About the NCO

The National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) supports the planning, budget, and assessment activities for the Federal government's NITRD Program.

The NITRD Program, chartered by Federal law, is the primary mechanism by which the Government coordinates its unclassified networking and information technology (IT) research and development (R&D) investments. Thirteen Federal agencies, including all of the large science and technology agencies, are formal members of the NITRD Program, whose combined 2007 IT R&D budgets totaled more than $3 billion. Many other Federal organizations also participate in NITRD activities.

These agencies work together to develop a broad spectrum of advanced networking and IT capabilities to power Federal missions; U.S. science, engineering, and technology leadership; and U.S. economic competitiveness. Their efforts increase the overall effectiveness and productivity of Federal networking and IT R&D investments, leveraging strengths, avoiding duplication, and increasing interoperability of networking and IT R&D products.

Key NCO activities include the following:

• The NCO supports the NITRD Subcommittee, which coordinates the NITRD Program, and the organizations that report to the Subcommittee. The Subcommittee reports through the Committee on Technology to the Cabinet-level National Science and Technology Council. The organizations that report to the Subcommittee include two Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) and five Coordinating Groups (CGs) in the following R&D areas:

	CSIA	Cyber Security and Information Assurance
	HCI&IM	Human Computer Interaction and Information Management
	HCSS	High Confidence Software and Systems
	HEC	High End Computing
	LSN	Large Scale Networking
	SDP	Software Design and Productivity
	SEW	Social, Economic, and Workforce Implications of IT and IT Workforce Development

• In cooperation with the NITRD agencies, IWGs, and CGs, the NCO prepares, publishes, and disseminates the Program’s annual supplement to the President’s Budget, Federal networking and IT R&D plans, and networking and IT research needs reports.
• The NCO works closely with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President on NITRD policy and budget issues. The Director of the NCO is appointed by the Director of OSTP.
• The NCO provides technical support for the activities of the Networking and Information Technology Subcommittee of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a panel of experts from industry and academia, in assessing the NITRD Program and preparing associated reports.
• The NCO maintains the NITRD Web site – http://www.nitrd.gov – which contains information about the Program and electronic versions of NITRD documents.