ORGANIZATION
The NITRD Program is managed by the Subcommittee on Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD Subcommittee) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Science and Technology Enterprise (CSTE) and operates under the aegis of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-282) to provide the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics. OSTP leads interagency science and technology policy coordination efforts, assists the Office of Management and Budget with an annual review and analysis of Federal research and development in budgets, and serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the Executive Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal research and development enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is to ensure science and technology policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President’s stated goals. The NSTC prepares research and development strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies aimed at accomplishing multiple national goals. The work of the NSTC is organized under committees that oversee subcommittees and working groups focused on different aspects of science and technology.
The NITRD Subcommittee comprises senior representatives of the 23 Federal member agencies and departments that invest in IT-related R&D programs, as well as representatives of OSTP and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Subcommittee interacts routinely with Congress, OMB, OSTP, and the Federal agencies with budgets and interests in IT R&D. It meets in person three times a year, and online as needed, to plan, review, and coordinate NITRD policies, programs, and activities. The NITRD Subcommittee is co-chaired by the Director of the NITRD NCO and an OSTP-designated representative from among the NITRD member agencies. Each NITRD Subcommittee member agency identifies a primary representative and an alternate to the NITRD Subcommittee.