Press Releases :: April 22, 2009

Gordon Introduces Legislation to Keep the US on the Cutting Edge of IT

(Washington, DC) – Today the House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced H.R. 2020, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2009. The Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program is a multi-agency research effort to ensure continued U.S. leadership in computing systems, advanced networking, software and other information technologies. In addition to identifying and meeting the critical needs of the federal government in information technology, NITRD also accelerates the development and deployment of these technologies to improve U.S. productivity and competitiveness in science and engineering.

H.R. 2020 requires the development of a strategic plan, informed by industry and academia, that will create a vision for information technology R&D, fostering future technological breakthroughs. This legislation also encourages federal agencies to support large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary research with the potential to significantly benefit society and our economic competitiveness.

On April 1, the Committee held a hearing to review the NITRD program. The Committee reviewed the witness testimony on the progress and potential in the field of information technology when developing this legislation.

“This legislation will ensure the continuation of U.S. leadership in networking and information technology,” Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). “The NITRD Act strengthens the planning and coordination of networking and information technology R&D and promotes university/ industry collaboration in large-scale, interdisciplinary research.”

For more information on the Committee’s work on NITRD, please see the Committee’s website.

###
 

111.049