Computing Research Policy Blog


Posts categorized under: Policy

Kudos to TechNet


TechNet, a “bipartisan, political network of CEOs” of technology companies including Intel, HP, Cisco, 3Com and others, has released its Innovation Priorities for the coming year, which includes a call for an increase for basic research funding at federal agencies. The priorities result from a series of “Innovation Summits” with industry, academia and policymakers the […]

Seventeen Computer Scientists File Amicus in Grokster


A group of seventeen computer scientists yesterday filed an amicus brief (pdf) in the MGM v. Grokster case before the Supreme Court, “to call to the Court’s attention several computer science issues raised by Petitioners [i.e., the movie and music companies] and amici who filed concurrent with Petitioners, and to correct certain of their technical […]

Congressional Reorganization: IT Policy Implications


With a new Congress comes a new organization of congressional committees and memberships. We’ve covered the reorganization of the Appropriations committees and its impact on science funding. USACM’s Cameron Wilson has a great writeup on some of the other IT policy implications on USACM’s Technology Policy Weblog. It’s a good look at the new congressional […]

Busy Day: Hearing and Press Conference


Lots going on today. The House Science Committee will hold the first of its hearings on the FY 2006 Science Budget today at 11 am. Scheduled to appear are: John Marburger, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy; Arden Bement, Director of the National Science Foundation; Charles McQueary, […]

NY Times Applauds Improvements to Student Visa Process


Just a quick note to point out an editorial in today’s New York Times commending the State Department for finally “bringing some sanity” to the student visa issue. CRA has been urging this sort of reform since it became clear shortly after 9/11 that it was having a real impact on our member institutions. Thanks […]

IT Spending Does Not Equal IT R&D Funding


Computerworld has a story today that, I think, helps contribute to the common misunderstanding in some policy circles that “IT funding” is the same as “IT R&D funding.” The story combines budget news about the president’s proposed increases in federal IT funding — in this case, funding for IT procurement — with news about some […]

Business Week Makes the Economic Case for Federal R&D Spending


Michael Mandel notes in today’s BusinessWeek Online op-ed that President Bush’s proposed cuts to federal support of R&D in his FY 06 budget request are shortsighted because of the impact they’ll have on the U.S. economy. He focuses on multifactor productivity (MFP). a measure of productivity that, when it goes up, means “output per hour […]

Real ID Act Passes House


USACM’s David Padgham has a good post on House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner’s “Real ID Act,” a bill inteded to disrupt terrorist travel and bolster U.S. border security. Among privacy and civil liberties advocates, the bill has renewed worries about the development of a national identification system. Indeed, critics of the bill assert that […]