An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory Fiscal Year 2009 (2009) / Chapter Skim
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2 General Assessment of the Information Technology Laboratory
2 General Assessment of the Information Technology Laboratory
Pages 5-11
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From page 5... ...
SOME IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES AT THE LABORATORY Many things are working very well at the Information Technology Laboratory. The ITL has established 11 key programs that cut across the traditional ITL divisions, and the ITL uses a matrix approach to manage them.
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From page 6... ...
Most of these challenge problems appear to be financed by agencies outside the Department of Commerce, with the ITL performing required research and providing test development and execution. With the ITL setting up carefully defined tests and distributing data sets, government agencies can entice competing academic and industrial organizations to focus research and development (R&D)
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From page 7... ...
By contrast, the Quantum Information Program seems well suited to matrix organization, and the NIST research expertise has salutary effects on a wide swathe of other activities, particularly in helping practitioners understand the possible impacts of quantum computing on cryptographic security. Role of Program Managers Program managers appear free to be advocates for their programs and do not seem burdened with routine administrative tasks.
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From page 8... ...
If the program managers are capable of providing technical leadership and also devote effort to promoting the interests of program participants, then they should be regarded as positive contributors, even if they are no longer writing code or doing other technical tasks associated with individual projects. The group of program managers, being mostly younger or midcareer people, will eventually provide a valuable cadre of experienced managers within the ITL.
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From page 9... ...
The ITL leadership has made it clear that well-conceived projects with outside funding do not present a risk to the research staff; the laboratory will backstop research personnel against unforeseen loss of OA money. However, staff are fearful and risk-averse, especially in the current economy.
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From page 10... ...
It would be ideal if the fellowships and short-term arrangements could be used to develop longer-term collaborations -- ones that could last beyond the money and perhaps lead to joint ventures in better times. Yet there is a concern, both from the staff and the panel, that the net result will be that the scientists do a lot of work functioning as program managers and will get nothing out of it to support their own research activities.
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From page 11... ...
the quality of publication venues and to reward staff who can publish their work in the places with the greatest visibility and prestige. Journal and conference papers serve not only to disseminate project results, but also to advertise the capabilities and successes of a program and to provide a permanent, searchable record for future users.
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