Research & Development Policy Committee (RDPC)

Mission

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 & Activities

IEEE-USA will support the implementation of innovation-related legislation and the associated federal research and development (R&D) budget appropriations needed to sustain U.S. technological leadership; promote economic competitiveness; and create high-value, advanced research and engineering jobs in the United States. Priorities include:

• increasing federal investments in science and engineering R&D, including university research and education initiatives;
• advocating sound R&D technology policies that advance US technology industries;
• revitalizing U.S. high-tech manufacturing, including appropriate incentives for businesses to locate R&D and manufacturing operations in the United States;
• urging appropriate changes to the U.S. export controls regime, including clarification of the deemed export rule;
• removing barriers to participation in professional society conferences by federal S&Es.

Current committee activities include:

• Support IEEE-USA’s Congressional Visits Day
• Support the Congressional R&D Caucus
• Support the Congressional Robotics Caucus
• Collaborate with the R&D Doubling Coalition, the Coalition for National Science Funding, the Coalition for National Security Research, the Energy Sciences Coalition, the Task Force on American Innovation,  the R&D 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:

Resources

U.S. Government – Executive Branch

• Homeland Security Research & Technology (DHS)
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DoD)
• Defense Research and Engineering (DoD)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
• The White House
• FirstGov

U.S. Government – Congress

• Library of Congress
• The U.S. House of Representatives
• House Science Committee
• The U.S. Senate
• General Accounting Office

S&T Associations/Think-Tanks

• AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program
• Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA)
• Industrial Research Institute (IRI)
• National Academy of Engineering
• Science and Technology Policy Institute (IDA)

Advocacy Groups/Coalitions

• Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America (ASTRA)
• Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)
• Coalition for National Security Research (CNSR)
• Council on Competitiveness
• Research America