PCAST Releases Report Reviewing the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program

Today, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a Congressionally mandated review of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program – a federal program designed to foster U.S. leadership in networking and information technology research and development (R&D). PCAST’s review highlights that NITRD continues to be effective in supporting U.S. innovation and commercial growth in computing and communication technology and is a valuable tool for the nation.

To build on these successes, PCAST is also making seven recommendations to strengthen NITRD’s efforts. PCAST recommends that:

• The NITRD Coordination Office review the format and timing of its existing reports to better match the needs of current and prospective users of those reports.

• The NITRD Coordination Office develop a plan to expand its base of users and stakeholders.

• The NITRD Coordination Office identify activities where NITRD might contribute institutional memory and R&D awareness beyond their current work by developing a list of convenings of federal agency officials (councils, committees, etc.) in the areas of information and data science and technology.

• The NITRD Coordination Office update the Program Component Areas (PCAs) that summarize and guide all of NITRD’s work. The new PCAs should be future-looking and aimed at encouraging agencies to support R&D on the most relevant technologies of today and tomorrow. The PCA update should also aim to make the PCAs more useful as budget-reporting categories for policymakers.

• Federal agencies’ budget reporting for PCAs should differentiate between using a technology and researching a technology.

• The NITRD Coordination Office and the National Science and Technology Council’s NITRD Subcommittee should clearly separate the organization of its convening activities from the definition of the PCAs. The number, definitions, and lifetimes of all the convenings should be flexible, variable, and customer-driven. 

• NITRD Program entities should more specifically address the “special moment of AI” in their activities and planning. The NITRD National Coordination Office should increase its involvement with, and usefulness to the numerous new federal activities in AI. 

These recommendations seek to support and improve the NITRD Program’s ongoing coordination of networking and information technology R&D, helping these crucial technology areas to continue to serve public sector needs while also providing a foundation for future private sector growth.

To view a full copy of the PCAST report, please click here.

To view PCAST’s Letter to the President and the Executive Summary of the report, please click here.

PCAST is the sole body of advisors from outside the federal government charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President. Learn more about their work here.

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