IIB 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3834 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 7, 2012 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 
to authorize activities for support of networking and 
information technology research, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advancing America’s 
Networking and Information Technology Research and 
Development Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. PROGRAM PLANNING AND COORDINATION. 
(a) PERIODIC REVIEWS.—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 sub-
section: 
‘‘(d) PERIODIC REVIEWS.—The agencies identified in 
subsection (a)(3)(B) shall— 
‘‘(1) periodically assess the contents and fund-
ing levels of the Program Component Areas and re-
structure 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 de-
velopment activities, including activities described in 
section 104.’’. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN.—Section 
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) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The agencies identified in 
subsection (a)(3)(B), working through the National 
Science and Technology Council and with the assist-
ance of the National Coordination Office described 
under section 102, shall develop, within 12 months 
after the date of enactment of the Advancing Amer-
ica’s Networking and Information Technology Re-
search and Development Act of 2012, and update 
every 3 years thereafter, a 5-year strategic plan to 
guide the activities described under subsection 
(a)(1). 
‘‘(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 re-
search, development, and technology transition 
initiatives supported by the States; 
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‘‘(B) encourage and support mechanisms 
for interdisciplinary research and development 
in networking and information technology, in-
cluding through collaborations across agencies, 
across Program Component Areas, with indus-
try, 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 na-
tional 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 sub-
stantial societal returns on the research invest-
ment; 
‘‘(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 underrep-
resented minorities to pursue postsecondary de-
grees in networking and information tech-
nology. 
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‘‘(3) 
NATIONAL
RESEARCH
INFRASTRUC-
TURE.—The strategic plan developed in accordance 
with paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by mile-
stones and roadmaps for establishing and maintain-
ing the national research infrastructure required to 
support the Program, including the roadmap re-
quired by subsection (a)(2)(E). 
‘‘(4) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The entities in-
volved in developing the strategic plan under para-
graph (1) shall take into consideration the rec-
ommendations— 
‘‘(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.’’. 
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(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 ‘‘edu-
cation,’’ before ‘‘and other activities’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and 
(F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(E) encourage and monitor the efforts of the 
agencies participating in the Program to allocate the 
level of resources and management attention nec-
essary to ensure that the strategic plan under sub-
section (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)) is amended— 
(1) after the first sentence, by inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘The co-chairs of the advisory committee 
shall meet the qualifications of committee member-
ship and may be members of the President’s Council 
of Advisors on Science and Technology.’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘high-per-
formance’’ and inserting ‘‘high-end’’. 
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(e) REPORT.—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 insert-
ing ‘‘is submitted, the levels for the previous 
fiscal year,’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘each Program Component 
Area;’’ and inserting ‘‘each Program Compo-
nent Area and research area supported in ac-
cordance with section 104;’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (D)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘each Program Component 
Area,’’ and inserting ‘‘each Program Compo-
nent Area and research area supported in ac-
cordance with section 104,’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘is submitted,’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘is submitted, the levels for the previous 
fiscal year,’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(3) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as sub-
paragraph (G); and 
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the fol-
lowing new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(E) include a description of how the objectives 
for each Program Component Area, and the objec-
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SEC. 3. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL 
IMPORTANCE. 
Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 104. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NA-
TIONAL 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 de-
velopment activities in networking and information tech-
nology directed toward application areas that have the po-
tential for significant contributions to national economic 
competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits. 
Such activities, ranging from basic research to the dem-
onstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to ad-
vance the development of research discoveries. The advi-
sory committee established under section 101(b) shall 
make recommendations to the Program for candidate re-
search and development areas for support under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(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 competi-
tive, merit-based process; 
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‘‘(B) involve collaborations among re-
searchers in institutions of higher education 
and industry, and may involve nonprofit re-
search institutions and Federal laboratories, as 
appropriate; 
‘‘(C) when possible, leverage Federal in-
vestments through collaboration with related 
State initiatives; and 
‘‘(D) include a plan for fostering the trans-
fer of research discoveries and the results of 
technology demonstration activities, including 
from institutions of higher education and Fed-
eral laboratories, to industry for commercial de-
velopment. 
‘‘(2) COST-SHARING.—In selecting applications 
for support, the agencies shall give special consider-
ation 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 re-
search and development activities in the same area 
of national importance, then such agencies shall 
strive to collaborate through joint solicitation and se-
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lection of applications for support and subsequent 
funding of projects. 
‘‘(4) 
INTERDISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH
CEN-
TERS.—Research and development activities under 
this section may be supported through interdiscipli-
nary research centers that are organized to inves-
tigate basic research questions and carry out tech-
nology demonstration activities in areas described in 
subsection (a). Research may be carried out through 
existing interdisciplinary centers, including those au-
thorized under section 7024(b)(2) of the America 
COMPETES Act (Public Law 110–69; 42 U.S.C. 
1862o–10).’’. 
SEC. 4. CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. 
(a) ADDITIONAL PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS.—Sec-
tion 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 sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(J) provide for increased understanding of the 
scientific principles of cyber-physical systems and 
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improve the methods available for the design, devel-
opment, 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) TASK FORCE.—Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
5511) is amended further by adding after section 104, as 
added by section 3 of this Act, the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY/INDUSTRY TASK FORCE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of the Advancing America’s 
Networking and Information Technology Research and 
Development Act of 2012, the Director of the National 
Coordination Office shall convene a task force to explore 
mechanisms for carrying out collaborative research and 
development activities for cyber-physical systems, includ-
ing the related technologies required to enable these sys-
tems, through a consortium or other appropriate entity 
with participants from institutions of higher education, 
Federal laboratories, and industry. 
‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—The task force shall— 
‘‘(1) develop options for a collaborative model 
and an organizational structure for such entity 
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under which the joint research and development ac-
tivities 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 re-
search and development agenda for such entity, in-
cluding guidelines to ensure an appropriate scope of 
work focused on nationally significant challenges and 
requiring collaboration and to ensure the develop-
ment of related scientific and technological mile-
stones; 
‘‘(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 intellec-
tual property rights and for the transfer of research 
results to the private sector; and 
‘‘(5) make recommendations for how such enti-
ty could be funded from Federal, State, and non- 
governmental sources. 
‘‘(c) COMPOSITION.—In establishing the task force 
under subsection (a), the Director of the National Coordi-
nation Office— 
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‘‘(1) shall appoint an equal number of individ-
uals with knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical 
systems from— 
‘‘(A) institutions of higher education, in-
cluding minority-serving institutions and com-
munity colleges; and 
‘‘(B) industry; and 
‘‘(2) may appoint not more than 2 individuals 
from Federal laboratories. 
‘‘(d) 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 
2012, 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 Rep-
resentatives a report describing the findings and rec-
ommendations of the task force. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION.—The task force shall terminate 
upon transmittal of the report required under subsection 
(d). 
‘‘(f) COMPENSATION.—Members of the task force 
shall serve without compensation.’’. 
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SEC. 5. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH. 
Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended fur-
ther by adding after section 105, as added by section 4(b) 
of this Act, the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 106. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—Not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Advanc-
ing America’s Networking and Information Technology 
Research and Development Act of 2012, the Director of 
the National Coordination Office, working through the 
National Science and Technology Council, shall convene 
an interagency working group to examine— 
‘‘(1) the research and development needed— 
‘‘(A) to enhance the effectiveness and effi-
ciency 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 inter-
operability; and 
‘‘(2) the potential use of cloud computing for 
federally-funded science and engineering research, 
including issues around funding mechanisms and 
policies for the use of cloud computing services for 
such research. 
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‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the tasks in 
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), the working 
group shall consult with academia, industry, Federal lab-
oratories, and other relevant organizations and institu-
tions, 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 
2012, the Director of the National Coordination Office 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report describing the findings and any rec-
ommendations of the working group. 
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—The interagency working group 
shall terminate upon transmittal of the report required 
under subsection (c).’’. 
SEC. 6. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE. 
Section 102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 102. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE. 
‘‘(a) OFFICE.—The Director shall continue a Na-
tional Coordination Office with a Director and full-time 
staff. 
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‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—The National Coordination Office 
shall— 
‘‘(1) provide technical and administrative sup-
port 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 ac-
tivities for government organizations, academia, in-
dustry, professional societies, State computing and 
networking technology programs, interested citizen 
groups, and others to exchange technical and pro-
grammatic 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 labora-
tories, and other relevant organizations and institu-
tions; 
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‘‘(4) conduct public outreach, including the dis-
semination 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 sys-
tems across the Federal Government and to United 
States industry. 
‘‘(c) SOURCE OF FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The operation of the Na-
tional Coordination Office shall be supported by 
funds from each agency participating in the Pro-
gram. 
‘‘(2) SPECIFICATIONS.—The portion of the total 
budget of such Office that is provided by each agen-
cy for each fiscal year shall be in the same propor-
tion as each such agency’s share of the total budget 
for the Program for the previous fiscal year, as spec-
ified 
in 
the 
report 
required 
under 
section 
101(a)(3).’’. 
SEC. 7. IMPROVING NETWORKING AND INFORMATION 
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. 
Section 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)) is 
amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing 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 tech-
nology at all levels of education and to increase par-
ticipation in networking and information technology 
fields, including by women and underrepresented mi-
norities;’’. 
SEC. 8. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 
(a) SECTION 3.—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 insert-
ing ‘‘networking and information technology’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by striking ‘‘high-performance computing’’ 
and inserting ‘‘networking and information 
technology’’; 
(B) in subparagraphs (A), (F), and (G), by 
striking ‘‘high-performance computing’’ each 
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(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘HIGH- 
PERFORMANCE
COMPUTING’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘NETWORKING
AND
INFORMATION
TECH-
NOLOGY’’; and 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘High- 
performance computing and associated’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Networking and information’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘high- 
performance computing’’ and inserting ‘‘net-
working and information technologies’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘high- 
performance’’ and inserting ‘‘high-end’’; 
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘high- 
performance computers and associated’’ and in-
serting ‘‘networking and information’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘high- 
performance computing and associated’’ and in-
serting ‘‘networking and information’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 27, 2012. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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