National Strategic Overview for Research and Development Infrastructure

The purpose of the National Strategic Overview for Research and Development Infrastructure (RDI) is to provide a strategic vision that presents key policy opportunities to optimize Federal RDI investments and planning over the next 20 years. This National Strategic Overview completes the report to Congress on Federal RDI investments mandated by the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act. It also describes the current Federal RDI landscape and the integral role of RDIs in enabling and sustaining the Nation’s R&D enterprise. Through its strategic vision and key policy opportunities, this National Strategic Overview lays the groundwork to develop coordinated and enhanced approaches for Federal RDI investments that address short- and long-term needs. This strategic overview provides a high-level landscape of federally supported RDI in national priority areas. The strategic overview aims to identify gaps and opportunities that could benefit from new or improved interagency coordination and/or partnerships both nationally and internationally. It also outlines policy or coordination objectives in critical and emerging priority areas to address near-term (5–10-year) and emergent future RDI needs, considering long-term sustainability for R&D infrastructure investments (40 years +). This strategic overview was developed by the NSTC RDI Subcommittee with contributions from member agencies across the Federal Government listed on page ii.