AN ASSESSMENT OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS
AND TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
LABORATORY
FISCAL YEAR 2011
Panel on Information Technology
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the panel responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. SB134106Z0011, TO #10, between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-22002-6
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-22002-5
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Laboratory Assessments Board
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National Research Council
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Copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
PANEL ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DAVID R. FERGUSON, Applied Mathematical Analysis, LLC, Chair
NAOMI S. ALTMAN, Pennsylvania State University
PHILLIP COLELLA, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
L. PAMELA COOK-IOANNIDIS, University of Delaware
GEORGE V. CYBENKO, Dartmouth College
LUIS A. ESCOBAR, Louisiana State University
ERIC H. GROSSE, Google, Inc.
ANIL K. JAIN, Michigan State University
BIING-HWANG (FRED) JUANG, Georgia Institute of Technology
JAMES F. KUROSE, University of Massachusetts
PATRICK D. LINCOLN, SRI International Corporation
STEVEN B. LIPNER, Microsoft Corporation
ALEXA T. McCRAY, Harvard Medical School
GREGORY H. MILLER, University of California, Davis
DEBASIS MITRA, Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent
J. MARC OVERHAGE, Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute
W. TIMOTHY STRAYER, Raytheon BBN Technologies
STEPHEN B. VARDEMAN, Iowa State University
Staff
JAMES P. McGEE, Director
CY BUTNER, Senior Program Officer
LIZA HAMILTON, Administrative Coordinator
EVA LABRE, Program Associate
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Suzanne Bakken, Columbia University,
Steven M. Bellovin, Columbia University,
Carl de Boor, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Emeritus),
Stuart I. Feldman, Google, Inc.,
James M. Landwehr, Avaya Laboratories,
Richard W. Pew, Raytheon BBN Technologies,
Jeffrey D. Ullman, Stanford University, and
Stephen A. Vavasis, University of Waterloo.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Alton D. Slay, Warrenton, Virginia. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution.
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Contents
1 THE CHARGE TO THE PANEL AND THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
2 GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY
Laboratory Mission and Programs
Observations and Recommendations
Laboratory Responses to the 2009 Panel Report
3 ASSESSMENT OF THE LABORATORY DIVISIONS
Applied and Computational Mathematics Division
Advanced Network Technologies Division
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