Senate holds key to IT boost.(Statistical Data Included)

Long-term Internet Technology research in the United States will get a significant boost if the U.S. Senate approves a bill that authorizes $4.8 billion for such research over the next five years, experts say.

The House of Representatives Feb. 14 passed the Networking and Information Research and Development Act. The bill authorizes Congress to appropriate $4.8 billion for basic, long-term Internet Technology research to the following agencies: The National Science Foundation, NASA, the National Institutes, of Health, the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition, the bill bolsters math and science education by authorizing $95 million for universities to establish for-credit internships for research at IT companies.

NSF TAKES LEAD

The National Science Foundation, which awards research grants on a competitive basis to researchers, …