National Science and Technology Council
Committee on National Security
Committee on Technology

Terms of Reference for the
Interagency Working Group on Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)
Research and Development (R&D)
 

Introduction

The Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Critical Infrastructure Protection Research and Development is established jointly under the Committee on National Security (CNS) and the Committee on Technology (CT) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to provide a forum within the NSTC for developing consensus and resolving issues associated with coordinating R&D agendas, policy, and programs related to critical infrastructure protection.  The purpose of the IWG is to coordinate multi-department, multi-agency R&D in CIP technologies to satisfy the needs of the Federal government for protecting critical infrastructures, and accelerate the development and deployment of advanced CIP technologies.
 

Goal

The goal of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) is to define, develop, coordinate and monitor critical infrastructure protection (CIP) research and development agendas, policy, and programs for the Federal government.
 

Scope

The IWG will address Federal government research and development programs that are applicable to the protection of the nation's critical infrastructures.  In particular, the IWG will foster collaborative multi-agency R&D initiatives among Federal departments and agencies.
 

Organization
 

• The IWG will operate jointly under the NSTC's Committee on National Security and Committee on Technology.
• The IWG will be chaired by the Office of Science and Technology Policy; the Departments of Commerce and Defense will be deputy chairs.  Membership includes, but is not limited to, the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Energy, the Office of Management and Budget, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Security Council, the National Economic Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

 

Activities

The activities of the IWG will include, but not be limited to, the following:
 

• Coordinating the appropriate Federal government entities to identify relevant long-term R&D objectives.  The CIP Working Group will promote consistent, detailed, and comprehensive communications among the government, private sector, and academia in addressing existing and long-term R&D requirements and programs.
  
  
• Developing proposed critical infrastructure protection R&D policy that will be provided to the NSTC.
  
  
• Developing and updating annually a fully coordinated infrastructure protection R&D agenda that addresses current and emerging infrastructure protection requirements, which will be provided to the NSTC.  The agenda should leverage related R&D investment agendas and programs of other departments and agencies and the private sector to the degree possible.  The agenda should make projections of long-term budget requirements.  The IWG will ensure the integration, coherence, and efficiency of R&D that is applicable to meeting the needs and requirements of a national infrastructure protection program.  Key activities will include:
  
  
• Comparing infrastructure protection R&D needs to current R&D programs and identifying gaps.
• Coordinating the progress of ongoing infrastructure protection R&D programs.
• Identifying programs to meet needs, including the augmentation of existing programs when deemed necessary.
• Prioritizing, sequencing, and recommending specific R&D programs to address critical needs.
• Determining funding needed to execute the overall R&D program.
• Identifying Federal investment levels for ongoing critical infrastructure protection R&D.
  
  
• Monitor other ongoing studies of CIP R&D needs, CIP R&D agendas, and infrastructure vulnerabilities; ensure the timely distribution of appropriate studies to government entities; and incorporate recommendations from such studies as necessary and warranted.

 

The IWG will meet at least biweekly to develop a critical infrastructure protection R&D agenda and associated policy, and thereafter at the discretion of the Chair to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the agenda and policy.  Intra- and interagency coordination will also occur between formal, scheduled IWG meetings.
 

Schedule
 

• By June 11, 1998, the IWG will complete a preliminary identification of ongoing Federal critical infrastructure protection R&D programs.  This listing will be updated by September 3, 1998.
  
  
• By August 15, 1998, the IWG will develop a list of R&D needs and gaps.
  
  
• By October 16, 1998, the IWG will develop and deliver to the Committee on National Security and the Committee on Technology a draft federal government critical infrastructure protection R&D agenda.  The IWG will update this agenda annually.  
  
  
• By October 16, 1998, the IWG will submit an R&D plan and approach to update the plan to the Principals Committee as specified in PDD-63.

 

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