Notice2026-03215
Establishment of Department of War Federal Advisory Committee-Science, Technical, and Innovation BoardF
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Defense Department
Abstract
The Department of War (DoW) is publishing this notice to announce that it is establishing the Science, Technology, and Innovation Board (STIB) as a discretionary Federal advisory committee.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7978-7979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03215]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Establishment of Department of War Federal Advisory Committee--
Science, Technical, and Innovation BoardF
AGENCY: Department of Defense.
ACTION: Establishment of Federal advisory committee.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of War (DoW) is publishing this notice to
announce that it is establishing the Science, Technology, and
Innovation Board (STIB) as a discretionary Federal advisory committee.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Freeman, Advisory Committee
Management Officer for the Department of War, 703-692-5952.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2026 and in accordance with
authority described in Chapter 10 of Title 5 (United States Code
(U.S.C.) 1008(a)(2), the Secretary of War (SecWar) approved the
establishment of the STIB. The STIB will incorporate the mission/scope
of the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) and the Defense Science Board
(DSB) into a new discretionary advisory committee. Following
establishment of the STIB, the DoW will terminate the DIB and DSB.
The STIB will operate in accordance with chapter 10 of title 5,
U.S.C. (``commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act'' or
``FACA''), and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 102-3,
``Federal Advisory Committee Management,'' [90 FR 58417; December 16,
2025], and DoW policies and procedures.
The public or interested organizations may submit written
statements about the STIB mission and functions. Written statements may
be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned
meetings of the STIB. All written statements shall be submitted to the
STIB's Designated Federal Officer (DFO), and this individual will
ensure that the written statements are provided to the membership for
their consideration. Once established, the STIB's DFO will be Ms.
Elizabeth Kowalski, who is the current DSB's DFO. Ms. Kowalski may be
contacted at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a5c0c9ccdfc4c7c0d1cd8bcf8bcecad2c4c9d6cecc8bc6ccd3e5c8c4ccc98bc8ccc9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ffaf3f6e5fefdfaebf7b1f5b1f4f0e8fef3ecf4f6b1fcf6e9dff2fef6f3b1f2f6f3">[email protected]</span></a>.
Consistent with 41 CFR 102-3.65(a), the DoW is publishing the
STIB's Public Interest Determination.
Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew,
reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory
committee, an agency must first consult with the General Services
Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat)
and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest
determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat
with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition,
pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same
consultation process and document in writing the same determination of
need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee
that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.
Information on the following factors for the committee is provided
to the Secretariat to demonstrate that merging the committee is in the
public interest:
1. Annual Budget: Based upon experience with both the DIB and the
DSB, which are being merged into the STIB, the DoW estimates that the
total annual operating costs for a fully populated and operational
STIB, to include travel, meetings, cost of Federal staff payments and
contract support, will be $7,077,675.
a. Federal Personnel on a Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Basis: The
estimated annual personnel costs to the DoW are 3.0 FTE at $514,675,
which includes basic pay with cost-of-living allowance.
b. Other Federal Internal Costs: Program element to support STIB
contracts and travel costs is $6,563,000.
c. Proposed Payments to Members: Consistent with 10 U.S.C. 173,
members of the STIB are not compensated for their services, except for
travel and per diem reimbursement for official STIB-related business.
d. Proposed Number of Members: As authorized by the SecWar, the
STIB will be composed of not more than 40 members.
e. Reimbursable Costs: The estimated reimbursement costs for STIB
staff and members is $768,250.00.
2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be
recommended during the fiscal year. N/A.
3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the
necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership: As described in its
proposed charter and membership balance plan, the STIB will be composed
of members who are eminent authorities in the fields of science,
technology, innovation, manufacturing,
[[Page 7979]]
acquisition processes, and other matters of special interest to the
DoW, germane to DoW scientific, technological, and innovation matters.
Membership will consist of talented private and public sector leaders
possessing a multiplicity of experience, background, and thought in
support of the STIB's mission. In selecting members, the DoW seeks to
capitalize on recognized talented, innovative private and public sector
leaders to provide the broadest knowledge and expertise base in a
balanced STIB membership composition. The STIB's membership balance is
not static, and the SecWar may change the membership based upon work
assigned to the STIB by the SecWar and Deputy Secretary of War (``the
DoW Appointing Authority'') or the Under Secretary of War for Research
and Engineering (USW(R&E)), as the STIB's DoW Sponsor.
4. List of all other DoW Federal Advisory Committees: A complete
listing of DoW Federal advisory committees can be located at: <a href="https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department-of-defense">https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/account/001t000000DCAooAAH/department-of-defense</a>.
5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the
Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from
another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source,
or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source: As
described in the proposed STIB charter, the STIB provides independent
advice and recommendations on matters pertaining to the DoW's
scientific, technological, and innovation enterprises by focusing on
matters concerning science, technology, and innovation as they pertain
to the United States (U.S.) military's clear mission: to protect the
American people and the homeland as the world's most lethal and
effective fighting force. In addressing these matters, the proposed
STIB will support the Administration's priorities of rebuilding the
U.S. military, prioritizing the protection of the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of the U.S., and reestablishing deterrence as
envisioned by: Executive Order (E.O.) 14167, ``Clarifying the
Military's Role in Protecting the Territorial Integrity of the United
States,'' dated January 20, 2025; E.O. 14179, ``Removing Barriers to
American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,'' dated January 23,
2025; E.O. 14186, ``The Iron Dome for America,'' dated January 27,
2025; E.O. 14307, ``Unleashing American Drone Dominance,'' dated June
6, 2025; SecWar Address, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia,
September 30, 2025; and SecWar Memorandum, ``The Warrior Ethos and
Standards at the War Department,'' dated October 6, 2025. As currently
structured, the DIB focuses on injecting fresh perspectives from the
private sector into DoW practices, emphasizing rapid innovation,
software acquisition, leveraging emergent technologies, and ways the
Department can align structures, processes, incentives, and human
capital best practices to accelerate and scale innovation adoption to
catalyze a Department-wide innovation and experimentation mindset. This
provides the strategic and tactical advantage options needed to compete
and overmatch in the technology- and innovation-driven environments
that define modern competition and conflict; as well as enhance
national security efforts, maximize lethality, and boost warfighting
capabilities. Similarly, the DSB serves as a key advisory body tackling
some of the most complex technical challenges in science and technology
(S&T), innovation to provide advice and recommendations to inform the
SecWar on achieving national strategic priorities through increased
lethality. The DSB's work is driven by an emphasis on making America's
warfighter successful in any mission on any battlefield. Its value is
reflected in DoW stakeholder adoption of advice and recommendations
resulting in the creation of significant new capabilities, policies,
architectures, and investments. The DSB focuses on prioritizing the
revival of our defense industrial base, leveraging low-cost and agile
commercial opportunities, reforming acquisition processes, rapidly
prototyping and fielding emerging technologies, as well as establishing
S&T options to reenforce deterrence in the face of any opponent.
6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the
previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to
continue: N/A.
7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to
the conduct of agency business: As described by the SecWar, the DoW's
mission is ``warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win'' the
Nation's wars with ``victory our only acceptable end state.'' A strong,
viable military is essential to the defense of the U.S. homeland and
hemispheric security. The proposed STIB provides the SecWar and other
senior DoW officials key advice and recommendations on strategies,
capabilities, technologies, and innovations to win the Nation's wars,
protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the homeland and
our access to key terrain throughout the region, restore American
military dominance in the Western Hemisphere, deny adversaries' ability
to position forces or other threatening capabilities in our hemisphere,
maintain a favorable balance of military power in the Indo-Pacific,
support commitment to allies and international partners, and ensure the
lethality and readiness of America's fighting force to further the goal
of peace through strength. The increasing threat of attack by
ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial
attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the U.S. As
described in this memorandum, the proposed STIB's independent advice or
recommendations to the SecWar and other senior DoW officials cannot be
duplicated, whether inside the DoW or the Executive Branch. Its advice
is tailored toward broad aspects of the Department's S&T enterprise to
ensure we have the strongest, most powerful, most lethal, and most
prepared military on the planet. It will provide a force multiplier for
DoW innovation that bolsters national security. This office is unaware
of any U.S. government or non-government entity that could provide the
same level of national security S&T enterprise expertise necessary ``to
ensure the American military remains the most lethal and dominant on
the planet, not merely for a few years, but for decades and generations
to come.''
This public interest determination documents that merging the
committee is essential to the conduct of agency business and that the
information to be obtained is not already available through another
advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.
Dated: February 13, 2026.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2026-03215 Filed 2-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 19, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.