Robert J. Aiken
Network Research Program Manager
U.S. Department of Energy
ER-30, GTN
Washington, D.C. 20585
301-903-9960 (work)
301-271-7084 (home)
aiken@es.net


Mr. Aiken is currently on special assignment from the Lawrence Livermore
National Lab (LLNL) to the Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters' Office
of Scientific Computing (OSC), consulting on both NREN and NII issues and
policies in additio to serving as the Program Manager for OSC's HPCC
Network Research activities.  Prior to his current position, he was NSF's
National Research and Education Network (NREN) Program Manager, where he
was responsible for directing and coordinating NSF's NREN activities with
other federal agencies and relevant NREN constituents, in addition to
co-authoring the design of the next generation

NSNFET,associated NAPs and related research.  Mr. Aiken went to the NSF
from DOE where he was on special assignment from LLNL to consult on (NREN)
issues and was the Executive Director of the Energy Sciences network
(ESnet) Steering Committee.  At both the NSF and DOE Mr. Aiken was heavily
involved with the Federal Networking Council in addition to participating
in numerous NREN and NII meetings/hearings and workshops on both technical
and policy issues.  Additionally, Mr. Aiken serves on the National
Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board's (NAS/TRB) committee on
Telecommuting and Travel Behavior and is currently working on the NII and
IITA with respect to energy demand management, telepresence, environmental
monitoring, and other DOE NII applications.

Prior to Mr. Aiken's assignments in the DC area, he was the Group Leader
of the ESnet Network Information Services (NIS) Group which he created and
managed. The NIS which was responsible for information services (including
DNS, X.500, etc.), e-mail and gateways, and debugging network problems.
In addition he was heavily involved in the design, implementation and
operation activities of the wide area (WAN) multi- protocol ESnet network.
Mr. Aiken also possesses Supercomputing operating systems and High Speed
Supercomputer LAN experience.  He has been an active participant in many
standards bodies and activities, such as the NIST OSI Implementors
Workshop (OIW), the DOE GOSIP Transition Working Group and Council, the US
GOSIP Working group, and various CCITT and IETF study and working groups.
Mr. Aiken also was responsible for initiating the concept of having a
Federal Information Requirements Panel (FIRP) redress the OSI biased GOSIP
policy.

In addition to Mr. Aiken's policy, research and operational networking
experience (majority of it IP based), he has also taught both graduate and
undergraduate computer sciences courses at the California State College
Hayward and Hood College in Frederick Maryland.


I believe that the ISOC has an important role to play in the evolution of
the Internet, especially with respect to standards development and and the
education of new players (both technical and policy oriented) in the
International Information Infrastructure (III).  I strongly believe that
the III can and should accommodate both commercial and R&E users and
service providers at all levels, however to do so the standards process
must be viewed as open and fair in addition to actually being so.  To this
end I think that the ISOC/IAB/IETF could benefit from a consistent and

coherent charter and role in addition to engaging in a broad information
dissemination program.  By focusing on what the ISOC can do best the
momentum will help bring others onboard and to further solidify ISOC's
role in the III.  By bringing in new blood (fresh) from new constituencies
the ISOC (IAB/IETF/etc.) and its processes will benefit- not only
enhancing its own blood lines but also demonstrating its openness to
change and evolution.  For those who do not know me - I strongly adhere to
the positions stated above.  This is evidenced in my work at NSF as a
co-author and the major NSF proponent for the NAPs, in addition to my
initiating the activities (while at DOE) that led to the FIRP (and redress
of the GOSIP OSI bias), and other actions on the FNC to keep the US
federal government a player in the III without trying to dominate it.  In
addition, I also believe that the ISOC cannot attain its goal alone - it
will need to work collaboratively with many other organizations on an
international level.  I have operational network, research and
development, policy, and managerial experience in the Internet since 1988.
I am still well connected with the "techies" as well as policy makers and
many feel very comfortable working with me.  This provides me with the
necessary contacts for investigating and addressing internet oriented
issues.  I strongly believe that all processes, including governments',
need to be open, clear, consistent, and fair and also be viewed as such.
I also strongly believe that, no matter how noble the goal, the end does
not justify the means.  I pledge that I will act in accordance with these
principles and therefor be of benefit to the ISOC by acting as an internal
critic and watchdog to ensure that the intents and processes of the ISOC,
IAB,IESG, IETF are clearly delineated, promulgated, and upheld.