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ItsRainingTrees t1_j5ok0nm wrote

No matter your race, gender identity, sexuality, upbringings, or ethnicity, everyone has the capacity to create WMDs šŸ˜Œ

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urbansasquatchNC t1_j5pcb9h wrote

MLK had a dream that we would be judged not for the color of our skin, but the contents of the Geneva Convention that we violate!

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SexyAcanthocephala t1_j5ovr9t wrote

Not the Iraqis

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Tahh t1_j5p9744 wrote

You're laughing now, but we'll find them someday and then we'll show you, we'll show you all!

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mdtransplant21 t1_j5td394 wrote

I mean, Sadam did have chemical weapons...they were all just leftovers from the early 90s...

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GaryHart2024 t1_j5oqajf wrote

This seems like a good thing. DoD money getting to HBCUs just makes sense, and it seems this won't stop solely at Howard.

>Howard will lead a consortium of universities that includes Jackson State, Delaware State, Bowie State, Norfolk State, Hampton, Florida Memorial and Tougaloo College.

DoD research is more than weapons, it's health and general innovation. This seems like a massive opportunity, and I hope Howard is able to make the best of it.

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sprint113 t1_j5p0vsa wrote

Yup. Don't know exactly what this DOD contract entails, but remember that the DOD is both one of the largest employers in the US as well as one of the largest healthcare providers. A place I worked at once had a DOD grant for researching ways to improve detection and treatment of breast cancers.

Edit: saw the non-paywall link, looks like it will be for AI systems

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faggressive t1_j5pz6ib wrote

Also the largest workforce training program as well (not including colleges.) They have accredited universities and colleges too though.

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Amori_A_Splooge t1_j5r2u9c wrote

I have an aunt that works at National Cancer Institute at NIH. In the partial shutdown (2019?) her entire lab was operating as business as usual because dod and milcon/VA approps had been signed into law and her lab's entire operating budget was DOD funds.

DOD's non-defebse funding a absolutely dwarfs other cabinet agencies entire budgets.

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EstablishmentFull797 t1_j5rndkj wrote

Do you think maybe the department of defense having more funding for ā€œnon-defenseā€ purposes than other entire agencies is part of the problem?

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Amori_A_Splooge t1_j5rydk7 wrote

Yes and no. A lot of it is the function that the National Defense Authorization Act has passed some 65+ years in a row in Congress and you won't find another authorization bill that is likely going to pass every year. So if you want something to be done, get DoD to do it in the NDAA. Then again, DoD should pay for medical research for diseases, illnesses, and injuries that are prevalent in military members veterans (This is also budgetary blackhole, of endless ways to spend money, but the dollars are very significant in terms of making an impact for these specific diseases. As a result you get research lists like that of the appropriately named Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. As others have pointed out, there are also a lot of controls on DoD dollars in terms of Buy American provisions, so money is [generally] going into DoD for procurement or research tends to stay in American companies or American institutions.

Is it too much. Possibly, but it's not all bombs and bullets.

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Mateorabi t1_j5p3jk1 wrote

Please donā€™t be Syphilis research. Please donā€™t be Syphilis research....

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GaryHart2024 t1_j5p4vqq wrote

>The center will be focused on tactical autonomy technology for military systems and Howard University will receive $12 million per year for five years to fund research, faculty and students.

Looks like more of an AI focus.

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annang t1_j5p5azj wrote

So, drones to kill Black and brown people overseas. Awesome.

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GaryHart2024 t1_j5p67g6 wrote

Or just security systems, and or counter-battery work.

Tactical autonomy can mean a lot.

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ocaesar t1_j5pz2dy wrote

Russians are black and brown, wow.

Also, capitalizing ā€œBlackā€ specifically refers to Black Americans as they are a distinct group within the US. Not to people who are black skinned.

The Washington Post also missed the point entirely by capitalizing ā€œWhiteā€.

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resdivinae t1_j5p987u wrote

It's not 2006 anymore.

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annang t1_j5pmn4w wrote

And your theory is that we've stopped using drone strikes in the last seven years? Do you have a source for that belief?

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resdivinae t1_j5ptlzc wrote

No. Maybe you don't watch the news, but the MIC is currently sending billions in military aid to one group of Slavs to kill another group of Slavs.

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22304_selling t1_j5uixn8 wrote

What's wrong with weapons research?

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GaryHart2024 t1_j5ukqbx wrote

Depends who you ask.

Some folks, several of whom are in this thread, have a deep philosophical opposition to weapons research.

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22304_selling t1_j5umzux wrote

Okay, I guess I'm asking you then. Is anything wrong with weapons research?

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GaryHart2024 t1_j5unvmc wrote

I have no opposition to it, and generally consider it a necessity of the modern world, however there are ethical implications that have to be taken into account.

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Heliordant t1_j5odvck wrote

Are they sure this is the first time black people have been used for military research?

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jlboygenius t1_j5opuii wrote

somebody's gonna meet their HBCU/MI small business goals this year.

FYI, in case people don't work in contracting. Many large government contractors have to submit a small business plan for how they are going to spread out the money to subcontractors.

Small business, women owned, veteran owned, service disabled veteran owned, Alaskan native, and Historically black colleges and universities are categories.

I HIGHLY doubt this is the first government military research work they have done. Likely it's been as a sub to someone else.

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cleverSkies t1_j5oqrop wrote

Sounds like they are the lead institution for an academic center of excellence. This is not contracting work. These COEs are extremely competitive and difficult to win.

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jlboygenius t1_j5oufax wrote

seems like the HBCU small business goals are working then. The goal is to help small business get work and learn from the big boys so they can go out on their own. And also so that the $ are spread out and don't just go to the big contractors.

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Mateorabi t1_j5p47h9 wrote

Done correctly theyā€™re great. But often they get a token ā€œownerā€ to partner with them JUST to get those set asides. Or the company is just a middle man who adds 10% overhead with no value addedā€”a straw purchaser who takes an extra cut making the material cost higher for no reason.

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jlboygenius t1_j5p58xk wrote

oh 100%. I know of Alaskan Native corporations that are based in NoVA. They use the alaskan name and give the profits back to the alaskan native tribe. As long as the company meets its agreed payments, they do basically whatever they want. no one from the tribe works at the company, they just lend out their name.

I also had a software company suggest that we just buy through an alaskan native since then the contract could be executed in days. If we went through the vendor it would have to be a real bid/compete process.

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gator_fl t1_j5sdyc8 wrote

A couple of years ago, went to a hotel and surprised by the number of luxury cars parked there with Alaska plates. Like Bentleys and such.

Was a small conference for ANCs.

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gator_fl t1_j5sekn8 wrote

Yup! Biden administration has not been shy about their HBCU goals.

It's not the first. Article notes the first where they will be leading a research center (1 of 15).

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TheTickledPickle_ t1_j5oq2t6 wrote

I love stories like thisā€¦this sub is filled with people who resemble the two buttons meme - happy for ā€œequalityā€ or angry because militaristic capitalism.

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22304_selling t1_j5upces wrote

It's a liberal divide-by-zero moment when the forces of DEI have to get weighed against the anti-war/MIC ethos.

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Talkshowhostt t1_j5onh63 wrote

Dang, that's pretty neat. Not a small contract either.

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cleverSkies t1_j5oqe9u wrote

This is definitely a huge accomplishment that will help promote and develop their research capacity and STEM degree programs (not just at Howard but a few other HBCUs). Sad that most of the comments here are snarky instead of celebrating the successes of an HBCU that always seem to get the short end of the stick.

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sandman_42 t1_j5r645h wrote

People shitting on this don't understand the impact of these kinds of grants in regards to the clout and legitimacy they lend to universities. No it's not going to solve racism or fix Howard's issues (I'd have settled for a functional heat/AC system in the Inabel social work building but that's just me) but it does provide some well deserved prestige and attention to an important black institution and the best HBCU in the country*

*U know

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illumantimess t1_j5qs5f1 wrote

Iā€™m reminded of that comic of civilians in an Arab country being bombed but being proud because the cia director who ordered it is a woman

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ch36u3v4r4 t1_j5pf71q wrote

Black capitalism may not have worked but maybe a black military industrial complex will.

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CL_REInvestor t1_j5pt4ke wrote

Proud alumni here. This is great for the Howard community.

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PenisTriumvirate t1_j5q9ni5 wrote

They're going to finally make an AI that's not racist

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ReadingKing t1_j5qyqiz wrote

Bro this ainā€™t a good thing. Freaking neolibs out here with the worst takes

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IreallEwannasay t1_j5pq95i wrote

Military grade Helly Hanson suit, let's go! Seriously, though this is cool as hell.

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eatwearnest t1_j5pnwzw wrote

HU, you know!

Edit: I love how these folks are downvoting us alumni. Itā€™s so comical and predictable.

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not_a_gumby t1_j5oljgv wrote

the death empire of capitalism spreads the wealth. what a fun story.

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