The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities

Abstract

In the early 1990s, Congress recognized that several federal agencies had ongoing high-performance computing programs, 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 (P.L. 102-194) to enhance the effectiveness of the various programs. In conjunction with the passage of the act, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released "Grand Challenges: High-Performance Computing and Communications." That document outlined a research and development (R&D) strategy for high-performance computing and a framework for a multiagency program, the High-Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program. The HPCC Program has evolved over time and is now called the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program, to better reflect its expanded mission. The NITRD Program is composed of 12 agencies; its members work in collaboration to increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of federal information technology (IT) R&D. A National Coordinating Office coordinates the activities of the NITRD Program and reports to OSTP and the National Science and Technology Council. Proponents assert that federal support of IT R&D has produced positive outcomes for the country and 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. The FY2006 budget calls for $2.155 billion for the NITRD Program, a 4.5% decrease from the FY2005 budget of $2.256 billion. During the 109th Congress, one NITRD-related bill has been introduced, H.R. 28; it 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.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 02, 2005
Accession Number
ADA465434

Entities

People

  • Patricia M. Figliola

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Networks
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Congress
  • Digital Communications
  • Governments
  • High Performance Computing
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Information Systems
  • Intellectual Property
  • Internet
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Task Forces
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting