1.This Act may be cited as the
Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2009
.
2.Program planning
and coordination
(a)Section 101 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991
(15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
(d)The agencies
identified in subsection (a)(3)(B) shall—
(1)periodically assess the contents and
funding levels of the Program Component Areas and restructure the Program when
warranted, taking into consideration any relevant recommendations of the
advisory committee established under subsection (b); and
(2)ensure that the
Program includes large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary research and
development activities, including activities described in section
104.
.
(b)Development of
strategic planSection 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended further by adding after subsection (d), as added by subsection (a) of
this Act, the following new subsection:
(e)
(1)The agencies identified in subsection (a)(3)(B), working
through the National Science and Technology Council and with the assistance of
the National Coordination Office established under section 102, shall develop,
within 12 months after the date of enactment of the
Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2009, and update every 3 years
thereafter, a 5-year strategic plan to guide the activities described under
subsection (a)(1).
(2)The
strategic plan shall specify near-term and long-term objectives for the
Program, the anticipated time frame for achieving the near-term objectives, the
metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the objectives, and how the
Program will—
(A)foster the
transfer of research and development results into new technologies and
applications for the benefit of society, including through cooperation and
collaborations with networking and information technology research,
development, and technology transition initiatives supported by the
States;
(B)encourage and support mechanisms for
interdisciplinary research and development in networking and information
technology, including through collaborations across agencies, across Program
Component Areas, with industry, with Federal laboratories (as defined in
section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3703)), and with international organizations;
(C)address long-term
challenges of national importance for which solutions require large-scale,
long-term, interdisciplinary research and development;
(D)place emphasis on
innovative and high-risk projects having the potential for substantial societal
returns on the research investment;
(E)strengthen all
levels of networking and information technology education and training programs
to ensure an adequate, well-trained workforce; and
(F)attract more women and underrepresented
minorities to pursue postsecondary degrees in networking and information
technology.
(3)National research
infrastructureThe strategic plan developed in accordance with
paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by milestones and roadmaps for establishing
and maintaining the national research infrastructure required to support the
Program, including the roadmap required by subsection (a)(2)(E).
(4)The
entities involved in developing the strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall
take into consideration the recommendations—
(A)of the advisory committee established
under subsection (b); and
(B)of the stakeholders whose input was
solicited by the National Coordination Office, as required under section
102(b)(3).
(5)The Director of the National Coordination Office shall
transmit the strategic plan required under paragraph (1) to the advisory
committee, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
.
(c)Additional
responsibilities of directorSection 101(a)(2) of such Act (15
U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended—
(1)by redesignating
subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively;
and
(2)by inserting after
subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:
(E)encourage and
monitor the efforts of the agencies participating in the Program to allocate
the level of resources and management attention necessary to ensure that the
strategic plan under subsection (e) is developed and executed effectively and
that the objectives of the Program are
met;
.
(d)Section 101(b)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)) is
amended by inserting after an advisory committee on high-performance
computing,
the following: in which the co-chairs shall be
members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and
with the remainder of the committee
.
(e)Section
101(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(3)) is amended—
(1)in subparagraph
(C)—
(A)by striking
is submitted,
and inserting is submitted, the levels for
the previous fiscal year,
; and
(B)by striking each Program Component
Area;
and inserting each Program Component Area and research
area supported in accordance with section 104;
;
(2)in subparagraph
(D)—
(A)by striking each Program Component
Area,
and inserting each Program Component Area and research
area supported in accordance with section 104,
;
(B)by striking
is submitted,
and inserting is submitted, the levels for
the previous fiscal year,
; and
(C)by striking
and
after the semicolon;
(3)by redesignating
subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G); and
(4)by inserting after
subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraphs:
(E)include a description of how the objectives
for each Program Component Area, and the objectives for activities that involve
multiple Program Component Areas, relate to the objectives of the Program
identified in the strategic plan required under subsection (e);
(F)include—
(i)a
description of the funding required by the National Coordination Office to
perform the functions specified under section 102(b) for the next fiscal year
by category of activity;
(ii)a
description of the funding required by such Office to perform the functions
specified under section 102(b) for the current fiscal year by category of
activity; and
(iii)the amount of
funding provided for such Office for the current fiscal year by each agency
participating in the Program;
and
.
(f)Section
4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5503) is amended—
(1)by redesignating
paragraphs (1) through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
(2)by inserting
before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following new paragraph:
(1)cyber-physical
systems
means physical or engineered systems whose networking and
information technology functions and physical elements are deeply integrated
and are actively connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators, or
other means to perform monitoring and control
functions;
;
(3)in paragraph (4), as so
redesignated—
(A)by striking
“high-performance computing” and inserting “networking and information
technology”; and
(B)by striking
“supercomputer” and inserting “high-end computing”;
(4)in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by
striking network referred to as
and all that follows through the
semicolon and inserting network, including advanced computer networks of
Federal agencies and departments;
; and
(5)in paragraph (7),
as so redesignated, by striking National High-Performance Computing
Program
and inserting networking and information technology
research and development program
.
3.Large-scale
research in areas of national importanceTitle I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
104.Large-scale
research in areas of national importance
(a)The Program shall encourage agencies identified in
section 101(a)(3)(B) to support large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary
research and development activities in networking and information technology
directed toward application areas that have the potential for significant
contributions to national economic competitiveness and for other significant
societal benefits. Such activities, ranging from basic research to the
demonstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to advance the
development of research discoveries. The advisory committee established under
section 101(b) shall make recommendations to the Program for candidate research
and development areas for support under this section.
(b)
(1)Research and development activities under this section
shall—
(A)include projects
selected on the basis of applications for support through a competitive,
merit-based process;
(B)involve
collaborations among researchers in institutions of higher education and
industry, and may involve nonprofit research institutions and Federal
laboratories, as appropriate;
(C)when possible,
leverage Federal investments through collaboration with related State
initiatives; and
(D)include a plan for
fostering the transfer of research discoveries and the results of technology
demonstration activities, including from institutions of higher education and
Federal laboratories, to industry for commercial development.
(2)In
selecting applications for support, the agencies shall give special
consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-Federal
sources.
(3)If 2 or more agencies identified in section
101(a)(3)(B), or other appropriate agencies, are working on large-scale
research and development activities in the same area of national importance,
then such agencies shall strive to collaborate through joint solicitation and
selection of applications for support and subsequent funding of
projects.
(4)Interdisciplinary
research centersResearch and development activities under this
section may be supported through interdisciplinary research centers that are
organized to investigate basic research questions and carry out technology
demonstration activities in areas described in subsection (a). Research may be
carried out through existing interdisciplinary centers, including those
authorized under section 7024(b)(2) of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law
110–69; 42 U.S.C.
1862o–10).
.
4.Cyber-physical
systems and information management
(a)Additional
Program characteristicsSection 101(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5511(a)(1)) is amended—
(1)in subparagraph
(H), by striking and
after the semicolon;
(2)in subparagraph
(I), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(3)by adding at the
end the following new subparagraphs:
(J)provide for increased understanding of the
scientific principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods
available for the design, development, and operation of cyber-physical systems
that are characterized by high reliability, safety, and security; and
(K)provide for
research and development on human-computer interactions, visualization, and
information
management.
.
(b)Title I of such Act (15
U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by adding after section 104, as added by
section 3, the following new section:
105.University/Industry
Task force
(a)Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of the Networking and Information
Technology Research and Development Act of 2009, the Director of
the National Coordination Office established under section 102 shall convene a
task force to explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative research and
development activities for cyber-physical systems, including the related
technologies required to enable these systems, through a consortium or other
appropriate entity with participants from institutions of higher education,
Federal laboratories, and industry.
(b)The
task force shall—
(1)develop options
for a collaborative model and an organizational structure for such entity under
which the joint research and development activities could be planned, managed,
and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for the allocation of resources
among the participants in such entity for support of such activities;
(2)propose a process
for developing a research and development agenda for such entity, including
objectives and milestones;
(3)define the roles
and responsibilities for the participants from institutions of higher
education, Federal laboratories, and industry in such entity;
(4)propose guidelines
for assigning intellectual property rights and for the transfer of research
results to the private sector; and
(5)make
recommendations for how such entity could be funded from Federal, State, and
non-governmental sources.
(c)In
establishing the task force under subsection (a), the Director of the National
Coordination Office shall appoint an equal number of individuals from
institutions of higher education and from industry with knowledge and expertise
in cyber-physical systems, of which 2 may be selected from Federal
laboratories.
(d)Not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2009, the Director of the
National Coordination Office shall transmit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives a report describing the findings and
recommendations of the task
force.
.
5.National
Coordination OfficeSection
102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended to read as follows:
102.National
Coordination Office
(a)The Director shall establish a National
Coordination Office with a Director and full-time staff.
(b)The
National Coordination Office shall—
(1)provide technical
and administrative support to—
(A)the agencies
participating in planning and implementing the Program, including such support
as needed in the development of the strategic plan under section 101(e);
and
(B)the advisory
committee established under section 101(b);
(2)serve as the
primary point of contact on Federal networking and information technology
activities for government organizations, academia, industry, professional
societies, State computing and networking technology programs, interested
citizen groups, and others to exchange technical and programmatic
information;
(3)solicit input and
recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders during the development of
each strategic plan required under section 101(e) through the convening of at
least 1 workshop with invitees from academia, industry, Federal laboratories,
and other relevant organizations and institutions;
(4)conduct public
outreach, including the dissemination of findings and recommendations of the
advisory committee, as appropriate; and
(5)promote access to
and early application of the technologies, innovations, and expertise derived
from Program activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal
Government and to United States industry.
(c)
(1)The operation of the National Coordination Office shall
be supported by funds from each agency participating in the Program.
(2)The
portion of the total budget of such Office that is provided by each agency for
each fiscal year shall be in the same proportion as each such agency’s share of
the total budget for the Program for the previous fiscal year, as specified in
the report required under section
101(a)(3).
.
6.Improving
networking and information technology educationSection 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5521(a)) is amended—
(1)by redesignating
paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively;
and
(2)by inserting after
paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:
(2)the National Science Foundation shall use
its existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as appropriate, to
improve the teaching and learning of networking and information technology at
all levels of education and to increase participation in networking and
information technology fields, including by women and underrepresented
minorities;
.
7.Conforming and
technical amendments
(a)Section 3 of such Act (15
U.S.C. 5502) is amended—
(1)in the matter
preceding paragraph (1), by striking high-performance computing
and inserting networking and information technology
;
(2)in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing
and
inserting networking and information technology
;
(3)in subparagraphs (A) and (F) of paragraph
(1), by striking high-performance computing
each place it
appears and inserting networking and information technology
;
and
(4)in paragraph (2)—
(A)by striking
high-performance computing and
and inserting networking
and information technology and
; and
(B)by striking high-performance
computing network
and inserting networking and information
technology
.
(b)The heading of title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended
by striking High-Performance
Computing
and inserting Networking and Information
Technology
.
(c)Section 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended—
(1)in the section heading, by striking
High-Performance
Computing
and inserting Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development
;
(2)in subsection
(a)—
(A)in the subsection
heading, by striking National High-Performance Computing
and
inserting Networking and
Information Technology Research and
Development
;
(B)in paragraph (1)
of such subsection—
(i)in
the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking National
High-Performance Computing Program
and inserting networking and
information technology research and development program
;
(ii)in
subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing, including
networking
and inserting networking and information
technology
; and
(iii)in
subparagraphs (B), (C), and (G), by striking high-performance
each place it appears and inserting high-end
; and
(C)in paragraph (2)
of such subsection—
(i)in
subparagraphs (A) and (C)—
(I)by striking
high-performance computing
each place it appears and inserting
networking and information technology
; and
(II)by striking
development, networking,
each place it appears and inserting
development,
; and
(ii)in
subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by section 2(c)(1) of this Act, by
striking high-performance
each place it appears and inserting
high-end
;
(3)in subsection
(b)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
high-performance computing
both places it appears and inserting
networking and information technology
; and
(4)in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking
high-performance computing
and inserting networking and
information technology
.
(d)Section 201(a)(1) of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)(1)) is amended by striking high-performance
computing
and all that follows through networking;
and
inserting networking and information research and
development;
.
(e)Section 202(a) of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 5522(a)) is amended by striking high-performance
computing
and inserting networking and information
technology
.
(f)Section 203(a)(1) of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 5523(a)(1)) is amended by striking high-performance
computing and networking
and inserting networking and
information technology
.
(g)Section 204(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5524(a)(1)) is
amended—
(1)in subparagraph (A), by striking
high-performance computing systems and networks
and inserting
networking and information technology systems and capabilities
;
and
(2)in subparagraph (C), by striking
high-performance computing
and inserting networking and
information technology
.
(h)Section 205(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5525(a)) is amended by
striking computational
and inserting networking and
information technology
.
(i)Section 206(a) of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 5526(a)) is amended by striking computational
research
and inserting networking and information technology
research
.
(j)Section 208 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5528) is amended—
(1)in the section heading, by striking
High-Performance
Computing
and inserting Networking and Information
Technology
; and
(2)in subsection
(a)—
(A)in paragraph (1),
by striking High-performance computing and associated
and
inserting Networking and information
;
(B)in paragraph (2),
by striking high-performance computing
and inserting
networking and information technologies
;
(C)in paragraph (4),
by striking high-performance computers and associated
and
inserting networking and information
; and
(D)in paragraph (5),
by striking high-performance computing and associated
and
inserting networking and information
.
Passed the House of
Representatives May 12, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.