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
Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...
(IT) capabilities to empower Federal missions; support U.S. science, engineering, and technology leadership; and bolster U.S. economic competitiveness.
Organization
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).
Working Groups
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.
Program Component Areas
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.
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.
Participating agencies
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
*
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into Outline of p ...
(NIST)
*
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
(NOAA)
*
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Department of Defense
*
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Adva ...
(DARPA)
*
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...
(NSA)
*
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out au ...
(OSD) and Service Research Organizations
*
Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
*
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Air Force Materiel Command, Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct- ...
(AFRL)
*
Army Research Laboratory
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) is the foundational research laboratory for the United States Army under the United States Army Futures Command (AFC). DEVCOM ARL conducts intramural an ...
(ARL)
*
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...
(ONR)
Department of Energy
*
National Nuclear Security Administration
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and ef ...
(DOE/NNSA)
* Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (DOE/CESER)
*
Office of Science (DOE/SC)
Department of Health and Human Services
*
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ; pronounced "ark" by initiates and often "A-H-R-Q" by the public) is one of twelve agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency is headquartered in North ...
(AHRQ)
*
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
(NIH)
*
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the List of United States federal agencies, United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related occ ...
(NIOSH)
*
(ONC)
Department of Homeland Security
*
Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T)
Department of the Interior
*
U.S. Geological Survey
Department of Justice
*
National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).
NIJ, along with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Offic ...
(NIJ)
Department of State
*
Department of State (DOS)
Department of Veteran Affairs
*
National Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII)
Independent Agencies
*
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it su ...
(NASA)
*
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
*
National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
(NSF)
Representatives of other agencies also participate.
Coordination
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.
The NCO's director is appointed by the Director of the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congres ...
.
The NCO works with the NITRD agencies, IWGs, CGs and the White House
Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...
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
History and legal background
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) and amended by the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-305), and the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69). NITRD was reauthorized by Congress in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017 (P.L. 114-329).
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).
Directors
Publications
* The Annual Supplement to the President's Budget, which is required by law, summarizes the program activities.
Supplements to the President's Budget
at nitrd.gov
National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan 2023 Update
(May 2023)
National Strategy to Advance Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing and Analytics
(March 2023)
National Objectives for Digital Assets Research and Development
(March 2023)
Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan (2019)
(December 2019)
The Federal Big Data Research and Development Strategic Plan
(May 2016)
Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program
(December 2011)
CSIA IWG Cybersecurity R&D Recommendations
(May 2010)
Harnessing the Power of Digital Data for Science and Society – Report of the Interagency Working Group on Digital Data to the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council
(January 2009)
Federal Plan for Advanced Networking Research and Development
(September 2008 )
Federal Plan for Cyber Security and Information Assurance Research and Development
(April 2006)
Federal Plan for High-End Computing
(Second Printing – July 2004)
Five-Year Strategic Plan for FY 2002-FY 2006
References
{{Authority control
Information technology research institutes
Government research
United States federal computing legislation