The Department of Defense announced that Jeffrey David Singleton, U.S. principal member and head of delegation to the NATO Science and Technology Board, will serve as the United States’ representative to the Board of Directors for the NATO DIANA Initiative. Singleton’s appointment follows the election of Barbara McQuiston, the previous U.S. representative to NATO DIANA, as the initiative’s board chair.
The NATO DIANA Initiative will bring defense personnel together with the Alliance’s best and brightest start-ups, scientific researchers, and technology companies to solve critical defense and security challenges. Innovators participating in DIANA’s programs will receive access to its network of dozens of accelerator sites and test centers across more than 20 Allies.
“Jeff Singleton will be an exceptional addition to the NATO DIANA Board,” said Heidi Shyu, DoD Chief Technology Officer. “His background and experience in helping to drive science and technology cooperation with NATO partners is just what is needed to help DIANA succeed. Jeff also knows the US DoD, having served as a senior technology executive for the Army. I’m pleased with his selection and am sure he will continue to exceed expectations.”
Singleton’s extensive background in science and technology investigation and oversight spans more than three decades of fundamental research, advanced technology development. and acquisition. As the U.S. principal and head of delegation to the NATO Science and Technology Board, Singleton serves as the science and technology lead for the DoD strategy for NATO/international partnerships. In this role, he has led coordination for U.S. scientific efforts during the initial phase of COVID-19 response, identifying efforts to leverage and repurpose ongoing research, prototyping, and experimentation across the U.S. government. He also oversaw efforts to help incentivize the private sector through prize competitions and challenges to develop innovative solutions to complex COVID-19 problems.
Singleton also provided executive level oversight for the Army’s basic research, applied research and advanced technology development programs with a combined annual budget of more than $2.5 billion. He led the efforts to set standards for science and technology activities focused on armaments cooperation for Senior Collaboration Forum-Army efforts, including research activities and partnership agreements with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Israel. Singleton also led formulation of the first Army basic research workshop that included participation from futurists, Army operational schoolhouses, intelligence communities, academia, industry, and representatives from the internal DoD science and technology community.
“It is widely acknowledged that innovation depends on bringing together those from multiple disciplines and backgrounds to engage in collaborative projects that often yield unpredictable but highly productive results,” said Singleton. “We need people driven to be ‘catalysts for global impact’ – and we need to grow that population. By bringing together entrepreneurial academia, industry and government individuals from across NATO, DIANA will allow the NATO alliance and the U.S to greatly advance innovation efforts.”
Singleton will also continue to serve as the U.S. Principal Member and Head of Delegation to the NATO Science and Technology Board as well as the Army’s Director for Technology.
NATO announced the DIANA Initiative at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels on June 14, 2021. The Initiative’s goal is to enhance and accelerate trans-Atlantic cooperation on critical technologies, and help NATO work more closely with private-sector entities, academia and other non-governmental entities. DIANA will have main offices in both Europe and North America, and coordinate with existing test and innovation centers throughout NATO. The Initiative will also build and manage a network to help start-ups and non-traditional companies better support Alliance technology requirements. DIANA will focus on nine key emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, data, quantum-enabled technologies, autonomy, biotechnology, hypersonics, novel materials and manufacturing, energy and propulsion, and space. Selected innovators participating in DIANA may have the opportunity to be candidates for the NATO Innovation Fund. The NATO Innovation Fund will invest €1 billion into dual-use technology startups.
About the DoD Chief Technology Officer (DoD CTO)
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The DoD CTO champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre.
