Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)

Center for Innovative Technology (CIT)

CIT Smart Communities
​​Smart Communities VA - Program Overview | Building on the work of the Virginia Smart Communities Working Group and related efforts, Virginia now has a Smart Communities State Action Plan.  The plan calls for pilot projects to begin the process of building capacity and expertise around the Commonwealth, and these pilots are now under way.  The pilots rely on "community-driven innovation" to identify topics relevant to each community, and include a technology partner and support to initiate "agreed upon priorities." 
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CIT SMART OVERVIEW | PDF
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam introduces the SMART CITY CHALLENGE 2021 and provides a vision for the future of Smart Technologies in the Commonwealth
​Check Out Virginia CIT Smart Communities | Virtual Conference Room | Workshop Series
We invite you to join us in this "first of a kind" for CIT Virtual Conference Room. Click on the graphic to listen to our workshop series on Smart Communities in Virginia, check out our sponsors, and explore the future of Smart Technology. 
Smart City IoT Innovation Labs (SCITI Labs)
Smart City IoT Innovation Labs (SCITI Labs) | CIT has partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responders Group (FRG), Smart City Works and TechNexus to launch SCITI Labs - an effort to prototype internet of things (IoT) and smart city technologies for emergency response and management. SCITI Labs creates an accelerated pathway to market through prototype funding and access to first responders (end users) across the United States.  ​
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Flood Sensor Project Overview 2021
​As an offshoot of the SCITI Labs program, CIT SMART is now deploying 66 of the flood sensors featured in this video below throughout Virginia. We are working with state agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, to make this a sustainable statewide flood sensor network.
 
The sensor network and the data it produces will help better characterize coastal inundation due to climate change, better predict the exact timing and location of flood events on rivers throughout the Commonwealth. It will also help better understand homeowners' risk in flood plains with more accurate updated models than those currently available.
Smart City Works Business Actuator | Smart City Works (SCW) is the world’s first business actuator and a premier business accelerator for improving livability and resilience in cities. SCW's unique focus on the built environment aims to dramatically change the way we design, build, and operate civil infrastructure. 
Smart City Council 2018 Readiness Grant | Virginia was selected as a recipient of a Smart Cities Council 2018 Readiness Challenge Grant to build a framework for its multiple initiatives, including expanding broadband throughout the state; adopting interoperability standards; setting out a cybersecurity and privacy plan; and creating sustainable funding for smart projects. The grant program sought applications from across North America and selected communities that are looking to apply new smart technologies to improve community livability, workability, sustainability, and resilience.
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“Virginia has established itself as a pioneer in the smart community industry by launching new initiatives that integrate smart technologies into our communities and attract cutting edge companies,” Governor Ralph Northam
Featured Articles on CIT Smart Communities Initiatives
​NBC 4 NEWS​ | New pilot effort aims to bridge the internet access gap ahead of the school year to help make broadband economically feasible in hard to reach places in Virginia. | 8/14/20
Downtown Ready: A distant vision for an urban district is on the fast track
​​​It’s been a dream of county officials for more than a decade, but there’s new support from the state for Stafford as a Smart Community test site, and a private partner is ready to begin construction on the first phase of the project. The region’s next urban destination might be just right around the corner.​
CIT and George Mason University collaborate on smart building technology research
The Center for Innovation Technology (CIT) announced a collaboration with George Mason University through a four-year, $19 million contract awarded to CIT by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to continue research into smart building technologies that can help first responders save lives and improve public safety.
​Stafford County Partners with CIT to Define "Smart" Features of the New Downtown Stafford
The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced today a partnership with Stafford County to help define “smart” for the new smart Downtown Stafford, including issuance of an open RFI (Request for Information) by CIT to solicit concepts for inclusion.
Qlarion Partners with CIT to Launch Smart Community Analytics Platform
Qlarion, a data and analytics firm that specializes in government innovation, is pleased to announce it has partnered with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to offer the Virginia Community Analytics Platform (VCAP) to municipalities throughout the Commonwealth. VCAP is based on the Qlarion Community Center™ platform, a cloud-based fully managed smart community analytics platform tailored for state and local governments. VCAP integrates information from a municipality’s departments into centralized, pre-packaged dashboards, reports, and data discovery tools. Qlarion has already licensed the product to the City of Fredericksburg.
Podcast | Catalyst Go | How to Nurture Smart Communities with Dave Ihrie

SCITI LABS USES A UNIQUE SET OF TOOLS TO DELIVER COMMERCIAL FIRST INNOVATION™

​​Smart City IoT Innovation (SCITI - pronounced ‘CITY’) is a solutions innovation lab for Sensors, Platforms and Control Systems in smart communities created in collaboration between the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, CIT, TechNexus and Smart City Works.
Our Mission
​Collaboratively develop solutions designed to support First Responders and DHS components in operational environments, by providing technologies with market access and aligning those technologies with larger related opportunities in broader industries.

Capital
We are actively looking for innovators developing technology directly aligned with the mission of DHS components and/or are in related industries (e.g. Smart Cities).

Innovator Collaboration
SCITI Labs brings together entrepreneurs, industry partners, technologists, investors, and public sector influencers working in concert to actively advance breakthrough solutions. Selected innovators will be eligible to receive funding for prototyping.

Prototype Testing
Solutions selected for the SCITI Labs program are evaluated on their ability meet the core technology requirements (provided by DHS), but also by their application and commercial viability in adjacent markets.
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Commercialization
A final group of innovators will be selected to receive funding and work hands-on with first responders or other domain experts and technology experts to define and accelerate their path-to-market with government and corporate partners.

​​Request for Innovators

Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation Labs (SCITI Labs):
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) is partnering with the SCITI Labs team to prototype IoT Sensors, Platforms and Control Systems for DHS component users and emergency response/public safety personnel.

This effort focuses on extensive validation and go-to-market support through industry partners.  SCITI Labs creates an accelerated pathway to market through our Commercial First Innovation™ research, providing prototype funding and access to end users across the United States.This initiative aims to have advanced capabilities commercially available to users by 2020 for initial technology areas and beginning the prototype process for later technology area additions, with market presence in 18-24 months. 

​The call for applications will be open for submissions during the period shown for each area. 

Deadlines: This is a rolling submission process during the open period; applications will be processed as they are received. Applications are open for the time periods indicated for each technology area, generally 30 days after posting, and final selection within 30 days thereafter.

What: The SCITI Labs team (CIT and partners Smart City Works and TechNexus) are seeking capabilities to support first responders and DHS component users in specific technology areas listed below. Selected performers may be sequentially funded for up to three prototype and test/validation cycles over a period of 18-24 months.  The goal is commercially-relevant capabilities that are also ready as a minimum viable product for initial field validation with DHS users.

Technology Areas:

For description of prior SCITI Labs technology areas (now closed) click here.
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  1. [CLOSED Sep 9, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019] Ground-Based Wildfire Sensors at the Urban Interface

Funding:
Funding is potentially available in increasing amounts for successful applicants who continue through the prototype and testing phases. The funding is intended to be consistent with three Quarterly Review demonstrations and associated documentation, with increasing capability at each review.

Evaluation Criteria:
Submitted concepts will be evaluated on the following criteria: ability for initial product to be available in a commercial market within the required schedule; mission fit; technology innovation; projected unit pricing; availability of non-Governmental revenue to support ongoing evolution of key technology (such as provided by adjacent commercial markets); company credentials; and other criteria as may be considered appropriate. Our philosophy as reflected in these criteria is “commercial-first”, a bias towards products developed for commercial markets that can be quickly adapted to meet the needs of the responder or DHS component user communities.

Application and Review Process:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received. Based on your application, someone from our team may contact you. Companies/capabilities found to be a good fit for the program on the basis of this discussion (in the sole opinion of the SCITI Labs team member) will be invited to upload some additional information to our review platform for review by a larger set of our team members. This additional information will consist of a short PowerPoint or equivalent and a short writeup, and will be specified further at the time of the request.
 
While access to the review platform is controlled and we do not intend to disseminate the information beyond the review team, we will not sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with your company for this preliminary  information.  

The review team may consist of people from CIT, TechNexus, Smart City Works, KaDSci, ExoGenius, DHS and selected First Responders or other DHS   Component   users. Commercial team members have a non-disclosure agreement as part of the contract with DHS for information received from you and others as part of this program.
 
Based on the requested additional information and review by a wider set of team members you may be selected as a Finalist and asked to participate in a live (in-person or electronic) 30 minute discussion.

Selected Finalists will be awarded a Fixed-price contract from CIT for $50,000 (non-dilutive; amount may be changed under some circumstances as determined by CIT). The contract will require you to provide some additional technical information and a demonstration of your prototype capability approximately 6 months after the contract award.

​Specific contract Terms and Conditions will be available for review as a contract template prior to final participant selection. After the demonstrations, some participants may be selected for an additional round(s) of prototyping and demonstration with additional funding, intended to result in limited quantities of the capabilities ready for field testing and market introduction.
 
Throughout the program, the SCITI Labs team will provide commercialization support in line with our expertise, including arranging interaction/feedback with users/responders and others in the market ecosystem, providing testing/evaluation support, working to arrange interactions/partnerships with potential distribution channels, working the regulatory and adoption side of the ecosystem, and similar activities to help increase your chance of market success.

Please send questions to SCITI.Info@cit.org
​CIT is the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA)
Contact Us | Phone: 703.689.3000 | Fax: 703.689.3041 | info@cit.org
Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) | Copyright © 2020, 2021 | All Rights Reserved
Updated 6/21/2021