IT2 equals more cash for long-term US research

Information technology research in the United States was this week singled out for a $366 million, or 28 per cent, budget boost. Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Anaheim, California, US vice-president Al Gore outlined plans for a new initiative, IT2 - Information Technology for the 21st century. This would plough extra money into long-term information technology research, advanced computing, and research on the economic and social implications of the information revolution. There would also be efforts to train additional IT workers at universities, he said. IT2, which follows a recent report suggesting levels of long-term IT research were "dangerously inadequate", forms part of President Clinton's 2000 budget request, presented to Congress this week.

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