The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program is the primary mechanism by which the Federal government coordinates its unclassified networking and information technology (NIT) research and development (R&D) investments. Fourteen Federal agencies, including all of the large science and technology agencies, are formal members of the NITRD Program, with many other Federal entities participating in NITRD activities. The program helps ensure that the Nation effectively leverages its strengths, avoids duplication, and increases interoperability in such critical areas as supercomputing, high-speed networking, cybersecurity, software engineering, and information management. PCAST finds that NITRD is well coordinated and that the U.S. computing research community, coupled with a vibrant NIT industry, has made seminal discoveries and advanced new technologies that are helping to meet many societal challenges.

Importantly, however, PCAST also finds that a substantial fraction of the NITRD multi-agency spending summary represents spending that supports R&D in other fields, rather than spending on R&D in the field of NIT itself. As a result, the Nation is actually investing far less in NIT R&D than the $4 billion-plus indicated in the Federal budget. To achieve America's priorities and advance key research frontiers to support economic competitiveness in NIT, this report calls for a more accurate accounting of this national investment and recommends additional investments in NIT R&D, including research in networking and information technology for health, energy and transportation, and cyber-infrastructure, among others. NIT has yielded enormous benefits for the Nation's economic competitiveness, national security, and quality of life.

To maintain America's leadership in NIT in an ever more competitive global environment, the Federal Government must be bold in its investments, including funding of high risk/high reward research with the potential to move this essential field in unanticipated directions. PCAST believes that execution of the recommendations in this report will enable us to address critical priorities and challenges in the years ahead.