Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013

To amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize activities for support of networking and information technology research, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013 2. Program planning and coordination (a) Periodic reviews Section 101 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 (d) Periodic reviews 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 plan Section 101 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 (e) Strategic plan (1) In general 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 described under section 102, shall develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013 (2) Contents 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 infrastructure The 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) Recommendations 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) Report to Congress 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, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives. . (c) Additional responsibilities of director Section 101(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting education, and other activities (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and (3) 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) Advisory committee Section 101(b)(1) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511(b)(1) (1) after the first sentence, by inserting the following: The co-chairs of the advisory committee shall meet the qualifications of committee membership and may be members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking high-performance high-end (e) Report Section 101(a)(3) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(3) (1) in subparagraph (B)— (A) by redesignating clauses (vii) through (xi) as clauses (viii) through (xii), respectively; and (B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following: (vii) the Department of Homeland Security; ; (2) in subparagraph (C)— (A) by striking is submitted, is submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year, (B) by striking each Program Component Area; each Program Component Area and research area supported in accordance with section 104; (3) in subparagraph (D)— (A) by striking each Program Component Area, each Program Component Area and research area supported in accordance with section 104, (B) by striking is submitted, is submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year, (C) by striking and (4) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G); and (5) 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) Definition Section 4 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5503 (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 ; (3) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (4) 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”; (5) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking network referred to as network, including advanced computer networks of Federal agencies and departments; (6) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking National High-Performance Computing Program networking and information technology research and development program 3. Large-scale research in areas of national importance Title I of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 104. Large-scale research in areas of national importance (a) In general 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) Characteristics (1) In general 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) Cost-sharing In selecting applications for support, the agencies shall give special consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-Federal sources. (3) Agency collaboration 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 centers Research 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 (a) Additional Program characteristics Section 101(a)(1) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(1) (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking and (2) in subparagraph (I)— (A) by striking improving the security improving the security, reliability, and resilience (B) 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 big data. . (b) Workshop Title I of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 105. University/Industry Workshop (a) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, the Director of the National Coordination Office shall convene a workshop, with participants from institutions of higher education, Federal laboratories, and industry, to explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative research and development activities for cyber-physical systems, including the related technologies required to enable these systems, and to develop grand challenges in cyber-physical systems research and development. (b) Functions The workshop participants shall— (1) develop options for models for research and development partnerships among institutions of higher education, Federal laboratories, and industry, including mechanisms for the support of research and development carried out under these partnerships; (2) develop options for grand challenges in cyber-physical systems research and development that would be addressed through such partnerships; (3) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual property rights and for the transfer of research results to the private sector; and (4) make recommendations for how Federal agencies participating in the Program can help support research and development partnerships in cyber-physical systems, including through existing or new grant programs. (c) Participants The Director of the National Coordination Office shall ensure that participants in the workshop are individuals with knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical systems and that participants represent a broad mix of relevant stakeholders, including academic and industry researchers, cyber-physical systems and technologies manufacturers, cyber-physical systems and technologies users, and, as appropriate, Federal government regulators. (d) Report Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, 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, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report describing the findings and recommendations resulting from the workshop required under this section. . 5. Cloud computing services for research Title I of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 section 4(b) 106. Cloud computing services for research (a) Interagency working group Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013 (1) the research and development needed— (A) to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of cloud computing environments; (B) to increase the trustworthiness of cloud applications and infrastructure; and (C) to enhance the foundations of cloud architectures, programming models, and interoperability; and (2) how Federal science agencies can facilitate the use of cloud computing for federally funded science and engineering research, including— (A) making recommendations on changes in funding mechanisms, budget models, and policies needed to remove barriers to the adoption of cloud computing services for research and for data preservation and sharing; and (B) providing guidance to organizations and researchers on opportunities and guidelines for using cloud computing services for federally supported research and related activities. (b) Consultation In carrying out the tasks in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), the working group shall consult with academia, industry, Federal laboratories, and other relevant organizations and institutions, as appropriate. (c) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013 (d) Termination The interagency working group shall terminate upon transmittal of the report required under subsection (c). . 6. National Coordination Office Section 102 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5512 102. National Coordination Office (a) Office The Director shall continue a National Coordination Office with a Director and full-time staff. (b) Functions 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) Source of funding (1) In general The operation of the National Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each agency participating in the Program. (2) Specifications 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). . 7. Improving networking and information technology education Section 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; . 8. Conforming and technical amendments (a) Section 3 Section 3 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5502 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (2) in paragraph (1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (B) in subparagraphs (A), (F), and (G), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (C) in subparagraph (H), by striking high-performance high-end (3) in paragraph (2)— (A) by striking high-performance computing and networking and information technology and (B) by striking high-performance computing network networking and information technology (b) Title I The heading of title I of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 High-Performance Computing Networking and Information Technology (c) Section 101 Section 101 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5511 (1) in the section heading, by striking High-Performance Computing Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (2) in subsection (a)— (A) in the subsection heading, by striking National High-Performance Computing 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 networking and information technology research and development program (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing, including networking networking and information technology (iii) in subparagraphs (B) and (G), by striking high-performance high-end (iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking high-performance computing and networking high-end computing, distributed, and networking (C) in paragraph (2) of such subsection— (i) in subparagraphs (A) and (C)— (I) by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (II) by striking development, networking, development, (ii) in subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by section 2(c)(1) of this Act, by striking high-performance high-end (3) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (B) in paragraph (2), in the second sentence, by striking 2 3 (4) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (d) Section 201 Section 201(a)(1) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5521(a)(1) high-performance computing networking; networking and information research and development; (e) Section 202 Section 202(a) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5522(a) high-performance computing networking and information technology (f) Section 203 Section 203(a) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5523(a)(1) (1) in paragraph (1), by striking high-performance computing and networking networking and information technology (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking high-performance high-end (g) Section 204 Section 204 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5524 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking high-performance computing systems and networks networking and information technology systems and capabilities (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking interoperability of high-performance computing systems in networks and for common user interfaces to systems interoperability and usability of networking and information technology systems (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technology (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in the heading, by striking High-Performance Computing and Network Networking and Information Technology (B) by striking sensitive (h) Section 205 Section 205(a) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5525(a) computational networking and information technology (i) Section 206 Section 206(a) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5526(a) computational research networking and information technology research (j) Section 207 Section 207(b) of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5527(b) high-performance computing networking and information technology (k) Section 208 Section 208 of such Act ( 15 U.S.C. 5528 (1) in the section heading, by striking High-Performance Computing Networking and Information Technology (2) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking High-performance computing and associated Networking and information (B) in paragraph (2), by striking high-performance computing networking and information technologies (C) in paragraph (3), by striking high-performance high-end (D) in paragraph (4), by striking high-performance computers and associated networking and information (E) in paragraph (5), by striking high-performance computing and associated networking and information April 11, 2013 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013 - Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to rename the National High-Performance Computing Program as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program. (Sec. 2) Directs the federal agencies participating in the Program to: (1) periodically assess the contents and funding levels of program component areas and restructure the Program when warranted; and (2) ensure that the Program includes large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary research and development (R&D) activities, including such activities in networking and information technology in areas having the potential for significant contributions to national economic competitiveness and for other societal benefits. Requires the participating federal agencies to develop, and update every three years, a five-year strategic plan to guide activities provided for under the Program. Requires the plan to specify near-term and long-term objectives and how the Program will accomplish other specified objectives, including by: (1) fostering the transfer of R&D 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; and (2) encouraging and supporting mechanisms for interdisciplinary R&D in networking and information technology, including through collaborations across agencies and program component areas, with industry, federal laboratories, and international organizations. Requires the strategic plan to be accompanied by milestones and road maps for establishing the national research infrastructure required to support the Program. Instructs the entities involved in developing the plan to consider recommendations of the: (1) advisory committee on networking and information technology (the advisory committee) (under current law, titled as the advisory committee on high-performance computing); and (2) stakeholders whose input was solicited by the National Coordination Office, as required under section 6 of this Act. Requires the Director of the National Coordination Office to transmit the strategic plan to Congress and the advisory committee. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to encourage and monitor the efforts of participating agencies to allocate the resources and management attention necessary to ensure that the strategic plan is executed effectively and that Program objectives are met. Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require the co-chairs of the advisory committee to meet the qualifications for membership on the committee and permits them to be members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Requires the OSTP Director to develop a research, development, and deployment roadmap covering all states and regions for the provision of high-end computing and networking systems (under current law, high-performance computing and networking systems), as specified in such Act. Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require annual reports on the implementation of the Program to: (1) set forth the relevant programs and activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), (2) describe the levels of federal funding for the previous fiscal year, (3) describe the levels of federal funding for the previous fiscal year for agencies and departments participating in the Program, and (4) include reporting on the research areas supported under section 3 of this Act. Requires the OSTP Director to include in such reports: (1) a description of how the objectives for program component areas, and for activities that involve multiple program component areas relate to the Program's objectives identified in the strategic plan; (2) a description of the funding required by the National Coordination Office to perform its functions for the next and current fiscal years; and (3) the amount of funding provided for such Office for the current fiscal year. (Sec. 3) Directs the Program to encourage the federal agencies to support large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary R&D activities in networking and information technology directed toward areas having the potential for significant contributions to national economic competitiveness and for other societal benefits. Requires such activities to be designed to advance the development of research discoveries. Instructs the advisory committee to make recommendations for candidate R&D areas for support. Requires that such R&D activities shall: (1) include projects based on applications for support that are selected through a competitive, merit-based process; (2) involve collaborations among researchers in institutions of higher education and industry, permitting the involvement of nonprofit research institutions and federal laboratories, as appropriate; (3) leverage federal investments through collaboration with related state initiatives, when possible; and (4) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research discoveries and the results of technology demonstration activities to industry for commercial development. Requires the federal agencies to give special consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-federal sources. Instructs, when two or more of the federal agencies or other appropriate agencies are working on large-scale R&D activities in the same area, such agencies to strive to collaborate through joint solicitation and selection of applications for support and subsequent funding of projects. Allows R&D activities under this section to be supported through interdisciplinary research centers organized to investigate basic research questions and carry out technology demonstration activities. Permits research to be carried out through existing centers, including the multidisciplinary Centers for Communications Research authorized under the America COMPETES Act. (Sec. 4) Requires the Program, in addition to its current requirements, to provide for: (1) improving the security, reliability, and resilience of computing and networking systems (currently, the security of those systems) as described under federal law; (2) increased understanding of the scientific principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods available for the design, development, and operation of such systems; and (3) research and development on human-computer interactions, visualization, and big data. Defines "cyber-physical systems" as 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. Requires the Director of the National Coordination Office to convene a workshop to explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative R&D activities for cyber-physical systems, including the related technologies required to enable such systems, and to develop grand challenges in such systems R&D. Requires workshop participants to: (1) develop options for models for R&D partnerships, among institutions of higher education, federal laboratories, and industry, including mechanisms for the support of R&D carried out under such partnerships; (2) develop options for grand challenges in cyber-physical systems R&D; (3) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual property rights and for the transfer of research results to the private sector; and (4) make recommendations for how federal agencies participating in the Program can help support R&D partnerships in cyber-physical systems, including through existing or new grant programs. Instructs such Director to: (1) ensure that participants in the workshop are individuals with knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical systems and that they represent a broad mix of relevant stakeholders; and (2) submit to Congress a report that describes the findings and recommendations resulting from such workshop. (Sec. 5) Requires the Director of the National Coordination Office, through the National Science and Technology Council, to convene an interagency working group to examine: (1) the R&D needed to enhance the effectiveness of cloud computing environments, increase the trustworthiness of cloud applications and infrastructure, and enhance the foundations of cloud architectures, programming models, and interoperability; (2) how federal science agencies can facilitate the use of cloud computing for federally funded science and engineering research; and (3) report to Congress on the findings and recommendations of the working group. Repeals provisions for the National Research and Education Network. Requires continuation of a National Coordination Office. Directs the National Coordination Office to: (1) serve as the primary point of contact on federal networking and information technology activities; (2) solicit input and recommendations from stakeholders during the development of each strategic plan through the convening of at least one workshop; (3) conduct public outreach, including dissemination of the findings and recommendations of the advisory committee, as appropriate; and (4) 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 U.S. industry. Requires the operation of the National Coordination Office to be supported by funds from agencies participating in the Program. (Sec. 7) Directs the National Science Foundation (NSF), as part of the Program, to use its existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as appropriate, for improving the teaching and learning of networking and information technology at all education levels and to increase participation in networking and information technology fields. (Sec. 8) Makes technical and conforming amendments, including with respect to the activities of the NSF, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Commerce, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Education under the Program. Requires the advisory committee to report to Congress, no less frequently than once every three fiscal years (under current law, no less frequently than once every 2 fiscal years) on the committee's findings and recommendations from its periodic evaluations of the funding, management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the Program. Requires NIST to develop and propose standards and guidelines needed for assuring the cost-effective security and privacy of information in federal computer systems (under current law, privacy of sensitive information in those systems).