Pioneer of packet switching and MOSIS, Uncapher spread the ideas that later evolved into the Internet. Under his leadership, ISI provided support for emerging DARPA programs in Information Technology. There, Uncapher assembled teams of engineers who helped to grow the early Internet. During the 1980s, along with his colleagues, he helped to create the MOSIS system that made VLSI design more practical and cost effective for researchers, and as a result, architectural innovation more plentiful.
Uncapher was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1998 for contributions to information technology at the national level. He also received "The Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service" from the Department of the Air Force as well as the IEEE Computer Society "Centennial Medal". His lifetime of service included participating on the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, Defense Information Systems Agency's Scientific Advisory Group, and the Institute for Defense Analyses Computer Science Advisory Group.
He was an active participant in the National Research Council, Board of Telecommunications. Uncapher was a member of the Federal Judicial Center's Scientific Advisory Group, and served on the EDUCOM Board of Trustees.
