Recommendations on Information Technology Research Policy
for President George W. Bush and the New Administration


Summary


Introduction

The burgeoning use of information technologies throughout society is changing the way Americans live, learn, work, and play — no sector of the economy and few aspects of daily life have been left untouched by the astounding advances in information technology of the late 20th century. As the information revolution shows no signs of abating as we begin the 21st century, the IT policies set forth by your administration will have lasting impact on the Nation's capacity to develop new information technologies and use them wisely.

The Computing Research Association — an alliance of more than 180 North American organizations active in computing research, including academic departments, independent centers, and corporate laboratories — has developed the following recommendations on IT policy for your consideration.


Recommendations regarding IT policy expertise

Information technology is a pervasive transformational force throughout society and the New Economy, it impacts nearly every area of national importance, including defense, health care, education, energy, commerce, transportation, and the environment. It is crucial that your administration incorporate IT expertise in the making of domestic and economic policy, to ensure that appropriate IT resources are brought to bear on the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.

Many facets of IT policy warrant extended study and consideration. In recognition of this, the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 (PL 102-194) and its successor, the Next Generation Internet Act of 1998 (PL 105-305), call on the President to establish an independent advisory committee of experts from various sectors of the IT enterprise. Under the previous administration, the committee, known as the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC), developed a number of useful reports, for instance on advanced internet technologies, bridging the digital divide, and using IT to transform education and health care. We are pleased that you have extended PITAC temporarily in a recent Executive Order, and urge you to maintain a permanent mechanism for expert advice on IT policy, including IT research.


Recommendations regarding information technology research

The information revolution did not emerge by accident — the extraordinary pace of progress in IT and the strength of U.S. IT industries are built on a foundation of federal investments in long-term, fundamental computing and communications R&D made over the course of several decades . A vigorous, publicly supported basic research program is a vital component of keeping the U.S. at the forefront of IT. We must invest in IT research wisely and at a level commensurate with its importance in the New Economy if we are to meet the challenges of the 21st century .

Yet a congressionally chartered, presidentially appointed panel of experts and stakeholders in IT conducted an assessment in 1999 and found that the federal investment in IT research was inadequate and too focused on short-term R&D, that the reservoir of new ideas and capabilities was being depleted at a rate far greater than the growth of resources being devoted to its replenishment. They developed a five-year strategy to redress these critical deficiencies and identified the top priorities for a new focus on high-risk, high-payoff research: software, scalable information infrastructure, high-end computing, and the socioeconomic and workforce impacts of IT.

In response, the previous administration with the bipartisan support of the Congress provided new funding in fiscal years 2000-2001 for a multi-agency effort to expand the federal investment in IT research and re-orient it toward long-term, fundamental research. We urge you to keep this five-year effort on track, by proposing significant budgetary growth for the component agency programs in each of the next three fiscal years.

In light of the above, the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 and its successor, the Next Generation Internet Act of 1998, are due for revision. These bills, and the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program they established and maintained, have served the country exceedingly well over the past ten years; for instance they stimulated the transformation of the Internet into the social and commercial force it is today. Federal investments in HPCC have kept the U.S. on the cutting edge of high-end computing and have provided the Nation's scientists and engineers with computational and communications resources that enable them to tackle otherwise insoluble Ògrand challengeÓ problems of national importance.

But the state of information technology and its role in the economy have changed considerably, and the statutes governing IT research must be modified accordingly. The 106th Congress began the process by considering the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act (HR 2086), sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) with bipartisan support. While both chambers passed similar versions of the bill, it was not reconciled prior to adjournment. Enactment of HPCC reauthorization legislation — to refocus the federal IT investment on long-term research in critical areas — should be a top priority for U.S. science and technology policy.

By reducing the costs of private sector investment in high-risk R&D, the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit has been exceptionally influential in establishing the U.S. as the world leader in developing new information technologies. While the R&D tax credit has been extended numerous times, its unpredictability has prevented it from achieving its full potential to spur innovation and economic growth. As more and more of our competitors seek to attract R&D facilities to their shores with lucrative tax and other incentives, we believe it is time to permanently extend this key instrument of U.S. high technology policy.

Recommendations regarding the IT education and workforce pipeline

The U.S. must maintain an adequate supply of IT workers if it wants to retain its world lead in the IT sector and remain competitive in other industries that rely on information technology. In 1999 CRA conducted a detailed study of the supply of IT workers in the U.S. that raised a variety of issues with implications for federal policy. We urge your administration to pay special attention to the IT workforce pipeline when considering issues in education and human resources policy. For instance, the current IT workforce is drawn heavily from only one segment of the U.S. population, white males, who today make up only one-third of the college student population. Increasing the participation rates among women, minorities, and the differently-abled in IT fields is crucial to the Nation's ability to meet industrial demand for IT workers. Numerous studies have been conducted and recommendations promulgated to attract under-represented groups into scientific and technical fields. We believe these must be given higher priority on the national agenda. Moreover, greater effort is needed to understand and address under-representation as it pertains specifically to computing and related fields. The CRA study noted a number of signs indicating the existence of a Òseed-cornÓ problem in the IT pipeline, that the high industrial demand for IT workers may be siphoning off too many graduate students and faculty from universities, leaving an insufficient number to educate the next generation of IT workers. Many academic departments of computer science and related fields are experiencing difficulties in recruiting and retaining both graduate students and faculty, given the greater financial benefits available in the for-profit sector. The fact that undergraduate enrollments are skyrocketing is exacerbating the situation. CRA and its member organizations are working to address these difficulties, but the matter also deserves serious consideration from the perspective of the national interest. CRA is pleased that your administration has given high priority to K-12 education. It has long been recognized that the federal government has a special interest in fostering high quality science and mathematics education for all students. As you move forward with your education agenda, we urge you to reaffirm this interest and support efforts that contribute specifically to education in these areas. Moreover, we urge you to encourage the realization of the enormous potential of information technology to transform education. Of critical importance is ensuring that teachers have the necessary abilities and skills to effect positive changes.

Conclusion

Expanding the federal investment in long-term information technology research and ensuring an adequate IT workforce pipeline are essential to sustaining the competitiveness and productivity of the U.S. economy, maintaining a technologically superior defense, advancing the frontiers of science and engineering, strengthening public infrastructure and services, and improving the lives of all Americans. Your administration has an historic opportunity to put U.S. information technology policy on a solid footing that will serve the Nation well for decades to come. CRA offers the above recommendations in good faith and stands ready to assist your administration in any capacity in which we might be called.


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