US gov't official: Changes needed in IT research

09.03.2007

"We need this (research effort) because we need to retain society's trust in the computing system that touches us on a daily life," said Wing.

Even so, the NSF only approves about 18 percent of the funding requests its gets; many computer scientists are turned away. "There is a lot of science that's just not being done," said Wing. Meanwhile, India and China are investing in basic research. China, in particular, has the money, power and hunger "to do whatever they want," she said.