Mission Statement

The R&D Policy Committee is a committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - United States of America (IEEE-USA).  The overall objective of the R&D Policy Committee is to develop and disseminate positions on engineering and defense research and development policies and programs in the United States within the scope of, or affecting, IEEE's technical expertise.

The Committee may address all aspects of R&D policy in the United States, excepting those within the Aerospace and Energy R&D areas, where the engineering knowledge and skills of the IEEE's U.S. members can make a constructive contribution. The R&D Policy Committee may provide a vehicle for presenting the views of the IEEE-USA to the public and the appropriate elements of government. The R&D Policy Committee will prepare and present positions in accordance with IEEE-USAB procedures on any aspect of governmental or private sector R&D policy and programs within the technical and professional competence of the IEEE. The R&D Policy Committee will work to provide to the IEEE-USA membership balanced, technically sound information on research and development related matters.

Priority Issues and Activities

The following priority issues have been identified for committee focus:

• Support for Competitiveness and Innovation Legislation

• Support federal R&D funding increases in the areas of cybersecurity, electro-technology and nanotechnology.

• Support for the "America Competes Act" funding,
  ensuring appropriations match authorization.

• Support for science and technology knowledge retention and growth.

• Support passage of improvements to the research and experimentation tax credit, including extension and reform of the "basic research credit" to promote collaborative research.

• Support legislation to improve technology transfer to provide the public with a more widely known, central source of information.

• Encouraging technology commercialization and partnerships.

• Support for NSF, DOC, DOD Science and Technology, and NIST funding.

• Monitoring proposals for reform of the national research laboratories.

• Promoting engineering education reforms.

• Support for the High Performance Computing Research legislation as it goes through Congress.

Current committee activities include:

• Supporting the Science, Engineering & Technology Congressional Visits Day (4-5 March 2008)

• Co-sponsoring a national Engineering R&D Symposium (6 May 2008)

• Supporting the Congressional R&D Caucus.

• Collaborating with the R&D Doubling Coalition, the Coalition for National Science Funding, the R&E Tax Credit Coalition, and the American Association of Engineering Societies.

Position Statements

The following research and development policy related positions have been adopted by IEEE-USA:

• Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Innovation and Competitiveness (June 2008)
• Nanotechnology Research and Development (June 2008)
• Department of Defense Science and Technology (Nov. 2007)
• Optimized Use of Federal Laboratories (Nov. 2007)
• Federal Support for Basic Research (Feb. 2007)
• Cybersecurity Research & Development (June 2006)
• Permanent Extension of the R&D Tax Credit (Nov. 2005)
• High Performance Computing R&D (Feb. 2005)
• Coalition for National Security Research Statement on the FY 2005 Defense S&T Budget        (March 2004)
• Science and Technology in Support of U.S. Foreign Policy (June 2004)
• Strengthening Science & Technology at the Department of Homeland Security (Feb. 2004)

Policy Communications

• CNSF Coalition to House and Senate Appropriations Leaders urging National Science Foundation funding of at least $6.854B in the anticipated continuing budget resolution. (08 September 2008)
• Innovation Task Force Coalition letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to preserve $200 million in funding increases for the physical sciences and engineering included in the Senate-passed supplemental appropriations legislation. (03 June 2008)
• Coalition letter to Reps. Gordon and Hall endorsing a proposed Nanotechnology Education Partnership initiative as part of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Math and Science Partnership program, which is contained in the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 5940) (30 May 2008)
• Letter to House leadership urging prompt passage of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 5940) (19 May 2008)
• Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Leaders urging funding of the NIST Technology Innovation Program as authorized in the American COMPETES Act. (25 April 2008)
• Coalition letter to the President and Congressional leaders urging inclusion of science and engineering research, and math and science education funding in the supplemental Fiscal Year 2008 spending bill. (16 April 2008)
• Letter and statement submitted for the hearing of Senate Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness on the FY 2009 budget request for basic research. (11 March 08)
• Letter to the House Science Committee urging Congress to enact full funding for America Competes Act's S&T authorization. (13 Feb. 08)
• Letter to Members of U.S. House of Representatives encouraging their participation in the congressional Robotics Caucus. (1 November 2007)
• Letter to Sponsors of the America Competes Act (H.R. 2272, Public Law 110-69)thanking them for their leadership. (27 August 2007)
• Letter to the House and Senate urging support for final passage of the Conference
  Report on the America Competes Act (H.R.2272). (02 Aug 2007)
• Letter to House and Senate conferees urging prompt action to reconcile and
  report the America Competes Act (S. 761/H.R. 2272). (01 Aug 2007)
• Letter to House and Senate conferees urging inclusion of the high-performance provisions (Title V of H.R. 2272) in the final conference report on the America Competes Act (S. 761/H.R. 2272). (01 Aug 2007)
• Letter to the House Leadership and Ways & Means Committee members supporting
  passage of the Investment in America Act of 2007 (H.R. 2138), which would
  provide for the permanent extension of the Research and Development (R&D)
  tax credit. (23 July 2007)
• Coalition letter by Task Force on Future of American Innovation to House and Senate leaders urging FY'08 funding increases for research at NSF, NIST and the DOE-Office of Science. (24 April 2007)
• Letter to Senate urging passage of the "America Competes Act" (S.761). (20 April 2007)
• Statement on Competitiveness and Basic Research for the hearing of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness. (19 April 2007)
• Letter to House leaders endorsing S&T funding allocations in the FY2008 budget resolution (H.Con.Res.99). (27 March 2007)
• Letter to House Science and Technology Committee endorsing the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2007 (H.R. 1068). (28 February 2007)
• Letter to House Budget and Senate Finance Committee leaders urging revisal of funding reductions for Science and Technology (S&T) research at the Department of Defense.  (27 February 2007)
• Letter to Senator Wyden offering IEEE expertise and assistance in support of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus. (05 February 2007)
• Letter commending Congressional Leaders for including increased investments in innovation and competitiveness in the FY 2007 Continuing Budget Resolution (31 January 2007)
• Letter to Rep. Bart Gordon endorsing the "10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds" Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R. 362) and the Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act (H.R. 363). (29 January 2007)
• Letter to House Democratic leaders urging continued support of previously approved FY 2007 appropriations for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy Office of Science in the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution.  Pelosi response  (19 January 2007)
• Coalition letter (Computing Research and Innovation Coalition) to House Democratic leaders urging continued support of previously approved FY 2007 appropriations for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy Office of Science in the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution. (12 January 2007)
• Coalition letter (Task Force on the Future of American Innovation) urging continued support of previously approved FY 2007 appropriations for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy Office of Science in the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution. (18 January 2007)
• Letter to Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye urging continued authorization and full funding for the Technology Administration at the Department of Commerce.  (18 Dec. 2006)
• Letter to Senate leaders urging support for $10M defense appropriation to complete development and construction of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope. (11 Dec. 2006)
• Innovation & Competitiveness Coalition letters to House and Senate Appropriations leaders expressing support for proposed FY 2007 agency R&D appropriations at levels recommended in the President's American Competitiveness Initiative. (18 October 2006)
• Letter to William Hoagland (Senate Majority Leader's office) endorsing the National Competitiveness Investment Act (S. 3936). (27 Sept. 2006)
• Coalition letter to Senate supporting confirmation of Dr. Sharon Hays as the Associate Director for Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. (9 Sept. 2006)
• Letter sent to U.S. Senate urging Senators to support the Kennedy-Collins Amendment to the FY07 Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 5631). (02 August 2006)
• R&D Tax Credit Coalition letter to House and Senate leaders urging a seamless extension of a strengthened Research and Development (R&D) tax credit. (26 June 2006)
• ASTRA Coalition letter to House leadership endorsing measures reported by the House Committee on Science (H.R. 5356, H.R. 5357 and H.R. 5358) as well as the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative. (20 June 2006)
• Letter to House Science Committee members urging committee passage of three education and competitiveness bills:  Early Career Research Act (HR 5356); the Research for Competitiveness Act (HR 5357); and the Science and Mathematics Education for Competitiveness Act (HR 5358). (26 May 2006)
• Letter to Senate Finance Committee supporting the Protecting America’s Competitive Edge (PACE) Finance Act (S.2199). (10 May 2006)
• Letter with Innovation and Competitiveness Coalition to President Bush requesting support to secure full funding of the President's American Competitiveness Initiative by Congress. (5 May 2006)
• R&D Tax Credit Coalition letter to House and Senate tax conferees supporting a seamless extension of the federal research and experimentation tax credit. (27 April 2006)
• Letter to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging support for full funding for Budget Function 250 ,which funds many of the programs in the President's American Competitive Initiative. (13 April 2006)
• Statement to the Senate Commerce Committee's Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness Subcommittee hearing on the Importance of Basic Research to United States Competitiveness. (29 March 2006)
• Statement to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for a hearing on Innovation and Competitiveness legislation. (15 March 2006)
• Letter to Senate and House Budget Committee members urging them to increase budget allocations for defense S&T funding to 3% of the FY2007 DoD budget. (21 February 2006)
• Letter to U.S. Senators urging co-sponsorship of the National Innovation Act of 2005 (S.2109) (10 January 2006)

• Letter to U.S. Senate applauding introduction of the National Innovation Act of 2005 (S. 2109). (19 December 2005)
• Letter to House and Senate Defense Appropriations Conferees supporting the Kennedy-Collins Amendment to add $40 million to DoD defense basic research  and SMART programs. (04 November 2005)
• Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives endorsing the GI Advanced Education in Science and Technology Act (H.R. 421). (1 November 2005)
• Letter requesting Senate Appropriations Bill Conferees to support the Senate-proposed $250 million appropriation for a Hubble Space Telescope repair mission during their deliberations on FY 2006 NASA appropriations (H.R. 2862). (21 October 2005)
• IEEE-USA signed on to a high-tech industry letter to the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee leadership urging support for the extension of the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit. (21 October 2005)
• IEEE-USA signed on to a Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) letter to the Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolten, expressing support for an FY2007 budget of $6 billion for the National Science Foundation. (20 October 2005)
• Letter to Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill Conferees expressing IEEE-USA's support for maintaining at least House-approved appropriations levels for the National Science Foundation during the Committee's conference on H.R. 2862. (20 October 2005)
• Letter to members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee urging expeditious passage of the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005 (H.R. 250), as passed in the House on 21 September. (22 September 2005)
• Letter to Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill conferees expressing IEEE-USA's support for preserving the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). (21 September 2005)
• Letter to the House and Senate Leadership, House Science Committee, OSTP, and NCO/NITRD, endorsing the findings and recommendations of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) in its February 2005 report, “Cyber Security: a Crisis of Prioritization.” (07 Sept 05)
• Statement to the House Science Committee for the record of its hearing on U.S. Competitiveness:  The Innovation Challenge. (15 August 05)
• Letter to Senate Appropriators urging them to match the funding levels approved by the House of Representatives in the 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2863). (08 July 2005)
• Letter to Senate Appropriators supporting increases in the National Science Foundation's FY 2006 budget in line with those contained in H.R. 2862  (16 June 05)
• Letter to the Senate Finance and House Ways & Means Committees urging permanent extension of the R&D tax credit. (25 May 05)
• Letter to Senate Commerce Committee urging quick action on the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005 (H.R. 28). (19 May 05)

• Letter to House Science Committee members supporting the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005 (H.R. 250) (4 May 05)
• Letter to House & Senate Leadership, Armed Services Committees and DARPA expressing concern with redirection of DARPA research priorities.    more (15 Apr. 05)
• Letter to House & Senate Budget Committees urging strong support for federally funded research through the National Science Foundation. (2 Feb. 05)
• USA letter to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee endorsing goals of the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act (S. 189).(29 May 2003)

Committee Organization

Chair:  Jim Bielefeld

Vice Chair:  Richard Ford

Staff: Bill Williams

Forthcoming Meetings

The Committee holds meetings every other month.  All meetings are normally held from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the IEEE-USA Conference Room, 1828 L Street, N.W, Suite 1202 in Washington, DC unless otherwise indicated.  Contact Bill Williams for meeting details.
 

Participation