A Guide to the National Institute of Standards and Technology

What is the National Institute of Standards and Technology?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is a non-regulator agency of the United States Department of Commerce. In essence, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is a measurement standards science facility that aims to complete the following mission (as stated by agency itself): “To Promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve quality of life.”

As part of its general mission, the National Institute of Standards and Technology supplies, academia, government, and industry with over 1,300 Standard Reference Materials. These various artifacts are certified as possessing specific characteristics or component content, used as a form of calibration standard to measure equipment and procedures, as well as quality control benchmarks for industrial processes and experimental control samples.

In early 2002, the National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted an investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2, as well as the 47-story 7 World Trade Center. The investigation, covered the following aspects: a technical building and fire safety evaluation to study the factors which contributed to the cause of the collapses of the towers, a research and development program to provide a technical basis for improved building and fire codes and a technical assistance program to engage leaders of the construction community to implement proposed changes to codes, standards and practices.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Quick Facts:

The following details outline the administration of the National Institute of Standards and Technology:

The headquarters of the National Institute of Standards and Technology are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland—the National Institute of Standards and Technology also possesses a fully-functional facility in Boulder, Colorado.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is aligned into six functional laboratories: An Engineering Laboratory, an Information Technology Laboratory, a Physical measurement Laboratory, the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, and the NIST Center for Neutron Research. In addition to these laboratories, the national Institute of Standards and Technology also possesses several extramural programs.

The National institute of Standards and Technology possesses an operating budget of approximately $992 million dollars; however, the agency also receives donations and grants, most notably a $610 million gift as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology employs roughly 2,900 scientists, technicians, engineers and various support and administrative personnel. Roughly 1,800 associates of the National Institute of Standards and Technology agency complement the core staff; additionally, the National Institute of Standards and Technology partners with approximately 1,400 manufacturing specialists and staff members in nearly 350 affiliated centers throughout the United States of America.

NEXT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration