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National Institute of Standards and Technology

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical science laboratory programs that include nanoscale science and technology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, and physical measurement. From 1901 to 1988, the agency was named the National Bureau of Standards.[4]

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Agency overview
FormedMarch 3, 1901; 122 years ago (March 3, 1901) (as National Bureau of Standards),
became NIST in 1988
Headquarters100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.
39°07′59″N 77°13′25″W / 39.13306°N 77.22361°W / 39.13306; -77.22361
EmployeesApprox. 3,400[1]
Annual budget$1.03 billion (FY 2021)[2]
Agency executive
Parent departmentDepartment of Commerce
Websitewww.nist.gov

History

Background

The Articles of Confederation, ratified by the colonies in 1781, provided:

The United States in Congress assembled shall also have the sole and exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the respective states—fixing the standards of weights and measures throughout the United States.[5]

Article 1, section 8, of the Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1789, granted these powers to the new Congress: "The Congress shall have power ... To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures".[6]

In January 1790, President George Washington, in his first annual message to Congress, said, "Uniformity in the currency, weights, and measures of the United States is an object of great importance, and will, I am persuaded, be duly attended to."[7] Washington ordered Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to prepare a Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States, later referred to informally as the Jefferson Report.[citation needed]

On October 25, 1791, Washington again appealed Congress:

A uniformity of the weights and measures of the country is among the important objects submitted to you by the Constitution and if it can be derived from a standard at once invariable and universal, must be no less honorable to the public council than conducive to the public convenience.[8]

In 1821, President John Quincy Adams declared, "Weights and measures may be ranked among the necessities of life to every individual of human society.".[9] Nevertheless, it was not until 1838 that the United States government adopted a uniform set of standards.[6]

From 1830 until 1901, the role of overseeing weights and measures was carried out by the Office of Standard Weights and Measures, which was part of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in the Department of the Treasury.[10][11][12]

Bureau of Standards (1901–1988)

In 1901, in response to a bill proposed by Congressman James H. Southard (R, Ohio), the National Bureau of Standards was founded with the mandate to provide standard weights and measures, and to serve as the national physical laboratory for the United States. Southard had previously sponsored a bill for metric conversion of the United States.[13]

 
Chart of NBS activities, 1915

President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Samuel W. Stratton as the first director. The budget for the first year of operation was $40,000. The Bureau took custody of the copies of the kilogram and meter bars that were the standards for US measures, and set up a program to provide metrology services for United States scientific and commercial users. A laboratory site was constructed in Washington, DC, and instruments were acquired from the national physical laboratories of Europe. In addition to weights and measures, the Bureau developed instruments for electrical units and for measurement of light. In 1905 a meeting was called that would be the first "National Conference on Weights and Measures".

Initially conceived as purely a metrology agency, the Bureau of Standards was directed by Herbert Hoover to set up divisions to develop commercial standards for materials and products.[13]page 133 Some of these standards were for products intended for government use, but product standards also affected private-sector consumption. Quality standards were developed for products including some types of clothing, automobile brake systems and headlamps, antifreeze, and electrical safety. During World War I, the Bureau worked on multiple problems related to war production, even operating its own facility to produce optical glass when European supplies were cut off. Between the wars, Harry Diamond of the Bureau developed a blind approach radio aircraft landing system. During World War II, military research and development was carried out, including development of radio propagation forecast methods, the proximity fuze and the standardized airframe used originally for Project Pigeon, and shortly afterwards the autonomously radar-guided Bat anti-ship guided bomb and the Kingfisher family of torpedo-carrying missiles.

 
A mass spectrometer in use at the NBS in 1948

In 1948, financed by the United States Air Force, the Bureau began design and construction of SEAC, the Standards Eastern Automatic Computer. The computer went into operation in May 1950 using a combination of vacuum tubes and solid-state diode logic. About the same time the Standards Western Automatic Computer, was built at the Los Angeles office of the NBS by Harry Huskey and used for research there. A mobile version, DYSEAC, was built for the Signal Corps in 1954.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (from 1988)

Due to a changing mission, the "National Bureau of Standards" became the "National Institute of Standards and Technology" in 1988.[10]

Following September 11, 2001, NIST conducted the official investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings.

Following the 2021 Surfside condominium building collapse, NIST sent engineers to the site to investigate the cause of the collapse.[14]

In 2019, NIST launched a program named NIST on a Chip to decrease the size of instruments from lab machines to chip size. Applications include aircraft testing, communication with satellites for navigation purposes, and temperature and pressure.[15]

Constitution

NIST, known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), is a measurement standards laboratory, also known as the National Metrological Institute (NMI), which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. The institute's official mission is to:[16]

Promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

— NIST

NIST had an operating budget for fiscal year 2007 (October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007) of about $843.3 million. NIST's 2009 budget was $992 million, and it also received $610 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.[17] NIST employs about 2,900 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support and administrative personnel. About 1,800 NIST associates (guest researchers and engineers from American companies and foreign countries) complement the staff. In addition, NIST partners with 1,400 manufacturing specialists and staff at nearly 350 affiliated centers around the country. NIST publishes the Handbook 44 that provides the "Specifications, tolerances, and other technical requirements for weighing and measuring devices".

Metric system

The Congress of 1866 made use of the metric system in commerce a legally protected activity through the passage of Metric Act of 1866.[18] On May 20, 1875, 17 out of 20 countries signed a document known as the Metric Convention or the Treaty of the Meter, which established the International Bureau of Weights and Measures under the control of an international committee elected by the General Conference on Weights and Measures.[19]

Organization

 
Advanced Measurement Laboratory Complex in Gaithersburg
 
Aerial view of the Gaithersburg campus in 2019
 
Boulder Laboratories

NIST is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and operates a facility in Boulder, Colorado, which was dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1954.[20][21][22] NIST's activities are organized into laboratory programs and extramural programs. Effective October 1, 2010, NIST was realigned by reducing the number of NIST laboratory units from ten to six.[23] NIST Laboratories include:[24]

  • Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)[25]
  • Engineering Laboratory (EL)[26]
  • Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)[27]
  • Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)[28]
  • Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)[29]
  • Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)[30]

Extramural programs include:

  • Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP),[31] a nationwide network of centers to assist small and mid-sized manufacturers to create and retain jobs, improve efficiencies, and minimize waste through process improvements and to increase market penetration with innovation and growth strategies;
  • Technology Innovation Program (TIP), a grant program where NIST and industry partners cost share the early-stage development of innovative but high-risk technologies;
  • Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which administers the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest award for performance and business excellence.

NIST's Boulder laboratories are best known for NIST‑F1, which houses an atomic clock. NIST‑F1 serves as the source of the nation's official time. From its measurement of the natural resonance frequency of cesium—which defines the second—NIST broadcasts time signals via longwave radio station WWVB near Fort Collins, Colorado, and shortwave radio stations WWV and WWVH, located near Fort Collins and Kekaha, Hawaii, respectively.[32]

NIST also operates a neutron science user facility: the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). The NCNR provides scientists access to a variety of neutron scattering instruments, which they use in many research fields (materials science, fuel cells, biotechnology, etc.).

The SURF III Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility is a source of synchrotron radiation, in continuous operation since 1961. SURF III now serves as the US national standard for source-based radiometry throughout the generalized optical spectrum. All NASA-borne, extreme-ultraviolet observation instruments have been calibrated at SURF since the 1970s, and SURF is used for measurement and characterization of systems for extreme ultraviolet lithography.

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) performs research in nanotechnology, both through internal research efforts and by running a user-accessible cleanroom nanomanufacturing facility. This "NanoFab" is equipped with tools for lithographic patterning and imaging (e.g., electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes).

Committees

NIST has seven standing committees:

Projects

 
A 40 nm wide NIST logo made with cobalt atoms

Measurements and standards

As part of its mission, NIST supplies industry, academia, government, and other users with over 1,300 Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). These artifacts are certified as having specific characteristics or component content, used as calibration standards for measuring equipment and procedures, quality control benchmarks for industrial processes, and experimental control samples.

Handbook 44

NIST publishes the Handbook 44 each year after the annual meeting of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). Each edition is developed through cooperation of the Committee on Specifications and Tolerances of the NCWM and the Weights and Measures Division (WMD) of the NIST. The purpose of the book is a partial fulfillment of the statutory responsibility for "cooperation with the states in securing uniformity of weights and measures laws and methods of inspection".

NIST has been publishing various forms of what is now the Handbook 44 since 1918 and began publication under the current name in 1949. The 2010 edition conforms to the concept of the primary use of the SI (metric) measurements recommended by the Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988.[33][34]

Homeland security

NIST is developing government-wide identity document standards for federal employees and contractors to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to government buildings and computer systems.[citation needed]

World Trade Center collapse investigation

In 2002, the National Construction Safety Team Act mandated NIST to conduct an investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2 and the 47-story 7 World Trade Center. The "World Trade Center Collapse Investigation", directed by lead investigator Shyam Sunder,[35] covered three aspects, including a technical building and fire safety investigation to study the factors contributing to the probable cause of the collapses of the WTC Towers (WTC 1 and 2) and WTC 7. NIST also established a research and development program to provide the technical basis for improved building and fire codes, standards, and practices, and a dissemination and technical assistance program to engage leaders of the construction and building community in implementing proposed changes to practices, standards, and codes. NIST also is providing practical guidance and tools to better prepare facility owners, contractors, architects, engineers, emergency responders, and regulatory authorities to respond to future disasters. The investigation portion of the response plan was completed with the release of the final report on 7 World Trade Center on November 20, 2008. The final report on the WTC Towers—including 30 recommendations for improving building and occupant safety—was released on October 26, 2005.[36]

Election technology

NIST works in conjunction with the Technical Guidelines Development Committee of the Election Assistance Commission to develop the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines for voting machines and other election technology.

Cybersecurity Framework

In February 2014 NIST published the NIST Cybersecurity Framework that serves as voluntary guidance for organizations to manage and reduce cybersecurity risk.[37] It was later amended and Version 1.1 was published in April 2018.[38]Executive Order 13800, Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure, made the Framework mandatory for U.S. federal government agencies.[37] An extension to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC) which was introduced in 2019 (thought the origin of CMMC began with Executive Order 13556).[39]

It emphasizes the importance of implementing Zero-trust architecture (ZTA) which focuses on protecting resources over the network perimeter. ZTA utilizes zero trust principles which include “never trust, always verify”, “assume breach” and “least privileged access” to safeguard users, assets, and resources. Since ZTA holds no implicit trust to users within the network perimeter, authentication and authorization are performed before at every stage of a digital transaction. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access of resources.[40]

People

Four scientific researchers at NIST have been awarded Nobel Prizes for work in physics: William Daniel Phillips in 1997, Eric Allin Cornell in 2001, John Lewis Hall in 2005 and David Jeffrey Wineland in 2012, which is the largest number for any US government laboratory. All four were recognized for their work related to laser cooling of atoms, which is directly related to the development and advancement of the atomic clock. In 2011, Dan Shechtman was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on quasicrystals in the Metallurgy Division from 1982 to 1984. In addition, John Werner Cahn was awarded the 2011 Kyoto Prize for Materials Science, and the National Medal of Science has been awarded to NIST researchers Cahn (1998) and Wineland (2007). Other notable people who have worked at NBS or NIST include:

Directors

Since 1989, the director of NIST has been a Presidential appointee and is confirmed by the United States Senate,[41] and since that year the average tenure of NIST directors has fallen from 11 years to 2 years in duration. Since the 2011 reorganization of NIST, the director also holds the title of Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology. Fifteen individuals have officially held the position (in addition to four acting directors who have served on a temporary basis).

Patents

The NIST holds patents on behalf of the Federal government of the United States,[42] with at least one of them being custodial to protect public domain use, such as one for a Chip-scale atomic clock, developed by a NIST team as part of a DARPA competition.[43]

Controversy regarding NIST standard SP 800-90

In September 2013, both The Guardian and The New York Times reported that NIST allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to insert a cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator called Dual EC DRBG into NIST standard SP 800-90 that had a kleptographic backdoor that the NSA can use to covertly predict the future outputs of this pseudorandom number generator thereby allowing the surreptitious decryption of data.[44] Both papers report[45][46] that the NSA worked covertly to get its own version of SP 800-90 approved for worldwide use in 2006. The whistle-blowing document states that "eventually, NSA became the sole editor". The reports confirm suspicions and technical grounds publicly raised by cryptographers in 2007 that the EC-DRBG could contain a kleptographic backdoor (perhaps placed in the standard by NSA).[47]

NIST responded to the allegations, stating that "NIST works to publish the strongest cryptographic standards possible" and that it uses "a transparent, public process to rigorously vet our recommended standards".[48] The agency stated that "there has been some confusion about the standards development process and the role of different organizations in it...The National Security Agency (NSA) participates in the NIST cryptography process because of its recognized expertise. NIST is also required by statute to consult with the NSA."[49] Recognizing the concerns expressed, the agency reopened the public comment period for the SP800-90 publications, promising that "if vulnerabilities are found in these or any other NIST standards, we will work with the cryptographic community to address them as quickly as possible”.[50] Due to public concern of this cryptovirology attack, NIST rescinded the EC-DRBG algorithm from the NIST SP 800-90 standard.[51]

Publications

 
Guide to NIST in PDF format

See also

References

  1. ^ "NIST General Information". Nist. National Institute of Standards and Technology. December 24, 2008. from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "FY 2022: Presidential Budget Request Summary". Nist. National Institute of Standards and Technology. June 8, 2021. from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Dr. James K. Olthoff". commerce.gov. United States Department of Commerce. from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "National Institute of Standards and Technology". U.S. Department of Commerce. from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Articles of Confederation of 1781, article IX, paragraph 4.
  6. ^ a b NBS special publication 447 October 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine-Retrieved September 28, 2011
  7. ^ "Founders Online: From George Washington to the United States Senate and House o …". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. ^ https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/bulletin/01/nbsbulletinv1n3p365_A2b.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  9. ^ "Presidential Measurements Timeline". Nist. February 5, 2014. from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Records of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) October 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, National Archives and Records Administration website, (Record Group 167), 1830–1987.
  11. ^ . Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  12. ^ Theberge, Captain Albert E., The Coast Survey 1807–1867: Volume I of the History of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "THE HASSLER LEGACY: FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER and the UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY: THE REBIRTH OF THE SURVEY," no publisher listed, NOAA History, 1998. November 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b John Perry, The Story of Standards, Funk and Wagnalls, 1953, Library of Congress Cat. No. 55-11094, p. 123
  14. ^ "Agency that studied fall of Twin Towers in line to probe collapse of condo near Miami Beach". Miami Herald. from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  15. ^ sarah.henderson@nist.gov (December 17, 2019). "NIST on a Chip Introduction". NIST. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  16. ^ NIST General Information. August 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on August 21, 2010.
  17. ^ "NIST Budget, Planning and Economic Studies". Nist. National Institute of Standards and Technology. October 5, 2010. from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  18. ^ (PDF). ts.nist.gov. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  19. ^ (PDF). ts.nist.gov. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  20. ^ "Ike dedicates lab, voices peace hopes". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). United Press. September 14, 1954. p. A1. from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Ike dedicates two labs;'New type of frontier'". Meriden Record. (Connecticut). Associated Press. September 15, 1954. p. 22. from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  22. ^ "Significant papers from the first 50 years of the Boulder Labs" (PDF). United States Department of Commerce: Boulder Laboratories. August 2004. p. 4. (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  23. ^ . NIST. September 28, 2010. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016.
  24. ^ NIST Laboratories August 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved on May 10, 2016.
  25. ^ Communications Technology Laboratory October 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (CTL)
  26. ^ Engineering Laboratory July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (EL)
  27. ^ Information Technology Laboratory July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (ITL)
  28. ^ NIST Center for Neutron Research July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (NCNR)
  29. ^ Material Measurement Laboratory July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (MML)
  30. ^ Physical Measurement Laboratory July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (PML)
  31. ^ Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership July 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (MEP)
  32. ^ [1]. NIST. Retrieved on March 18, 2014.[dead link]
  33. ^ Handbook 44 October 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine- "Forward; page 5" Retrieved: September 28, 2011
  34. ^ 100th Congress (1988) (June 16, 1988). "H.R. 4848". Legislation. GovTrack.us. from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2011. Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988
  35. ^ Eric Lipton (August 22, 2008). "Fire, Not Explosives, Felled 3rd Tower on 9/11, Report Says". New York Times. from the original on March 9, 2011.
  36. ^ "Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster". National Institute of Standards and Technology. October 2005. from the original on November 24, 2005.
  37. ^ a b "Questions and Answers". Nist. February 13, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  38. ^ "Cybersecurity Framework Documents". Nist. February 5, 2018.
  39. ^ Sharpe, Waits (October 6, 2022). "The History of CMMC". CORPORATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  40. ^ Teerakanok, Songpon; Uehara, Tetsutaro; Inomata, Atsuo; Li, Qi (January 1, 2021). "Migrating to Zero Trust Architecture: Reviews and Challenges". Security and Communication Networks. 2021: 1–10. doi:10.1155/2021/9947347. ISSN 1939-0114.
  41. ^ . Government Printing Office. 2012. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  42. ^ "Results of Search in US Patent Collection db for: AANM/NIST". U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  43. ^ Ost, Laura (December 2, 2011). "Success Story: Chip-Scale Atomic Clock". Nist. National Institute of Standards and Technology. from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  44. ^ Konkel, Frank (September 6, 2013). "What NSA's influence on NIST standards means for feds". FCW. 1105 Government Information Group. from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  45. ^ James Borger; Glenn Greenwald (September 6, 2013). "Revealed: how US and UK spy agencies defeat internet privacy and security". The Guardian. from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  46. ^ Nicole Perlroth (September 5, 2013). "N.S.A. Able to Foil Basic Safeguards of Privacy on Web". The New York Times. from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  47. ^ Schneier, Bruce (November 15, 2007). "Did NSA Put a Secret Backdoor in New Encryption Standard?". Wired. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  48. ^ Byers, Alex. "NSA encryption info could pose new security risk – NIST weighs in". Politico. from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  49. ^ Perlroth, Nicole (September 10, 2013). "Government Announces Steps to Restore Confidence on Encryption Standards". The New York Times. from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  50. ^ Office of the Director, NIST (September 10, 2013). "Cryptographic Standards Statement". Nist. National Institute of Standsards in Technology. from the original on September 12, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  51. ^ "NIST Removes Cryptography Algorithm from Random Number Generator Recommendations". National Institute of Standards and Technology. April 21, 2014. from the original on August 29, 2016.

External links

  • Main NIST website
  • NIST in the Federal Register
  • NIST Publications Portal
  • The Official US Time
  • NIST Standard Reference Data
  • NIST Standard Reference Materials
  • NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) August 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  • NIST on a chip
  • SI Redefinition
  • Scientific and Technical Research and Services account on USAspending.gov
  • Historic technical reports from the National Bureau of Standards (and other Federal agencies) are available in the Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL)
  • Smithsonian Institution Press, 1978, Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, Number 40: United States Standards of Weights and Measures, Their Creation and Creators, by Arthur H. Frazier


national, institute, standards, technology, nist, redirects, here, other, uses, nist, disambiguation, nist, agency, united, states, department, commerce, whose, mission, promote, american, innovation, industrial, competitiveness, nist, activities, organized, i. NIST redirects here For other uses see NIST disambiguation The National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness NIST s activities are organized into physical science laboratory programs that include nanoscale science and technology engineering information technology neutron research material measurement and physical measurement From 1901 to 1988 the agency was named the National Bureau of Standards 4 National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Agency overviewFormedMarch 3 1901 122 years ago March 3 1901 as National Bureau of Standards became NIST in 1988Headquarters100 Bureau DriveGaithersburg Maryland U S 39 07 59 N 77 13 25 W 39 13306 N 77 22361 W 39 13306 77 22361EmployeesApprox 3 400 1 Annual budget 1 03 billion FY 2021 2 Agency executiveLaurie E Locascio 3 Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of NISTParent departmentDepartment of CommerceWebsitewww wbr nist wbr gov Contents 1 History 1 1 Background 1 2 Bureau of Standards 1901 1988 1 3 National Institute of Standards and Technology from 1988 2 Constitution 2 1 Metric system 3 Organization 3 1 Committees 4 Projects 4 1 Measurements and standards 4 2 Handbook 44 4 3 Homeland security 4 4 World Trade Center collapse investigation 4 5 Election technology 4 6 Cybersecurity Framework 5 People 6 Directors 7 Patents 8 Controversy regarding NIST standard SP 800 90 9 Publications 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksHistory EditBackground Edit The Articles of Confederation ratified by the colonies in 1781 provided The United States in Congress assembled shall also have the sole and exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority or by that of the respective states fixing the standards of weights and measures throughout the United States 5 Article 1 section 8 of the Constitution of the United States ratified in 1789 granted these powers to the new Congress The Congress shall have power To coin money regulate the value thereof and of foreign coin and fix the standard of weights and measures 6 In January 1790 President George Washington in his first annual message to Congress said Uniformity in the currency weights and measures of the United States is an object of great importance and will I am persuaded be duly attended to 7 Washington ordered Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to prepare a Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage Weights and Measures of the United States later referred to informally as the Jefferson Report citation needed On October 25 1791 Washington again appealed Congress A uniformity of the weights and measures of the country is among the important objects submitted to you by the Constitution and if it can be derived from a standard at once invariable and universal must be no less honorable to the public council than conducive to the public convenience 8 In 1821 President John Quincy Adams declared Weights and measures may be ranked among the necessities of life to every individual of human society 9 Nevertheless it was not until 1838 that the United States government adopted a uniform set of standards 6 From 1830 until 1901 the role of overseeing weights and measures was carried out by the Office of Standard Weights and Measures which was part of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in the Department of the Treasury 10 11 12 Bureau of Standards 1901 1988 Edit In 1901 in response to a bill proposed by Congressman James H Southard R Ohio the National Bureau of Standards was founded with the mandate to provide standard weights and measures and to serve as the national physical laboratory for the United States Southard had previously sponsored a bill for metric conversion of the United States 13 Chart of NBS activities 1915 President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Samuel W Stratton as the first director The budget for the first year of operation was 40 000 The Bureau took custody of the copies of the kilogram and meter bars that were the standards for US measures and set up a program to provide metrology services for United States scientific and commercial users A laboratory site was constructed in Washington DC and instruments were acquired from the national physical laboratories of Europe In addition to weights and measures the Bureau developed instruments for electrical units and for measurement of light In 1905 a meeting was called that would be the first National Conference on Weights and Measures Initially conceived as purely a metrology agency the Bureau of Standards was directed by Herbert Hoover to set up divisions to develop commercial standards for materials and products 13 page 133 Some of these standards were for products intended for government use but product standards also affected private sector consumption Quality standards were developed for products including some types of clothing automobile brake systems and headlamps antifreeze and electrical safety During World War I the Bureau worked on multiple problems related to war production even operating its own facility to produce optical glass when European supplies were cut off Between the wars Harry Diamond of the Bureau developed a blind approach radio aircraft landing system During World War II military research and development was carried out including development of radio propagation forecast methods the proximity fuze and the standardized airframe used originally for Project Pigeon and shortly afterwards the autonomously radar guided Bat anti ship guided bomb and the Kingfisher family of torpedo carrying missiles A mass spectrometer in use at the NBS in 1948 In 1948 financed by the United States Air Force the Bureau began design and construction of SEAC the Standards Eastern Automatic Computer The computer went into operation in May 1950 using a combination of vacuum tubes and solid state diode logic About the same time the Standards Western Automatic Computer was built at the Los Angeles office of the NBS by Harry Huskey and used for research there A mobile version DYSEAC was built for the Signal Corps in 1954 National Institute of Standards and Technology from 1988 Edit Due to a changing mission the National Bureau of Standards became the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1988 10 Following September 11 2001 NIST conducted the official investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings Following the 2021 Surfside condominium building collapse NIST sent engineers to the site to investigate the cause of the collapse 14 In 2019 NIST launched a program named NIST on a Chip to decrease the size of instruments from lab machines to chip size Applications include aircraft testing communication with satellites for navigation purposes and temperature and pressure 15 Constitution EditNIST known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards NBS is a measurement standards laboratory also known as the National Metrological Institute NMI which is a non regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce The institute s official mission is to 16 Promote U S innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life NIST NIST had an operating budget for fiscal year 2007 October 1 2006 September 30 2007 of about 843 3 million NIST s 2009 budget was 992 million and it also received 610 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 17 NIST employs about 2 900 scientists engineers technicians and support and administrative personnel About 1 800 NIST associates guest researchers and engineers from American companies and foreign countries complement the staff In addition NIST partners with 1 400 manufacturing specialists and staff at nearly 350 affiliated centers around the country NIST publishes the Handbook 44 that provides the Specifications tolerances and other technical requirements for weighing and measuring devices Metric system Edit The Congress of 1866 made use of the metric system in commerce a legally protected activity through the passage of Metric Act of 1866 18 On May 20 1875 17 out of 20 countries signed a document known as the Metric Convention or the Treaty of the Meter which established the International Bureau of Weights and Measures under the control of an international committee elected by the General Conference on Weights and Measures 19 Organization Edit Advanced Measurement Laboratory Complex in Gaithersburg Aerial view of the Gaithersburg campus in 2019 Boulder Laboratories NIST is headquartered in Gaithersburg Maryland and operates a facility in Boulder Colorado which was dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1954 20 21 22 NIST s activities are organized into laboratory programs and extramural programs Effective October 1 2010 NIST was realigned by reducing the number of NIST laboratory units from ten to six 23 NIST Laboratories include 24 Communications Technology Laboratory CTL 25 Engineering Laboratory EL 26 Information Technology Laboratory ITL 27 Center for Neutron Research NCNR 28 Material Measurement Laboratory MML 29 Physical Measurement Laboratory PML 30 Extramural programs include Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership MEP 31 a nationwide network of centers to assist small and mid sized manufacturers to create and retain jobs improve efficiencies and minimize waste through process improvements and to increase market penetration with innovation and growth strategies Technology Innovation Program TIP a grant program where NIST and industry partners cost share the early stage development of innovative but high risk technologies Baldrige Performance Excellence Program which administers the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award the nation s highest award for performance and business excellence NIST s Boulder laboratories are best known for NIST F1 which houses an atomic clock NIST F1 serves as the source of the nation s official time From its measurement of the natural resonance frequency of cesium which defines the second NIST broadcasts time signals via longwave radio station WWVB near Fort Collins Colorado and shortwave radio stations WWV and WWVH located near Fort Collins and Kekaha Hawaii respectively 32 NIST also operates a neutron science user facility the NIST Center for Neutron Research NCNR The NCNR provides scientists access to a variety of neutron scattering instruments which they use in many research fields materials science fuel cells biotechnology etc The SURF III Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility is a source of synchrotron radiation in continuous operation since 1961 SURF III now serves as the US national standard for source based radiometry throughout the generalized optical spectrum All NASA borne extreme ultraviolet observation instruments have been calibrated at SURF since the 1970s and SURF is used for measurement and characterization of systems for extreme ultraviolet lithography The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology CNST performs research in nanotechnology both through internal research efforts and by running a user accessible cleanroom nanomanufacturing facility This NanoFab is equipped with tools for lithographic patterning and imaging e g electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes Committees Edit NIST has seven standing committees Technical Guidelines Development Committee TGDC Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction ACEHR National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee NCST Advisory Committee Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board ISPAB Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology VCAT Board of Overseers for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award MBNQA Board of Overseers Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Advisory Board MEPNAB Projects Edit A 40 nm wide NIST logo made with cobalt atoms Measurements and standards Edit As part of its mission NIST supplies industry academia government and other users with over 1 300 Standard Reference Materials SRMs These artifacts are certified as having specific characteristics or component content used as calibration standards for measuring equipment and procedures quality control benchmarks for industrial processes and experimental control samples Handbook 44 Edit NIST publishes the Handbook 44 each year after the annual meeting of the National Conference on Weights and Measures NCWM Each edition is developed through cooperation of the Committee on Specifications and Tolerances of the NCWM and the Weights and Measures Division WMD of the NIST The purpose of the book is a partial fulfillment of the statutory responsibility for cooperation with the states in securing uniformity of weights and measures laws and methods of inspection NIST has been publishing various forms of what is now the Handbook 44 since 1918 and began publication under the current name in 1949 The 2010 edition conforms to the concept of the primary use of the SI metric measurements recommended by the Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 33 34 Homeland security Edit NIST is developing government wide identity document standards for federal employees and contractors to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to government buildings and computer systems citation needed World Trade Center collapse investigation Edit In 2002 the National Construction Safety Team Act mandated NIST to conduct an investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2 and the 47 story 7 World Trade Center The World Trade Center Collapse Investigation directed by lead investigator Shyam Sunder 35 covered three aspects including a technical building and fire safety investigation to study the factors contributing to the probable cause of the collapses of the WTC Towers WTC 1 and 2 and WTC 7 NIST also established a research and development program to provide the technical basis for improved building and fire codes standards and practices and a dissemination and technical assistance program to engage leaders of the construction and building community in implementing proposed changes to practices standards and codes NIST also is providing practical guidance and tools to better prepare facility owners contractors architects engineers emergency responders and regulatory authorities to respond to future disasters The investigation portion of the response plan was completed with the release of the final report on 7 World Trade Center on November 20 2008 The final report on the WTC Towers including 30 recommendations for improving building and occupant safety was released on October 26 2005 36 Election technology Edit NIST works in conjunction with the Technical Guidelines Development Committee of the Election Assistance Commission to develop the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines for voting machines and other election technology Further information Certification of voting machines Cybersecurity Framework Edit In February 2014 NIST published the NIST Cybersecurity Framework that serves as voluntary guidance for organizations to manage and reduce cybersecurity risk 37 It was later amended and Version 1 1 was published in April 2018 38 Executive Order 13800 Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure made the Framework mandatory for U S federal government agencies 37 An extension to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model CMMC which was introduced in 2019 thought the origin of CMMC began with Executive Order 13556 39 It emphasizes the importance of implementing Zero trust architecture ZTA which focuses on protecting resources over the network perimeter ZTA utilizes zero trust principles which include never trust always verify assume breach and least privileged access to safeguard users assets and resources Since ZTA holds no implicit trust to users within the network perimeter authentication and authorization are performed before at every stage of a digital transaction This reduces the risk of unauthorized access of resources 40 People EditFour scientific researchers at NIST have been awarded Nobel Prizes for work in physics William Daniel Phillips in 1997 Eric Allin Cornell in 2001 John Lewis Hall in 2005 and David Jeffrey Wineland in 2012 which is the largest number for any US government laboratory All four were recognized for their work related to laser cooling of atoms which is directly related to the development and advancement of the atomic clock In 2011 Dan Shechtman was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on quasicrystals in the Metallurgy Division from 1982 to 1984 In addition John Werner Cahn was awarded the 2011 Kyoto Prize for Materials Science and the National Medal of Science has been awarded to NIST researchers Cahn 1998 and Wineland 2007 Other notable people who have worked at NBS or NIST include Milton Abramowitz James Sacra Albus David W Allan Kathryn Beers Norman Bekkedahl Julie Borchers Ferdinand Graft Brickwedde Lyman James Briggs Edgar Buckingham John M Butler William Weber Coblentz Ronald Colle Philip J Davis Marla Dowell Hugh Latimer Dryden Jack R Edmonds Ugo Fano Charlotte Froese Fischer Tim Foecke John Cantius Garand Katharine Blodgett Gebbie Nada Golmie Douglas Rayner Hartree Magnus Rudolph Hestenes Marcia Huber Marilyn E Jacox Deborah S Jin John Kelsey Russell A Kirsch Cornelius Lanczos Wilfrid Basil Mann William Clyde Martin Willie E May William Frederick Meggers Christopher Roy Monroe James G Nell Frank William John Olver Anne Plant E Ward Plummer Jacob Rabinow Ana Maria Rey Richard J Saykally Charlotte Emma Moore Sitterly Irene Ann Stegun William C Stone Sheldon M Wiederhorn Winnie Wong Ng Helen M Wood Ellen VoorheesDirectors EditMain article List of directors of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Since 1989 the director of NIST has been a Presidential appointee and is confirmed by the United States Senate 41 and since that year the average tenure of NIST directors has fallen from 11 years to 2 years in duration Since the 2011 reorganization of NIST the director also holds the title of Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Fifteen individuals have officially held the position in addition to four acting directors who have served on a temporary basis Patents EditThe NIST holds patents on behalf of the Federal government of the United States 42 with at least one of them being custodial to protect public domain use such as one for a Chip scale atomic clock developed by a NIST team as part of a DARPA competition 43 Controversy regarding NIST standard SP 800 90 EditIn September 2013 both The Guardian and The New York Times reported that NIST allowed the National Security Agency NSA to insert a cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator called Dual EC DRBG into NIST standard SP 800 90 that had a kleptographic backdoor that the NSA can use to covertly predict the future outputs of this pseudorandom number generator thereby allowing the surreptitious decryption of data 44 Both papers report 45 46 that the NSA worked covertly to get its own version of SP 800 90 approved for worldwide use in 2006 The whistle blowing document states that eventually NSA became the sole editor The reports confirm suspicions and technical grounds publicly raised by cryptographers in 2007 that the EC DRBG could contain a kleptographic backdoor perhaps placed in the standard by NSA 47 NIST responded to the allegations stating that NIST works to publish the strongest cryptographic standards possible and that it uses a transparent public process to rigorously vet our recommended standards 48 The agency stated that there has been some confusion about the standards development process and the role of different organizations in it The National Security Agency NSA participates in the NIST cryptography process because of its recognized expertise NIST is also required by statute to consult with the NSA 49 Recognizing the concerns expressed the agency reopened the public comment period for the SP800 90 publications promising that if vulnerabilities are found in these or any other NIST standards we will work with the cryptographic community to address them as quickly as possible 50 Due to public concern of this cryptovirology attack NIST rescinded the EC DRBG algorithm from the NIST SP 800 90 standard 51 Publications Edit Guide to NIST in PDF format The Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the flagship scientific journal at NIST It has been published since 1904 First published in 1972 the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data is a joint venture of the American Institute of Physics and the National Institute of Standards and Technology See also EditAD X2 Advanced Encryption Standard process Digital Library of Mathematical Functions DLMF Inorganic Crystal Structure Database International Organization for Standardization ISO ISO IEC 17025 used by testing and calibration laboratories International System of Units see International Bureau of Weights and Measures Multiple Biometric Grand Challenge National Physical Laboratory United Kingdom National Software Reference Library NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions NIST hash function competition Samuel Wesley Stratton Award Scientific Working Group Smart Grid Interoperability Panel Technical Report Archive amp Image Library for NIS digitized series WWV radio station Virtual Cybernetic Building Testbed VAMASReferences Edit NIST General Information Nist National Institute of Standards and Technology December 24 2008 Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved July 18 2021 FY 2022 Presidential Budget Request Summary Nist National Institute of Standards and Technology June 8 2021 Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved July 18 2021 Dr James K Olthoff commerce gov United States Department of Commerce Archived from the original on July 18 2021 Retrieved July 18 2021 National Institute of Standards and Technology U S Department of Commerce Archived from the original on September 5 2021 Retrieved September 5 2021 Articles of Confederation of 1781 article IX paragraph 4 a b NBS special publication 447 Archived October 17 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved September 28 2011 Founders Online From George Washington to the United States Senate and House o founders archives gov Retrieved November 16 2021 https nvlpubs nist gov nistpubs bulletin 01 nbsbulletinv1n3p365 A2b pdf bare URL PDF Presidential Measurements Timeline Nist February 5 2014 Archived from the original on October 2 2021 Retrieved October 2 2021 a b Records of the National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Archived October 19 2017 at the Wayback Machine National Archives and Records Administration website Record Group 167 1830 1987 noaa gov NOAA History NOAA Legacy Timeline 1807 1899 Archived from the original on September 5 2018 Retrieved December 16 2020 Theberge Captain Albert E The Coast Survey 1807 1867 Volume I of the History of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration THE HASSLER LEGACY FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER and the UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY THE REBIRTH OF THE SURVEY no publisher listed NOAA History 1998 Archived November 9 2014 at the Wayback Machine a b John Perry The Story of Standards Funk and Wagnalls 1953 Library of Congress Cat No 55 11094 p 123 Agency that studied fall of Twin Towers in line to probe collapse of condo near Miami Beach Miami Herald Archived from the original on June 27 2021 Retrieved July 8 2021 sarah henderson nist gov December 17 2019 NIST on a Chip Introduction NIST Retrieved February 16 2022 NIST General Information Archived August 23 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on August 21 2010 NIST Budget Planning and Economic Studies Nist National Institute of Standards and Technology October 5 2010 Archived from the original on September 22 2010 Retrieved October 6 2010 Weights and Measures Standards of the United States a brief history PDF ts nist gov p 41 Archived from the original PDF on October 26 2011 Retrieved September 28 2011 Weights and Measures Standards of the United States a brief history PDF ts nist gov p 22 Archived from the original PDF on October 26 2011 Retrieved September 28 2011 Ike dedicates lab voices peace hopes Deseret News Salt Lake City Utah United Press September 14 1954 p A1 Archived from the original on October 10 2021 Retrieved March 23 2021 Ike dedicates two labs New type of frontier Meriden Record Connecticut Associated Press September 15 1954 p 22 Archived from the original on October 10 2021 Retrieved March 23 2021 Significant papers from the first 50 years of the Boulder Labs PDF United States Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories August 2004 p 4 Archived PDF from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved July 23 2021 NIST Strengthens Laboratory Mission Focus with New Structure NIST September 28 2010 Archived from the original on August 28 2016 NIST Laboratories Archived August 26 2016 at the Wayback Machine National Institute of Standards and Technology Retrieved on May 10 2016 Communications Technology Laboratory Archived October 7 2017 at the Wayback Machine CTL Engineering Laboratory Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine EL Information Technology Laboratory Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine ITL NIST Center for Neutron Research Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine NCNR Material Measurement Laboratory Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine MML Physical Measurement Laboratory Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine PML Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Archived July 12 2017 at the Wayback Machine MEP 1 NIST Retrieved on March 18 2014 dead link Handbook 44 Archived October 20 2011 at the Wayback Machine Forward page 5 Retrieved September 28 2011 100th Congress 1988 June 16 1988 H R 4848 Legislation GovTrack us Archived from the original on October 10 2021 Retrieved September 28 2011 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 Eric Lipton August 22 2008 Fire Not Explosives Felled 3rd Tower on 9 11 Report Says New York Times Archived from the original on March 9 2011 Final Reports of the Federal Building and Fire Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster National Institute of Standards and Technology October 2005 Archived from the original on November 24 2005 a b Questions and Answers Nist February 13 2018 Retrieved March 3 2022 Cybersecurity Framework Documents Nist February 5 2018 Sharpe Waits October 6 2022 The History of CMMC CORPORATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES Retrieved April 8 2023 Teerakanok Songpon Uehara Tetsutaro Inomata Atsuo Li Qi January 1 2021 Migrating to Zero Trust Architecture Reviews and Challenges Security and Communication Networks 2021 1 10 doi 10 1155 2021 9947347 ISSN 1939 0114 2012 Plum Book Government Printing Office 2012 Archived from the original on November 30 2016 Retrieved December 2 2016 Results of Search in US Patent Collection db for AANM NIST U S Patent and Trademark Office Archived from the original on October 10 2021 Retrieved December 12 2020 Ost Laura December 2 2011 Success Story Chip Scale Atomic Clock Nist National Institute of Standards and Technology Archived from the original on December 9 2020 Retrieved December 12 2020 Konkel Frank September 6 2013 What NSA s influence on NIST standards means for feds FCW 1105 Government Information Group Archived from the original on September 10 2013 Retrieved September 10 2013 James Borger Glenn Greenwald September 6 2013 Revealed how US and UK spy agencies defeat internet privacy and security The Guardian Archived from the original on September 18 2013 Retrieved September 7 2013 Nicole Perlroth September 5 2013 N S A Able to Foil Basic Safeguards of Privacy on Web The New York Times Archived from the original on September 8 2013 Retrieved September 7 2013 Schneier Bruce November 15 2007 Did NSA Put a Secret Backdoor in New Encryption Standard Wired Conde Nast Archived from the original on September 19 2012 Retrieved September 10 2013 Byers Alex NSA encryption info could pose new security risk NIST weighs in Politico Archived from the original on September 27 2013 Retrieved September 10 2013 Perlroth Nicole September 10 2013 Government Announces Steps to Restore Confidence on Encryption Standards The New York Times Archived from the original on October 29 2013 Retrieved September 11 2013 Office of the Director NIST September 10 2013 Cryptographic Standards Statement Nist National Institute of Standsards in Technology Archived from the original on September 12 2013 Retrieved September 11 2013 NIST Removes Cryptography Algorithm from Random Number Generator Recommendations National Institute of Standards and Technology April 21 2014 Archived from the original on August 29 2016 External links Edit Wikisource has original works by or about National Institute of Standards and Technology Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Institute of Standards and Technology Main NIST website NIST in the Federal Register NIST Publications Portal The Official US Time NIST Standard Reference Data NIST Standard Reference Materials NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology CNST Archived August 19 2016 at the Wayback Machine Manufacturing Extension Partnership NIST on a chip SI Redefinition Scientific and Technical Research and Services account on USAspending gov Historic technical reports from the National Bureau of Standards and other Federal agencies are available in the Technical Report Archive and Image Library TRAIL Smithsonian Institution Press 1978 Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology Number 40 United States Standards of Weights and Measures Their Creation and Creators by Arthur H Frazier Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Institute of Standards and Technology amp oldid 1148882523, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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