HIGHLIGHTS:
Computing Research Advocacy Network

Information Technology Initiative

Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act

In his FY 2000 budget, President Clinton proposed a new $366 million research initiative, Information Technology for the Twenty-First Century (IT²), which would implement the recommendations of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee.

Six federal agencies requested funds to participate in the initiative: the National Science Foundation; the Department of Defense; the Department of Energy; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Institutes of Health; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In its FY 2000 appropriations bills, the Congress approved much though not all of the funding for the IT research initiative. The NSF will receive $90 million for fundamental IT research through the CISE directorate, $20 million less than its request, and $36 million for terascale computing. DARPA will receive $30 million for new IT research, less than half its original request. NASA & NOAA will receive general appropriations for research that should allow them to participate in the IT initiative at or close to planned levels. DoE's request to establish a $70 million Scientific Simulation Initiative was denied. The bill that provides funding for the National Institutes of Health is not yet complete; however it appears NIH's budget will be increased by more than $2 billion which would enable the agency's participation in the initiative.

Information

• IT² Implementation Plan

• Information Technology For the Twenty-First Century: A Bold Investment In America's Future — Administration Background Paper

• NSF Backgrounder on IT²

• DoE's Scientific Simulation Initiative page

Advocacy Resources

• CRA-TechNet News Conference, September 1, 1999

• Expanding the Federal Investment in Information Technology Research — CRA Policy Brief

  Acrobat (.pdf) | Postscript (.ps)

• The Information Technology Research Initiative — CRA Fact Sheet

  Acrobat (.pdf) | Postscript (.ps)

• The PITAC Final Report — CRA Fact Sheet

  Acrobat (.pdf) | Postscript (.ps)

• The National Investment in Information Technology R&D — CRA Policy Brief

  Acrobat (.pdf) | Postscript (.ps)

Congressional Testimony

• CRA Testimony in support of FY 2000 Appropriations for the National Science Foundation given by Edward D. Lazowska, Chair, Board of Directors, Computing Research Association, and Chair, Department of Computer S cience & Engineering, University of Washington before the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies U.S. House of Representatives, April 28, 1999

• CRA Testimony in support of the FY 2000 DoD budget request given by John Gannon, CRA board member, Chair of CRA government affairs committee, and Chair, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, befor e the Subcommittee on Defense, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives, March 25, 1999

Additional information on the initiative can be found in CRA's Summary and Analysis of R&D in the FY 2000 Budget Request and the official budget documents of the participating agencies, available from the FY 2000 Fed eral Budget Request page.