[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7999-8000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02578]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Request for Information on the 2023 Federal Cybersecurity 
Research and Development Strategic Plan

AGENCY: Networking and Information Technology Research and Development 
(NITRD) National Coordination Office (NCO), National Science Foundation 
(NSF).

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, Federal 
agencies must update the Federal cybersecurity research and development 
(R&D) strategic plan every four years. The NITRD NCO seeks public input 
for the 2023 update of the Federal cybersecurity R&D strategic plan. 
The updated plan will be used to guide and coordinate federally funded 
research in cybersecurity, including cybersecurity education and 
workforce development, and the development of consensus-based standards 
and best practices in cybersecurity.

DATES: To be considered, submissions must be received on or before 
11:59 p.m. (ET) on March 3, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submissions to this notice may be sent by any of the 
following methods:
    (a) Email: [email protected]. Email submissions should be 
machine-readable and not be copy-protected. Submissions should include 
``RFI Response: Federal Cybersecurity R&D Strategic Plan'' in the 
subject line of the message.
    (b) Fax: 202-459-9673, Attn: Tomas Vagoun.
    (c) Mail: NCO/NITRD, Attn: Tomas Vagoun, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
    Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Submissions must 
not exceed 25 pages in 12-point or larger font, with a page number 
provided on each page. Responses should include the name of the 
person(s) or organization(s) providing the submission.
    Responses to this RFI may be posted online at https://www.nitrd.gov. Therefore, we request that no business-proprietary 
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable 
information be submitted in response to this RFI.
    In accordance with FAR 15.202(3), responses to this notice are not 
offers and cannot be accepted by the Federal Government to form a 
binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses 
associated with responding to this RFI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tomas Vagoun at 
[email protected] or 202-459-9674, or by mailing to NCO/NITRD, 
2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. Individuals who use 
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 
(https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ274/pdf/PLAW-113publ274.pdf) 
requires that every four years the applicable Federal agencies, working 
through the National Science and Technology Council and the Networking 
and Information Technology R&D (NITRD) program, develop and update a 
Federal cybersecurity research and development strategic plan. The most 
recent version of the strategic plan was released in December 2019 
(https://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/Federal-Cybersecurity-RD-Strategic-Plan-2019.pdf).
    On behalf of Federal agencies and the NITRD Cyber Security and 
Information Assurance Interagency Working Group, the NCO for NITRD 
seeks public input on Federal priorities in cybersecurity R&D. 
Responders should consider a 10-year time frame when characterizing the 
challenges, prospective research activities, and desired outcomes. 
Responders are asked to answer one or more of the following questions:
    1. What new innovations have the potential to greatly enhance the 
security, reliability, resiliency, trustworthiness, and privacy 
protections of the digital ecosystem (including but not limited to 
data, computing, networks, cyber-physical systems, and participating 
entities such as people and organizations)?
    2. Are there mature solutions in the marketplace that address the 
deficiencies raised in the 2019 Strategic Plan? What areas of research 
or topics of the 2019 Strategic Plan no longer need to be prioritized 
for federally funded basic and applied research?
    3. What areas of research or topics of the 2019 Strategic Plan 
should continue to be a priority for federally funded research and 
require continued Federal R&D investments?

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    4. What objectives not included in the 2019 Strategic Plan should 
be strategic priorities for federally funded R&D in cybersecurity? 
Discuss the challenges, desired capabilities and outcomes, and 
objectives that should guide research to achieve the desired 
capabilities, and why those capabilities and outcomes should be 
strategic priorities for federally funded R&D.
    5. What other scientific, technological, economic, legal, or 
societal changes and developments occurring now or in the foreseeable 
future have the potential to significantly disrupt our abilities to 
secure the digital ecosystem and make it resilient? Discuss what 
federally funded R&D could improve the understanding of such 
developments and improve the capabilities needed to mitigate against 
such disruptions.
    6. What further advancements to cybersecurity education and 
workforce development, at all levels of education, should be considered 
to prepare students, faculty, and the workforce in the next decade for 
emerging cybersecurity challenges, such as the implications of 
artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the Internet of Things 
on cybersecurity?
    7. What other research and development strategies, plans, or 
activities, domestic or in other countries, should inform the U.S. 
Federal cybersecurity R&D strategic plan?
    Following the receipt of comments, the NITRD Cyber Security and 
Information Assurance Interagency Working will consider the input 
provided when updating the Federal cybersecurity R&D strategic plan.
    Submitted by the National Science Foundation in support of the 
Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) 
National Coordination Office (NCO) on February 1, 2023.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1861.)

Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2023-02578 Filed 2-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P