Computing Research Policy Blog

PCAST Report on the Federal Networking and IT R&D Program Released

The long-awaited follow-up review of the NITRD program -- the first since the 1999 PITAC report Investing in Our Future -- has been released and is available from the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy. It's called Leadership Under Challenge: Information Technology R&D in a Competitive World (pdf). We've discussed in depth a draft version of the report previously, but this final version is far more fleshed out.

We'll have more after we've had a chance to look at it more thoroughly. But if you don't have time to read the whole thing, you can just check out the back cover, upon which are printed the committee's four overarching recommendations:

To sustain U.S. leadership, the Federal government should:

Address the demand for skilled IT professionals by revamping curricula, increasing fellowships, and simplifying visa processes.

Emphasize larger-scale, longer-term, multidisciplinary IT R&D and innovative, higher-risk research

Give priority to R&D in IT systems connected with the physical world, software, digital data, and networking

Develop and implement strategic and technical plans for the NITRD Program

Also check ACM's Technology Policy Blog where Cameron Wilson has more on IT education and workforce coverage in the report.

Update: (9/14/07) -- PCAST IT Subcommittee Co-Chair (and CRA Chair) Dan Reed, one of the principal authors of Leadership Under Challenge, has posted his take on the new report. Definitely worth a read.

Previously:

PCAST Approves Draft IT R&D Recommendations

Posted by PeterHarsha at September 12, 2007 11:59 AM
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