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The National Challenge in Computer Science and Technology (1988) / Chapter Skim
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4 A Unique Innovation Engine
Pages 22-30

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From page 22...
... —plays an essential role in Jubricating and tuning the engine and In deterrn~ning its long-term future. Government has a direct interest in computer science and technology as a customer and as a user.
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From page 23...
... NSF has also been a major contributor to university-based basic research and is credited with funding several important advances in theoretical computer science as well as supporting experimental computer science and upgraded educational facilities. Smaller yet significant contributions to basic research have been made under funds provided by the military services, NASA, NTH, and the Department of Energy.
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From page 24...
... People and ideas flow among the three components of the engine, helping to integrate the intellectual curiosity of academia, the vigor and flexibility of the entrepreneur, and the resources and dependability of the giant corporations. This union is not perfect: companies and, in particular, computer science and technology graduate programs have complained of shortages in skilled computer science and technology personnel; college programs have suffered from obsolete equipment; university researchers are often slow to explore the real-life problems facing companies; the capital markets are too impatient, with a quick profit orientation that dim courages risk taking and disparages long-term research; shakeouts among the venture companies often sweep away good ideas before they have any chance to pay off and too frequently reward the iniitator rather than the innovator; large companies are often bureaucratic and reluctant to adopt new ideas.
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From page 25...
... In the past, dedicated large computers and forefront workstations enabled researchers to write larger programs, express them better, run them more rapidly, and advance the state of the art faster than they could have if they had had to rely on more limited personal computers or on the keyboards of dumb terminals attached to time-shared mainframe computers. Network connections have enabled researchers to share their results and gain access to important sources of information.
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From page 26...
... ? abr~cation The third important component of the computer science research infrastructure has been the design and prototyping of new sol-id state circuits (VESI chips)
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From page 27...
... research. This dependence, as well as widespread appreciation for the global scale of competition in computer-related markets, has led industrialized and newly industrializing nations to embark on programs involving government, industry, and/or academia to strengthen local computer science and technology capabilities.
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From page 28...
... trade balance versus computer and business equipment industry trade balance, 1960-1986. Reprinted, by permission, from CBEMA, 1987.
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From page 29...
... Recently, NSF has attracted attention through its programs to launch supercomputer research centers and provide computer networking for researchers. These programs operate out of the same unit responsible for most of NSF's computer research funding; they use computer technology and employ computer scientists to assist researchers in the physical sciences, but they do not support basic research in computer science and technology.
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From page 30...
... Total federal investment in basic computer science research, including high-performance computing research, ~ estimated by OSTP at only $300 million (OSTP 1987~. Both figures may also be overestimates, since some applied research tends to be labeled basic research.
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Key Terms

  • mature companies
  • basic computer
  • venture companies
  • computer scientists
  • key source

  • equipment industry
  • experimental computer
  • personal computers
  • semiconductor technology
  • cutting edge

  • business equipment
  • advanced computer
  • trade balance
  • machine tools
  • western european

  • vest design
  • solid state
  • manufacturing breakthroughs
  • computer networking
  • impressive advances

  • increasingly competent
  • losing support
  • computer research
  • memory capacity
  • talent required

  • innovations include
  • workstations enabled
  • upgraded educational
  • science innovation
  • pursue research


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