| Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program | |
| Seal: | NITRD.gif |
| Formed: | Established: |
| Jurisdiction: | United States |
| Headquarters: | Washington, DC, U.S. |
| Chief1 Name: | Craig Schlenoff [1] |
| Chief1 Position: | Director of the NITRD NCO |
The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program consists of a group of U.S. federal agencies to research and develop information technology (IT) capabilities to empower Federal missions; support U.S. science, engineering, and technology leadership; and bolster U.S. economic competitiveness. [2]
The NITRD Program is managed by the NITRD Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Committee on Technology and supported by the NITRD National Coordination Office (NCO).
NITRD Program’s member agencies coordinate their NITRD research activities and plans by Interagency Working Groups (IWGs). For each IWG, agency representatives meet to exchange information and collaborate on research plans and activities such as testbeds, workshops, and cooperative proposal solicitations.
The annual NITRD Supplement to the President’s Budget is organized by Program Component Areas (PCAs), where the PCAs are major subject areas for federal IT R&D. PCAs are intended to facilitate budgetary comparisons from year to year in each area. The PCA set evolves over time, reflecting changes in IT R&D activities at federal agencies and IT R&D priorities of the Administration.[3] In its first annual report to Congress, the Supplement to the President’s Fiscal Year 1992 Budget, HPCC reported a FY 1991 base budget of $489 million, with eight federal agencies participating, and four R&D components. The FY 2024 NITRD Supplement to the President’s Budget reports to Congress an estimated budget of $10.9B billion across 25 Federal agencies and 12 R&D focus areas.
The following federal agencies report their IT research budgets in the NITRD "crosscut" and provide proportional funding to support NITRD's operations:
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of State
Department of Veteran Affairs
Independent Agencies
Representatives of other agencies also participate.
NITRD's National Coordination Office (NCO) supports NITRD's planning, budget, and assessment activities. The NCO also supports the NITRD Subcommittee, which coordinates the NITRD Program, and the organizations that report to the Subcommittee.[3] The NCO's director is appointed by the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The NCO works with the NITRD agencies, IWGs, CGs and the White House Office of Management and Budget to prepare, publish, and disseminate the Program's annual supplement to the President's Budget, Federal networking and IT R&D plans, and networking and IT research needs reports.
The NCO provides technical support for the activities of the Networking and Information Technology Subcommittee of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a panel of experts from industry and academia, in assessing the NITRD Program and preparing associated reports.
The NCO maintains the NITRD Web site – The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program – which contains information about the Program and electronic versions of NITRD documents
The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program (formerly known as High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program) was created by the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, (P.L. 102-194)[4] and amended by the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-305),[5] and the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69).[6] NITRD was reauthorized by Congress in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017 (P.L. 114-329).[7]
Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg was the founding Director of the National Coordination Office (NCO) for NITRD, formerly the NCO for High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC). The High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 called for the coordination of activities in high-performance computing and the establishment of a National Research and Education Network (NREN) across Federal agencies. Dr. Lindberg led this effort from 1992 to 1995 while serving concurrently as the Director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
| Name | Dates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1992 – March 1995 | |||
| John C. Toole | March 1995 – July 1997 | ||
| Sally E. Howe | July 1997 – December 1997 | acting director | |
| Kay Howell | December 1997 – September 2000 | ||
| Cita M. Furlani | October 2000 – November 2002 | ||
| David B. Nelson | December 2002 – April 2005 | ||
| Simon Szykman | May 2005 – January 2007 | ||
| Charles Romine | January 2007 – October 2007 | acting director | |
| Christopher L. Greer | October 2007 – September 2009 | ||
| Ernest L. McDuffie | September 2009 – November 2009 | acting director | |
| George O. Strawn | November 2009 – June 2015 | ||
| June 2015 – July 2016 | |||
| Bryan Biegel | August 2016 – July 2018 | ||
| Kamie Roberts | August 2018 – October 2023 | ||
| Craig Schlenoff | October 2023 – present |