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03-22-05
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities
SUMMARYIn 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 Com-
munications Program Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-
194) to enhance the effectiveness of the vari-
ous programs. In conjunction with the passage
of the act, the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy (OSTP) released
Grand Challenges: High-Performance Com-
puting 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 Communi-
cations (HPCC) Program.
The HPCC Program has evolved over
time and is now called the Networking and
Information Technology Research and Devel-
opment (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 effec-
tiveness and productivity of federal informa-
tion technology (IT) R&D. A National Coor-
dinating 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 sup-
porting long-term research into fundamental
aspects of computing. Such fundamentals
provide broad practical benefits, but generally
take years to realize. Additionally, the unan-
ticipated results of research are often as im-Congressional Research Service +
portant as the anticipated results.
Another aspect of government-funded IT
research is that it often leads to open stan-
dards, something that many perceive as bene-
ficial, encouraging deployment and further
investment. Industry, on the other hand, is
more inclined to invest in proprietary products
and will diverge from a common standard
when there is a potential competitive or finan-
cial advantage to do so.
Finally, proponents of government sup-
port believe that the outcomes achieved
through the various funding programs create a
synergistic environment in which both funda-
mental and application-driven research are
conducted, benefitting government, industry,
academia, and the public. Supporters also
believe that such outcomes justify govern-
ment's role in funding IT R&D, as well as the
growing budget for the NITRD Program.
Critics assert that the government,
through its funding mechanisms, may be
picking "winners and losers" in technological
development, a role more properly residing
with the private sector. For example, the size
of the NITRD Program may encourage indus-
try to follow the government's lead on re-
search directions rather than selecting those
directions itself.
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 approved by the House Committee
on Science on March 17, 2005.
The Library of Congress CRS1B10130
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Figliola, Patricia Moloney. The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities, report, March 22, 2005; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810276/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.