Budget Cuts Hurt Computer Science Research, Critics WarnBudget Cuts Hurt Computer Science Research, Critics Warn

WASHINGTON — Basic research on computer science is in danger of becoming a victim of federal budget cuts, experts warned Congress this week.

The primary concern is that long-term computer research — an area that contributed mightily to the creation of the Internet, experts stressed — is being short-changed in favor of targeted research projects with narrow applications.

Outside computer experts told the House Science Committee on Thursday (May 12) that key government agencies like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) are responding to proposed budgets cuts by shifting funds to applied research projects. The gambit could yield specific applications for the military, but might also damage the future of the U.S. information technology industry, they warned.

"It is not just that there is an increasingly short-term focus in some agencies, it is that even in those agencies with a longer term focus, when resources are tight, researchers themselves propose more incremental, less risky projects," said William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering.

Darpa Director Anthony Tether defended the agency's research priorities, and challenged critics to site specific examples of where the agency was neglecting computer research. "Darpa is indeed funding radical ideas that involve long-range research," Tether said.

Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., modulated his criticism of Darpa after the hearing, but added, "I remain concerned about the direction of federal computing policy, but this is a tough issue — a question of balance — and we're going to need a lot more discussion and debate to sort things out."