The HPCC Program has been a driving force behind U.S. leadership in advanced computing, communications, and information technology for the past five years. The Program is often cited as a model for successful Federal multi-agency planning and program coordination. As a result of the successes of the Program and the changing role of information technology in agency mission applications, broader collaborative R&D investments in computing, information, and communications are needed. This effort has led the Computing, Information, and Communications (CIC) R&D Subcommittee to define a broader agenda with focused R&D programs. The CIC R&D programs reflect long term efforts in advanced computing, information, and communications technologies that build on the strong foundation of the Federal HPCC Program. The CIC R&D programs are organized into five Program Component Areas (PCAs), which evolved from the five original HPCC Program components (HPCS, NREN, ASTA, IITA, and BRHR, described in the Glossary) and will be used to guide R&D investments by the participating Federal agencies into the 21st century.
Federal agency mission applications are the driving force behind the development of this R&D agenda. Mission-driven applications include computation intensive science and engineering applications known as Grand Challenges and information intensive applications known as National Challenges.
The PCAs and CIC R&D planned activities for FY 1997 are presented below.
HECC R&D is focused on continued U.S. leadership in high performance computing and computation. Investments concentrate on leading-edge innovations in hardware and software such as storage and data technologies for high end computing systems, experimentation with novel devices, development of system software technologies, advanced simulation techniques, and fast, efficient algorithms for simulation and modeling. In addition, HECC research supports exploration of advanced computing concepts in quantum, biological, and optical computing at both the hardware and software levels. At the high end, these technologies enable distributed, multidisciplinary, computation intensive, scientific and engineering applications. Scalable systems allow effective deployment of these technologies to the workplace, school, and home.
LSN R&D will assure U.S. technological leadership in communications through R&D that advances the leading edge of networking technologies and services. This includes advanced network components and technologies for engineering and management of large scale networks, both for scientific and engineering R&D and for other purposes. Areas of particular focus include (1) technologies and services that enable wireless, optical, mobile, and wireline communications; (2) networking software that enables information to be disseminated to individuals, multicast to select groups, or broadcast to an entire network; (3) software for efficient development and execution of scalable distributed applications; (4) software components for distributed applications, such as electronic commerce, digital libraries, and health care; and (5) infrastructure support and testbeds.
HCS R&D will provide users with high levels of security, protection, reliability, and restorability of information services. Such systems are resistant to system failure and malicious penetration or damage and readily respond to interference by adaptation or recovery. These systems include both physical components, wired and wireless technologies, the data they contain and transmit, and the software that manipulates these data. HCS R&D focuses on (1) system reliability (such as management of networks under load, failure, or intrusion; emergency response; firewalls; secure enclaves; and formal methods), (2) security and privacy (including personal identification, access control, authentication, encryption and other privacy assurance techniques, public key infrastructures, and trusted agents for secure distributed computing), and (3) testing and evaluation. Key applications include national security, law enforcement, life- and safety-critical requirements, personal privacy, and protection of critical elements of the National Information Infrastructure.
HuCS R&D makes computing systems and communications networks more easily accessible to and useable by a wide range of user communities. These communities include scientists and engineers, educators and students, the workforce, and the general public. Technologies enabling such systems include: (1)"knowledge repositories" and "information agents" for managing, analyzing, and presenting massive amounts of multimedia and multi-source information; (2) "collaboratories" that provide access to knowledge repositories and that facilitate knowledge sharing, group authorship, and control of remote instruments; (3) systems that enable multi-modal human system interactions including speech, touch, and gesture recognition and synthesis; and (4) virtual reality environments and their application to fields including scientific research, health care, manufacturing, and training.
The focus of ETHR R&D is on education and training technologies. The goals of this education and training are to produce (1) researchers and students in high performance computing, communications, information technologies, and their application, and (2) a citizenry with the skills to compete and prosper in the 21st century's information age. ETHR includes curriculum development, fellowships, and scholarships for computational, computer, and information sciences, and engineering. It includes the application of interdisciplinary research to learning technologies, and R&D in information-based learning tools, lifelong learning, and distance learning for people in remote locations. This PCA collaborates closely with the Committee on Education and Training (CET) on developing its programs and research agenda.
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