View Full Text: National-Strategic-Computing-Initiative-Update-2019.pdf
The national computing landscape is undergoing rapid evolution along multiple dimensions due to the introduction of new and potentially disruptive technologies and the demands of new classes of data-intensive applications. Computer architectures and systems are more heterogeneous and complex, and the challenges associated with the complexity and sustainability of software are significant. Application developers are being called to meet demands for improved usability and productivity. Therefore, to address this new environment, it is essential to update the 2016 U.S. Strategic Computing Plan in a holistic and synergistic fashion that involves government, academia, and industry. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Networking and Information Technology Research and Development created a Fast Track Action Committee on Strategic Computing in June 2019 to address this imperative.
The National Strategic Computing Initiative Update builds on the 2016 Strategic Computing Plan to enable focused and collaborative research, development, and deployment of future computing technologies to benefit the Nation. Realizing the successes of the National Strategic Computing Initiative to date, this update examines steps beyond those already implemented for realizing a computing ecosystem that combines heterogeneous computing systems (from extreme-scale to edge-centered systems and beyond) with the networking, hardware, software, data, and expertise required to support national security and defense as well as U.S. scientific, engineering, and economic leadership.
The refocused objectives identified are:
- Pioneer new frontiers of digital and non-digital computation to address the scientific and technological challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
- Develop, broaden, and advance the Nation’s computational infrastructure and ecosystem.
- Forge and expand partnerships for the future of computing to ensure American leadership in science, technology, and innovation.
What follows includes key goals for a strategic approach to the future of computing, and a set of recommendations to achieve those goals, which will expand our scientific knowledge, enable economic growth, and improve our national security. These recommendations and goals were determined via engagement with government, academia, and industry through various means, including a Request for Information (RFI) and a Future Computing Community of Interest Meeting.