional contributions to the security of the U.S.; the development and execution of the U.S. National Intelligence Strategy and its various implementation plans; the integration and transformation of the IC, and/or the accomplishment of its mission;” and so forth.
Awards may range from certificates and “keepsakes” of no monetary value to large financial gifts. Amounts in excess of $25,000 must be approved by the President.
Covert personnel are not permitted to take possession of their awards.
Instead, “the IC element and/or the ODNI retain(s) the award when the individual is covert or a future covert assignment or affiliation is likely.”
Intelligence Community Directive 655, entitled “National Intelligence Awards Program,” was issued by Directive of National Intelligence Mike McConnell on May 23, 2007.
The Federation of American Scientists supports H.R. 471, the re-introduction of the Fix Our Forests Act.
As people become less able to distinguish between what is real and what is fake, it has become easier than ever to be misled by synthetic content, whether by accident or with malicious intent. This makes advancing alternative countermeasures, such as technical solutions, more vital than ever before.
Throughout this phase of work, there are many actions hiring managers and staffing specialists can take to streamline the process and improve the quality of eligible candidates. Most importantly, hiring managers and staffing specialists can collaborate within and across agencies to expedite and simplify the process.
The next administration should establish a Participatory Technology Assessment unit to ensure federal S&T decisions benefit society.