Order Code IB10130
CRS Issue Brief for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
The Federal Networking and Information
Technology Research and Development Program:
Funding Issues and Activities
Updated July 26, 2005
Patricia Moloney Figliola
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CONTENTS
SUMMARY
MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Overview of the Federal NITRD Program
Enabling/Governing Legislation
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991
Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998
Context of Federal Technology Funding
NCO and Related Activities
Issues for Congress
Activity in the 109th Congress
Major Legislation
Hearings
Relevant Laws
LEGISLATION
FOR ADDITIONAL READING

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The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities
SUMMARY
In the early 1990s, Congress recognized
Another aspect of government-funded IT
that several federal agencies had ongoing
research is that it often leads to open stan-
high-performance computing programs, but no
dards, something that many perceive as bene-
central coordinating body existed to ensure
ficial, encouraging deployment and further
long-term coordination and planning. To
investment. Industry, on the other hand, is
provide such a framework, Congress passed
more inclined to invest in proprietary products
the High-Performance Computing and Com-
and will diverge from a common standard
munications Program Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-
when there is a potential competitive or finan-
194) to enhance the effectiveness of the vari-
cial advantage to do so.
ous programs. In conjunction with the passage
of the act, the White House Office of Science
Finally, proponents of government sup-
and Technology Policy (OSTP) released
port believe that the outcomes achieved
Grand Challenges: High-Performance Com-
through the various funding programs create a
puting and Communications. That document
synergistic environment in which both funda-
outlined a research and development (R&D)
mental and application-driven research are
strategy for high-performance computing and
conducted, benefitting government, industry,
a framework for a multiagency program, the
academia, and the public. Supporters also
High-Performance Computing and Communi-
believe that such outcomes justify govern-
cations (HPCC) Program.
ment’s role in funding IT R&D, as well as the
growing budget for the NITRD Program.
The HPCC Program has evolved over
time and is now called the Networking and
Critics assert that the government,
Information Technology Research and Devel-
through its funding mechanisms, may be
opment (NITRD) Program, to better reflect its
picking “winners and losers” in technological
expanded mission. The NITRD Program is
development, a role more properly residing
composed of 12 agencies; its members work
with the private sector. For example, the size
in collaboration to increase the overall effec-
of the NITRD Program may encourage indus-
tiveness and productivity of federal informa-
try to follow the government’s lead on re-
tion technology (IT) R&D. A National Coor-
search directions rather than selecting those
dinating Office coordinates the activities of
directions itself.
the NITRD Program and reports to OSTP and
the National Science and Technology Council.
The FY2006 budget calls for $2.155
billion for the NITRD Program, a 4.5%
Proponents assert that federal support of
decrease from the FY2005 budget of $2.256
IT R&D has produced positive outcomes for
billion.
the country and played a crucial role in sup-
porting long-term research into fundamental
During the 109th Congress, the House of
aspects of computing. Such fundamentals
Representatives has introduced one NITRD-
provide broad practical benefits, but generally
specific bill, H.R. 28, and has held two hear-
take years to realize. Additionally, the unan-
ings.
ticipated results of research are often as im-
portant as the anticipated results.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The FY2005 budget provides $2.256 billion for the Networking and Information
Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program,1 a 4% decrease from FY2004.
An in-depth overview of FY2004 and FY2005 NITRD activities, Guide to the NITRD
Program, was released in December 2004.2
The President’s FY2006 budget calls for $2.155 billion for the NITRD Program, a 4.5%
decrease from FY2005. A significant part of this decrease can be attributed to the reduction
in funding for NITRD activities within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA). Also, within NITRD, funding for high-end computing research and development
(R&D) is down 6%, due in part to a decrease in funding for these activities at the Office of
Science within the Department of Energy (DoE).
In the 109th Congress, one NITRD-specific bill has been introduced and two hearings
have been held related to the NITRD Program. On January 4, 2005, Representative Judy
Biggert introduced H.R. 28, the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act. The bill
would amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 and further delineate the
responsibilities of the NITRD Program, including setting the goals and priorities for federal
high-performance computing research, development, networking, and other activities and
providing more specific definitions for the responsibilities of the PCAs. The bill was
referred to the House Committee on Science, which approved the bill on March 17, 2005.
3 The committee also approved, by voice vote, an amendment that stated that the results and
benefits of federal supercomputing research should be shared with the private sector. The
committee rejected, by a vote of 17-19, an amendment offered by Representative Brad
Sherman that would have directed the National Science Foundation to investigate the
societal, ethical, legal, and economic implications of computers that one day might be
capable of mimicking human abilities to learn, reason, and make decisions. H.R. 28 was
agreed to by voice vote in the House on April 26, 2005, and received in the Senate and where
it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
on April 27, 2005.
The House Committee on Science has held two NITRD-related hearings. The first
hearing, held on February 16, 2005, was on the federal R&D Budget for Fiscal Year 2006
This hearing covered the entire R&D budget and included an overview of NITRD activities
by Dr. John Marburger, the Director of OSTP.4 The second hearing, held on May 12, 2005,
was on the future of computer science research and featured testimony by representatives
1 The main website of the NITRD Program is [http://www.nitrd.gov].
2 This report is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/blue05].
3 See H.Rept. 109-36.
4 The charter and submitted testimony for this hearing is available online at
[http://www.house.gov/science/hearings/full05/feb16/February162005.htm].
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from the OSTP, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National
Academy of Engineering, and Akamai Technologies.5
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The federal government has long played a key role in the country’s information
technology (IT) research and development (R&D) activities. The Government's support of
R&D began because it had an important interest in creating computers that would be capable
of addressing the problems and issues the government needed to solve and study. One of the
first such problems was planning the trajectories of artillery and bombs; more recently such
problems include simulations of nuclear testing, cryptanalysis, and weather modeling. That
interest continues today. That complexity requires there be adequate coordination to ensure
the government’s evolving needs (e.g., homeland security) will continue to be met in the
most effective manner possible.
Overview of the Federal NITRD Program
The NITRD Program is a collaborative effort in which 12 agencies coordinate and
cooperate to help increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of federal IT R&D.6 Of
those 12 members, the majority of funding goes to the National Science Foundation, National
Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, and the Department of Energy, Office of Science. Figure 1
illustrates the management structure of the NITRD Program.
The National Coordinating Office (NCO) for IT R&D coordinates the activities of the
NITRD Program. The Director of the NCO reports to the Director of OSTP. The NCO
supports the Subcommittee on NITRD (also called the NITRD Subcommittee)7 and the
President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC)8:
5 The charter and submitted testimony for this hearing is available online at
[http://www.house.gov/science/press/109/109-71.htm].
6 The members of the NITRD Program, as listed in the FY2004 Supplement to the President’s
Budget are: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA); Department of Defense, Office of the Director, Defense Research &
Engineering (DODDR&E); Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration
(DOE/NNSA); Department of Energy, Office of Science (DOE/SC); Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Institutes of
Health (NIH); National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); National Security Agency (NSA); and National Science
Foundation (NSF). The history of agency participation can be found online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/
about/history/agency-participants.pdf].
7 The Subcommittee on NITRD was previously called the Interagency Working Group for IT R&D
(IWG/IT R&D).
8 The PITAC was established on February 11, 1997 to provide the President, OSTP, and the federal
agencies involved in IT R&D with guidance and advice on all areas of high performance computing,
communications, and information technologies. Representing the research, education, and library
communities and including network providers and representatives from critical industries, the
(continued...)
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Figure 1: Management Structure of the NITRD Program9
! The NITRD Subcommittee provides policy, program, and budget planning
for the NITRD Program and is composed of representatives from each of the
participating agencies, OSTP, Office of Management and Budget, and the
NCO. Six Coordinating Groups reporting to the NITRD Subcommittee
focus their work in seven Program Component Areas (PCAs).10
8 (...continued)
Committee advises the Administration’s effort to accelerate development and adoption of
information technologies. The membership roster of the PITAC is available online at
[http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/members.html].
9 This diagram is available on the NITRD Program website, [http://www.nitrd.gov]. The Defense
Information Systems Agency does not appear in the diagram; however it is included in the list of
NITRD Program Agencies on page 2 of the FY2004 Supplement to the President’s Budget.
10 The seven PCAs are: (1) High-End Computing Infrastructure and Applications (HEC I&A) — to
extend the state of the art in high-end computing systems, applications, and infrastructure; (2) High-
End Computing R&D (HEC R&D) — to optimize the performance of today's high-end computing
(continued...)
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! The PITAC is composed of representatives of private industry and academia
who are appointed by the President. The group provides expert independent
advice to the President on the federal role in maintaining U.S. preeminence
in advanced IT and works with the NITRD Program agencies and the
NITRD Subcommittee. The NITRD Program is funded out of each member
agency’s individual budget, rather than in a single appropriations bill (e.g.,
NITRD Program activities conducted by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) are funded through the NIH appropriations bill). The program’s NCO
is not explicitly funded; rather, the NITRD member agencies contribute
toward NCO operations.
The NITRD Program has undergone a series of structural changes since its inception
in 1991 and both it and the NCO have had a number of different names over the years. When
the program was created in September 1992, it was named the National Coordination Office
for High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC). The name was changed
to the National Coordination Office for Computing, Information, and Communications per
the FY1997 Supplement to the President’s Budget (also known as the “Blue Book”) and then
to its current name, the National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research
and Development, per the FY2001 Blue Book (that change was effective October 2000).
These changes were made to reflect the evolution of the program as it came to encompass
a broader range of related topics. The chronology of funding since the NITRD Program was
created as the HPCC Program in 1991 is detailed in Figure 2.
Enabling/Governing Legislation
The NITRD Program is governed by two laws. The first, the High-Performance
Computing Act of 1991, P.L. 102-194,11 expanded federal support for high-performance
computing R&D and called for improving interagency planning and coordination. The
10 (...continued)
systems and develop future generations of high-end computing systems; (3) Human Computer
Interaction and Information Management (HCI&IM) — to develop new user interaction
technologies, cognitive systems, information systems, and robotics that benefit humans; (4) Large
Scale Networking (LSN) — to develop leading-edge network technologies, services, and techniques
to enhance performance, security, and scalability; (5) Software Design and Productivity (SDP) —
to advance concepts, methods, techniques, and tools that improve software design, development, and
maintenance to produce more usable, dependable and cost-effective software-based systems; (6)
High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS) — to develop the scientific foundations and IT to
achieve affordable and predictable high levels of safety, security, reliability, and survivability,
especially in U.S. national security and safety-critical systems; and (7) Social, Economic, and
Workforce Implications of IT and IT Workforce Development (SEW) — to study the impact of IT on
people and social and economic systems; develop the IT workforce; and develop innovative IT
applications in education and training. Additional information about the program component areas
is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/iwg/index.html]. HEC R&D and HEC I&A are both
covered by the HEC Interagency Working Group. A diagram illustrating the evolution of the PCAs,
1992-present, is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/about/history/new-pca-names.pdf].
11 High Performance Computing Act of 1991, P.L. 102-194, 15 U.S.C. 5501, 105 Stat. 1595,
December 9, 1991. The full text of this law is available online at
[http://www.nitrd.gov/congressional /laws/pl_102-194.html].
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second, the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998, P.L. 105-305,12 amended the
original law to expand the mission of the NITRD Program to cover Internet-related research,
among other goals.
Figure 2: History of NITRD Program Funding13
2,500
2,256
2,200
2,155*
1,976
2,000
1,929
1,830
1,546
1,500
1,312
1,070
1,038 1,043 1,009
1,000
938
795
655
489
500
0
FY1992
FY 1994
FY1996
FY1998
FY2000
FY2002
FY2004
FY2006
FY 1991
FY1993
FY1995
FY1997
FY1999
FY2001
FY2003
FY2005
Year
*Requested
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991. This law was the original enabling
legislation for what is now the NITRD Program. Among other requirements, it called for:
! Setting goals and priorities for federal high-performance computing
research, development, and networking
! Technical support and research and development of software and hardware
needed to address fundamental problems in science and engineering
! Educating undergraduate and graduate students
! Fostering and maintaining competition and private sector investment in
high-speed data networking within the telecommunications industry
! Promoting the development of commercial data communications and
telecommunications standards
! Providing security, including protecting intellectual property rights
12 Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998, P.L. 105-305, 15 U.S.C. 5501, 112 Stat. 2919,
October 28, 1998. The full text of this law is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/
congressional/laws/pl_h_105-305.html].
13 This chart was developed using data available in the FY2004 Supplement to the President’s
Budget (available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/blue04/]) and the President’s proposed
FY2005 budget (available online at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/pdf/spec.pdf]).
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! Developing accounting mechanisms allowing users to be charged for the use
of copyrighted materials.
This law also requires an annual report to Congress on grants and cooperative R&D
agreements and procurements involving foreign entities.14
Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998. This law amended the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991. The act had two overarching purposes. The first was
to authorize research programs related to high-end computing and computation, human-
centered systems, high confidence systems, and education, training, and human resources.
The second was to provide for the development and coordination of a comprehensive and
integrated U.S. research program to focus on (1) computer network infrastructure that would
promote interoperability among advanced federal computer networks, (2) economic high-
speed data access that does not impose a “geographic penalty”, and (3) flexible and
extensible networking technology.
Context of Federal Technology Funding
In the early 1990s, Congress recognized that several federal agencies had ongoing high-
performance computing programs,15 but no central coordinating body existed to ensure long-
term coordination and planning. To provide such a framework, Congress passed the High-
Performance Computing and Communications Program Act of 1991 to enhance the
effectiveness of the various programs.
In conjunction with the passage of the act, OSTP released, “Grand Challenges: High-
Performance Computing and Communications.” That document outlined an R&D strategy
for high-performance computing and a framework for a multi-agency program, the HPCC
Program.
The NITRD Program is part of the larger federal effort to promote fundamental and
applied IT R&D. The government sponsors such research through a number of channels,
including:
! Federally-funded research and development laboratories, such as Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory
! Single-agency programs
14 The first report mandated information on the “Supercomputer Agreement” between the United
States and Japan be included in this report. A separate one-time only report was required on network
funding, including user fees, industry support, and federal investment.
15 "High-performance" computing is a term that encompasses both "supercomputing" and "grid
computing." In general, high-performance computers are defined as stand-alone or networked
computers that can perform "very complex computations very quickly." Supercomputing involves
a single, stand-alone computer located in a single location. Grid computing involves a group of
computers, in either the same location or spread over a number of locations, that are networked
together (e.g., via the Internet or a local network). House of Representatives, Committee on Science,
Supercomputing: Is the United States on the Right Path (Hearing Transcript),
[http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/science/hsy88231.000/hsy88231_0f.htm], 2003, p. 5-6.
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! Multi-agency programs, including the NITRD Program, but also programs
focusing on nanotechnology and combating terrorism
! Funding grants to academic institutions
! Funding grants to industry.
In general, supporters contend that federal funding of IT R&D has produced positive
results. In 2003, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) of the
National Research Council (NRC) released a “synthesis report” based on eight previously
released reports that examined “how innovation occurs in IT, what the most promising
research directions are, and what impacts such innovation might have on society.”16 One of
the most significant of the CSTB’s observations was that the unanticipated results of research
are often as important as the anticipated results. For example, electronic mail and instant
messaging were by-products of [government-funded] research in the 1960s that was aimed
at making it possible to share expensive computing resources among multiple simultaneous
interactive users.
Additionally, the report noted that federally funded programs have played a crucial role
in supporting long-term research into fundamental aspects of computing. Such
“fundamentals” provide broad practical benefits, but generally take years to realize.
Furthermore, supporters state that the nature and underlying importance of fundamental
research makes it less likely that industry would invest in and conduct more fundamental
research on its own. As noted by the CSTB, “companies have little incentive to invest
significantly in activities whose benefits will spread quickly to their rivals.”17 Further, in the
Board’s opinion:
government sponsorship of research, especially in universities, helps develop the IT talent
used by industry, universities, and other parts of the economy. When companies create
products using the ideas and workforce that result from federally-sponsored research,
they repay the nation in jobs, tax revenues, productivity increases, and world leadership.18
Another aspect of government-funded IT R&D is that it often leads to open standards,
something that many perceive as beneficial, encouraging deployment and further investment.
Industry, on the other hand, is more likely to invest in proprietary products and will diverge
from a common standard if it is sees a potential competitive or financial advantage; this has
happened, for example with standards for instant messaging.19
Finally, proponents of government R&D support believe that the outcomes achieved
through the various funding programs create a synergistic environment in which both
fundamental and application-driven research are conducted, benefitting government,
industry, academia, and the public. Supporters also believe that such outcomes justify
government’s role in funding IT R&D, as well as the growing budget for the NITRD
Program.
16 National Research Council, Innovation in Information Technology, 2003, p. 1. This report
discusses all federal funding for R&D, not only the NITRD Program.
17 Ibid, p. 4.
18 Ibid, p. 4.
19 Ibid, p. 18.
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Critics assert that the government, through its funding mechanisms, may be setting itself
up to pick “winners and losers” in technological development, a role more properly residing
with the private sector.20 For example, the size of the NITRD Program may encourage
industry to follow the government’s lead on research directions rather than selecting those
directions itself.
Overall, CSTB states that, government funding appears to have allowed research on a
larger scale and with greater diversity, vision, and flexibility than would have been possible
without government involvement.21
NCO and Related Activities
As explained earlier, the NCO provides technical and administrative support to the
NITRD Program, the NITRD Subcommittee, and the PITAC. This includes supporting
meetings and workshops and preparing reports. The NCO interacts with OSTP and OMB
on NITRD Program and PITAC matters.
At the request of OSTP and the NSTC, the NCO has supported the work of the
HECRTF. The task force was charged in 2003 with developing a five-year plan to guide
federal investment in high-end computing R&D. At the request of the task force and the
NCO, the Computing Research Association sponsored a workshop, Workshop on the Road
Map for the Revitalization of High End Computing, in June 2003.22 The report from the
workshop, released in January 2004, detailed findings in eight areas, for example, how to
encourage the development of more advanced enabling technologies, such as power
management systems, and commercial, off-the-shelf technologies. The task force released
its report, the Federal Plan for High-End Computing,23 in May 2004. The report presented
a plan for R&D in HEC hardware, software, and systems; federal agency access to capability
and capacity HEC resources; and improving how federal agencies procure HEC systems.
In September 2004, the NCO and the NITRD Subcommittee released the Interagency
Coordination Report for FY2004. The report provides a comprehensive description of the
FY2004 activities of the NITRD Program.24 In February 2005, the NCO released the
FY2006 Supplement to the President’s Budget.25 The supplement provides a brief technical
outline of the FY2006 budget request for the NITRD Program. Also in February 2005, the
20 Cato Institute, Encouraging Research: Taking Politics Out of R&D, September 13, 1999,
[http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/990913catord.html].
21 National Research Council, Innovation in Information Technology, 2003, p. 22.
22 Materials related to this panel and the report itself are available online at [http://www.cra.org/
Activities/workshops/nitrd/]. Additional materials related to the HECRTF are available at
[http://www.itrd.gov/hecrtf-outreach/index.html].
23 This report is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/2004_hecrtf/20040702_hecrtf.pdf].
24 This report is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/20041007_icr.pdf].
25 This report is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/2006supplement].
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PITAC released “Cyber Security: A Crisis of Prioritization.”26 That report outlined four key
findings and recommendations on how the Federal government could “foster new
architectures and technologies to secure the Nation’s IT infrastructure.” Specifically, the
PITAC urged the government to
! significantly increase support for fundamental research in civilian cyber
security in 10 priority areas
! intensify Federal efforts to promote the recruitment and retention of cyber
security researchers and students at research universities
! increase support for the rapid transfer of federally-developed cybersecurity
technologies to the private sector
! strengthen the coordination of Federal cybersecurity R&D activities.
Issues for Congress
Federal IT R&D is a multi-dimensional issue, involving many government agencies
working together towards shared and complementary goals. Most observers believe that
success in this arena requires ongoing coordination among government, academia, and
industry.
Through recent hearings, the House Committee on Science has been investigating issues
related to U.S. competitiveness in high-performance computing and the direction the IT R&D
community has been taking. Those issues and others remain salient and may merit further
investigation if the United States is to implement a comprehensive IT R&D policy. Included
among the possible issues Congress may wish to pursue are: the United States’ status as the
global leader in high-performance computing research; the apparent bifurcation of the federal
IT R&D research agenda between grid computing and supercomputing capabilities; the
possible over-reliance on commercially available hardware to satisfy U.S. research needs;
and the potential impact of deficit cutting on IT R&D funding.
Many Members of Congress as well as those in the research community have expressed
concern over whether the United States is maintaining its position as the global leader in
high-performance computing R&D. That concern has been highlighted by the fact that Japan
now has the fastest and most efficient supercomputer in the world.27 While this may be
reason for some concern, it also may be an indicator of how the United States’ research
agenda has become bifurcated, with some in the R&D community with some in the R&D
community focusing on traditional supercomputing capabilities and others focusing more on
cluster computing or grid computing. Each type of computing has its advantages, based on
its application. Stand-alone supercomputers are often faster and are generally used to work
on a specific problem. For example, cryptanalysis and climate modeling applications require
significant computing power and are best accomplished using specialized, stand-alone
computers. Cluster computing, however, allows the use of commercially available hardware,
26 This report is available online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/reports/20050301_cybersecurity/
cybersecurity.pdf].
27 House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Supercomputing: Is the United States on the
Right Path? (Hearing Transcript), [http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/science/
hsy88231.000/hsy88231_0f.htm], 2003, p. 13.
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which helps contain costs. The cluster configuration is useful for applications in which a
problem can be broken into smaller independent components.28
Without a clear plan as to how to proceed, pursuing two disparate research agendas
(with goals that could be viewed as being at odds with each other) could split the research
community even further, damaging its ability to provide leadership in either area. The
NITRD Program already is working on a “roadmap” for future directions in supercomputing;
therefore, one possible course for Congress at this time would be to monitor closely the work
of the High-End Computing Revitalization Task Force and provide input or a more visible
forum for discussion (i.e., additional hearings involving task force participants). Congress
may wish to conduct its own inquiry into the debate over grid versus stand-alone computing.
For example, at the July 2003 hearing, one of the overarching questions the panelists were
asked to address was whether federal agencies were pursuing conflicting R&D goals and, if
so, what should and could be done to ensure they moved toward a more coordinated, unified
goal.
Another issue is whether the United States is relying too heavily on commercially
available hardware to satisfy its R&D needs. While use of computers designed for mass-
market commercial applications can certainly be a part of a successful high-end computing
R&D plan, Congress may wish to monitor how this reliance may be driving the new
emphasis on grid computing.
As noted earlier, critics of IT R&D funding often state that industry should conduct
more fundamental R&D on their own, without government backing, and that fiscal restraint
dictates that less funding should be made available. Conversely, supporters of government
funding would point out that IT R&D has a very long cycle from inception to application and
that any reductions in funding now could have a significant negative impact for many years
to come in terms of innovation and training of researchers. Therefore, Congress may monitor
and assess the potential impact of deficit-cutting plans on progress in IT R&D.
Activity in the 109th Congress
To date, the 109th Congress has introduced one bill and held two hearings related to the
NITRD Program.
Major Legislation. Representative Judy Biggert introduced H.R. 28, the High-
Performance Computing Revitalization Act, to amend the High-Performance Computing Act
of 1991. The bill would further delineate the responsibilities of the NITRD Program,
including setting the goals and priorities for federal high-performance computing research,
development, networking, and other activities and providing more specific definitions for the
responsibilities of the PCAs. Introduced on January 4, 2005, and referred to the House
Committee on Science, which approved the bill on March 17, 2005. The committee also
approved, by voice vote, an amendment that stated that the results and benefits of federal
supercomputing research should be shared with the private sector. The committee rejected,
by a vote of 17-19, an amendment offered by Representative Brad Sherman that would have
directed the National Science Foundation to investigate the societal, ethical, legal, and
28 Ibid, p. 6-7.
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economic implications of computers that one day might be capable of mimicking human
abilities to learn, reason, and make decisions. H.R. 28 was agreed to by voice vote in the
House on April 26, 2005, and received in the Senate and where it was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on April 27, 2005.
Hearings. On February 16, 2005, the House Committee on Science held a hearing to
discuss the Federal R&D Budget for FY2006.29 This hearing covered the entire R&D budget
and included an overview of NITRD activities by Dr. John Marburger, the Director of OSTP.
On May 12, 2005, the House Committee on Science held a hearing entitled, “The Future
of Computer Science Research in the U.S.”30 That hearing focused on three primary areas
of investigation:
! What effects are shifts in federal support for computer science (e.g., shifts
in the balance between short- and long-term research, shifts in the roles of
different agencies) having on academic and industrial computer science
research and development? What impacts will these changes have on the
future of the U.S. information technology industry and on innovation in this
field?
! Are the federal government’s current priorities related to computer science
research appropriate? If not, how should they be changed?
! What should the federal government be doing to implement the
recommendations of the recent PITAC report on cybersecurity?
At this hearing, the committee heard testimony from Dr. Marburger, OSTP; Dr.
Anthony J. Tether; DARPA; Dr. William A. Wulf, National Academy of Engineering; and
Dr. Tom Leighton, Akamai Technologies and member of the PITAC. Testimony from Drs.
Marburger and Tether stressed the growing budget of computer research and their belief that
the overall health of the U.S. science and technology research community remains strong.
However, Dr. Wulf and Leighton, representing the research community, stated that they
believed government needed to provide even more funding, as industry was not willing to
fund the levels of fundamental research they believed necessary to sustain the United States’
research needs.
Relevant Laws
P.L. 102-194, the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, expanded federal support
for research, development, and application of high-performance computing; and called for
improving the interagency planning and coordination of federal research and development
on high-performance computing and maximizing the effectiveness of the federal
government’s high-performance computing efforts.
29 The charter and submitted testimony for this hearing is available online at
[http://www.house.gov/science/hearings/full05/index.htm].
30 The charter and submitted testimony for this hearing is available online at
[http://www.house.gov/science/press/109/109-71.htm].
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P.L. 105-305, the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998, amended the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1999 and
2000 for the Next Generation Internet program; and required the President’s Information
Technology Advisory Committee to monitor and give advice concerning the development
and implementation of the Next Generation Internet program and report to the President and
the Congress on its activities.
P.L. 108-423, the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act,
requires the Secretary of Energy to develop and deploy high-end computing systems for
advanced scientific and engineering applications. Among other specific requirements, the law
requires that the Department of Energy's high-end computing program support individual
investigators and multi-disciplinary teams of investigators; conduct research on multiple
computing architectures; conduct research on algorithms, programming environments, tools,
languages, and operating systems; support technology transfer to the private sector; and
coordinate with industry and other Federal agencies. Further, it requires the Secretary to
establish and operate Leadership Systems facilities that would provide the U.S. research
community with sustained access to high-performance computing resources and to establish
at least one High-End Software Development Center to concentrate efforts to develop, test,
maintain, and support optimized software tools for HEC.
LEGISLATION
H.R. 28 (Biggert)
High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act. The bill would amend the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 and further delineate the responsibilities of the NITRD
Program, including setting the goals and priorities for federal high-performance computing
research, development, networking, and other activities and providing more specific
definitions for the responsibilities of the PCAs. The bill was referred to the House
Committee on Science on January 4, 2005; it was approved on March 17, 2005. The
committee also approved, by voice vote, an amendment that stated that the results and
benefits of federal supercomputing research should be shared with the private sector. The
committee rejected, by a vote of 17-19, an amendment offered by Representative Brad
Sherman that would have directed the National Science Foundation to investigate the
societal, ethical, legal, and economic implications of computers that one day might be
capable of mimicking human abilities to learn, reason, and make decisions. H.R. 28 was
agreed to by voice vote in the House on April 26, 2005, and received in the Senate and where
it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
on April 27, 2005.
FOR ADDITIONAL READING
CRS Reports
CRS Report RL32799, Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2006, by Michael
E. Davey.
CRS Issue Brief IB10088, Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-
Setting Issues, 108th Congress, by Genevieve J. Knezo.
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CRS Report RL31175, High Performance Computers and Export Control Policy: Issues for
Congress, by Glenn J. McLoughlin and Ian F. Fergusson.
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Websites
The National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development,
[http://www.nitrd.gov/].
T h e P r e s i d e n t ’ s I n f o r m a t i o n T e c h n o l o g y A d v i s o r y C o m m i t t e e ,
[http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/index.html].
The Interagency Working Group for Information Technology Research and Development,
[http://www.nitrd.gov/iwg/index.html].
Reports and Documents
“Supplement to the President's Budget for FY2005, Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development,” Subcommittee on Information Technology Research and
Development and National Science and Technology Council, December 2004, available
online at [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/blue05/].
“Federal Plan for High-End Computing,” Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Executive Office of the President, May 2004, available online at
[http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/2004_hecrtf/20040702_hecrtf.pdf].
“The Technology Industry at an Innovation Crossroads,” Electronic Industries Association,
May 2004, [http://www.eia.org/docs/innovation_playbook.pdf].
“Workshop on the Roadmap for the Revitalization of High-End Computing,” Computing
R e s e a r c h A s s o c i a t e s , 2 0 0 4 , [ h t t p : / / w w w . n i t r d . g o v / h e c r t f - o u t r e a c h /
20040112_cra_hecrtf_report.pdf].
“Federal Plan for High-End Computing,” High-End Computing Revitalization Task Force,
2004, [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/2004_hecrtf/20040702_hecrtf.pdf].
“Innovation in Information Technology,” National Research Council, Computer Science and
Telecommunications Board, 2003, [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/
cstb/pub_itinnovation.html].
“Future of Supercomputing: An Interim Report,” National Research Council, Computer
Science and Telecommunications Board, 2003, [http://www7.nationalacademies
.org/cstb/pub_supercomp_int.html].
“Human Computer Interaction and Information Management Research Needs,” HCI&IM
Coordinating Group of the Interagency Working Group on Information Research and
Development, 2003 [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/hci-im_research_needs_final.pdf].
“Grand Challenges: Science, Engineering, and Societal Advances Requiring Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development,” NITRD Program National
Coordinating Office, 2003, [http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/200311_grand_challenges.pdf].
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“Supercomputing: Is the United States on the Right Path?,” House of Representatives,
Committee on Science (Hearing Transcript), 2003 [http://commdocs.house.gov
/committees/science/ hsy88231.000/hsy88231_0f.htm].
“Funding a Revolution: Government Support for Computing Research,” National Research
Council, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, 1999,
[http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cstb/pub_revolution.html].
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