Information AboutNist |
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology ('''NIST''', formerly known as '''The National Bureau of Standards''') is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department Of Commerce ’s Technology Administration. The institute's mission is to 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 . As part of this mission, NIST , Nanotechnology , Information Technology and Advanced Manufacturing . NIST has an operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2006 ( October 1 , 2005 - September 30 , 2006 ) of about $930 million. NIST employs about 2,800 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support and administrative personnel. About 1,800 NIST associates (guest researchers and engineers from American companies and foreign nations) complement the staff. In addition, NIST partners with 1,400 manufacturing specialists and staff at nearly 350 affiliated centers around the country. FACILITIES NIST's headquarters are located in (HMEP), a nationwide network of centers to assist small manufacturers; the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), a grant program where NIST and industry partners cost share the early-stage development of innovative but high-risk technologies; and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program , the nation's highest award for performance and business excellence. NIST's Boulder laboratories are best known for NIST-F1 , a clock that shares the distinction of being the world's most accurate Atomic Clock with a similar device in Paris, France . NIST-F1 serves as the source of the nation's official time. From its precise measurement of the natural resonance frequency of Cesium —which is used to define the second—NIST broadcasts Time Signal s via Longwave radio station WWVB at Fort Collins, Colorado , and Shortwave Radio Station s WWV and WWVH , located at Fort Collins, Colorado and Kekaha, Hawaii , respectively. MEASUREMENT As part of its mission, NIST supplies industry, academia, government and other users with over 1,300 Standard Reference Material s (SRMs) of the highest quality and metrological value. These artifacts are certified as having specific characteristics or component content, making them valuable as calibration standards for measuring equipment and procedures, quality control benchmarks for industrial processes, and experimental control samples for all kinds of laboratories. For example, NIST SRMs for the food manufacturing sector include:
NIST manages some of the world’s most specialized measurement facilities—including an unmatched and extraordinarily cost-effective NIST Center For Neutron Research (NCNR) user facility where cutting-edge research is done on new and improved materials, advanced fuel cells, and biotechnology. NIST's Advanced Measurement Laboratory (AML) is considered the most technically advanced research facility of its kind in the world. The AML offers American researchers unparalleled opportunities for making the most sensitive and reliable measurements. That’s increasingly important as new technologies become more complex and smaller—and more dependent on the most accurate possible measurements in order to move from theory, proof of concept, and prototypes into products. RECENT ROLES In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, Attacks , NIST is playing a key role in enhancing the nation’s Homeland Security . Through projects spanning a wide range of research areas, NIST is helping the millions of individuals in law enforcement, the military, emergency services, information technology, airport and building security, and other areas protect the American public from Terrorist threats. For example, NIST is currently developing government-wide Identification Card standards for federal employees and contractors to prevent terrorists, Criminal s and other unauthorized people from getting into government buildings and computer systems. In response to the 9/11 attacks on investigation to study the factors contributing to the probable cause of the collapses of the WTC Towers (WTC 1 and 2) and WTC 7; 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 is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2006 with the release of the final report on WTC 7. The final report on the WTC Towers -- including 30 recommendations for improving building and occupant safety -- was released on Sept. 26 , 2005 . PEOPLE Three researchers at NIST have been awarded Nobel Prize s for their work in physics, William D. Phillips in 1997 , Eric A. Cornell in 2001 and John L. Hall in 2005 . Other people who have worked at NIST include DIRECTORS The director of NIST is a Presidential appointment and must be confirmed by the Senate. Thirteen persons have held the position (along with two acting directors who filled in until a new appointment was made). They are:
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