Office of Technology Assessment 
The Office of Technolog\' Assessment (OTA) was created in 1972 as 
an ad\ isorv arm of Congress. OT.A’s basic function is to help legislative 
policymakers anticipate and plan for the consequences of technological 
changes and to e.xamine the many, ways, expected and unexpected, in 
which technologN' affects people’s lives. The assessment of technology 
calls for exploration of the physical, biological, economic, social, and polit- 
ical impacts which can result from applications of scientific knowledge. 
O r.-\ prov ides Congress with independent and timely information about 
the potential effects— both beneficial and harmful— of technological appli- 
cations. 
Requests for studies are made by chairmen of standing committees 
of the House of Representatives or Senate; by the Technology Assessment 
Bt)ard, the governing body of OTA; or by the Director of OTA in consulta- 
tion with the Board. 
The Technologv' .Assessment Board is composed of six members of 
the House, six members of the Senate, and the OTA Director, who is a 
non\ oting member. 
OT.A currently has underway studies in nine general areas: energy, 
international security and commerce, materials, food and renewable re- 
sources, health, human resources, communication and information tech- 
nologies. oceans and environment, and space technology. 
