A National Academies consensus study committee will identify approximately 20 breakthroughs in computing (inclusive of computer and information science and engineering) broadly representative of the outcomes of federal research with significant economic, scientific, or societal impact and describe innovation patterns and trends that characterize computing research across government, academia, and industry.
The committee will identify approximately 20 breakthroughs in computing since the establishment of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate in 1986. Potential areas for breakthroughs will include technical and sociotechnical research results and both ideas and artifacts (e.g., software or testbeds). Breakthroughs will be selected to be broadly representative of the outcomes of federal research and education investments in computing and span work supported by NSF, other federal Networking and Information Technology R&D program members, and industry. The list will showcase achievements across the breadth of computing that have had significant economic, scientific, or societal impacts. It will serve as a set of examples that illustrate the impacts of past investments, rather than a “top 20” list. The selection process will rely on the collective expert judgement of the committee, informed by past computing-wide and subfield-specific efforts to identify breakthroughs. For each breakthrough, a roughly one-page narrative in the committee’s report will describe the technical accomplishment, identify major associated research performers and funders, and outline the significance and impacts.
The committee’s report will use these breakthroughs, results from a prior series of National Academies reports on innovation in computing, and other studies and research to describe and illustrate innovation patterns that characterize computing research across government, academia. and industry and their implications for those who support and conduct research across all sectors. To illustrate these patterns, it may draw on visualizations from prior National Academies reports or develop new ones.