Seite 7: Conclusion

Studying the birth, development and end of IPTO (1962-1986), its achievements and the problems it encountered, leads to the discovery that an important new institutional form was created by the development of the IPTO. A number of books and authors recognize the important achievements and computer science breakthroughs that occurred during or as a result of IPTO's period of existence. However, there seems to be no real recognition of the importance of the institutional form that made these achievements possible. An institutional form of significant merit was created and developed. And it is this institutional form that it is important to study and learn from, if one hopes to be able to build on the kinds of achievements made possible by IPTO.

To build on the new developments that have come forth as a result of the work done by ARPA/IPTO, there is a need to explore whether an institutional form to support basic research in computer science that is modeled on IPTO needs to be created at the appropriate place within the U.S. government. In addition, an important achievement like the Internet needs such an institution within the U.S. government to provide the needed continued oversight and research work to make possible the scaling and continued development of the Internet. This requires understanding the lessons of how to create the appropriate interface between the scientific community of research computer scientists and the U.S. government structures that was achieved by IPTO. Lessons need to be drawn from both a study of the experience of those who directed IPTO and from those who were part of the IPTO research community. Lessons also can fruitfully be drawn from the experience of OSRD.

To design such an institutional form, the problems that led to the ending of IPTO would have to be identified and the new government institution has to be created in a way that will make it possible to counter their influence. The lesson of both the OSRD and of IPTO is that in the interface between the scientific community and government, there needs to be protection for the autonomy of the scientists who are working with government so that they can pursue their research. Moreover basic research in computer science requires active support and direction in ways pioneered by J.C.R. Licklider and other directors of IPTO who were leaders in the scientific community. Some of these requirements were outlined by Vannevar Bush in the report "Science: the Endless Frontier". But there has also been additional experience to build on from the practice of those directing the IPTO. Some of these lessons include:

1. Identifying good researchers and providing them with long term support.
2. Making available ample scholarships for students and graduate students so that students from all economic strata will be able to enter the field if they have the talent and interest and there can be interaction and collaboration among a large enough number of students that leadership can emerge.
3. Providing the means for collaboration and interaction among those in the computer science research community so that they can build on each others work, and recognize the generic as well as the particular of their research.
4. Protection against pressure for product oriented results.

There are other criteria that emerge out of a study of IPTO's evolution and the evolution of the research community it supported. However, the most important lesson is the need for an institution within government, staffed by the best computer scientists from the computer science community who learn from the community and who provide direction back to the community. The importance of the Internet in helping to make this possible is essential. Other agencies can collaborate in work with this new government institution, just as the ONR and the NSF supported the work in computer science done by IPTO. However, neither of these other two agencies were able to achieve the results that IPTO was able to achieve when it had the needed protection for its work.

The continued development of the new science of computer science and of the child it has given birth to, the Internet, require the proper environment that will support their continued growth and flourishing. This suggests that serious consideration be given to the need for the creation of a new institution within the U.S. government that will build on the important legacy of Bush's report, the experience of the OSRD, but mostly on the experience of IPTO.

Bibliography

Interviews conducted by Charles Babbage Institute with
J.C.R. Licklider
Jack Ruina
Robert Kahn 22 March 1989
Alan Newell
Alan G. Blue
Larry Roberts
Keith Uncapher
Charles Herzfeld

Community Memory Mailing List, April 2, 1999.

Last Updated: July 25, 1999

(c)Ronda Hauben 1999 All rights reserved