§19084 Advanced Computing

Summary

Require research proposals that will use advanced computing to say how much computing they need and encourage tools to help estimate those needs, including tools noted in a 2016 National Academies report called “Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017–2020.” Every two years the Director must publish a short report on the amount and types of advanced computing the Foundation’s projects need. The Director must also create, publish, and keep updating a 5-year roadmap that lays out what computing resources would meet future needs, uses community input and proposal data, considers planned major facilities and technology trends, tells users and partners about future services, helps underserved groups and regions, shows how to link with the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, and tells Congress how much funding is needed. To protect federally supported research from cyber theft, the Director, working with NIST, the Secretary of Energy, and other agencies, must run a pilot program to fund secure computing “enclaves.” The pilot will pick three universities with graduate programs and experience handling secure information, favoring schools that can serve their region and are spread out geographically. The chosen schools must develop a compliance design, a bill of materials, policy and system-security templates, and a plan-to-fix problems. The program must consider long-term sustainability, run at least 3 years, and the Director must report to Congress within 6 months after it ends on security benefits and whether to expand. Up to $38,000,000 is authorized for fiscal years 2023 through 2025.