NIST

An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce

Founded in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a nonregulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. With headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, NIST’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.

Wed, 10/29/2025 - 12:03
A Million Pounds of Accuracy Restoring the largest deadweight machine in the world
Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:12
Restoration is well underway for NIST’s 4.45-million newton (equivalent to 1 million pounds-force) deadweight machine, the largest in the world. The three-story-tall deadweight, comprising a stack of stainless-steel discs weighing about 50,000…
The Incredible Shrinking ESR Machine New probe to offer a broad range of applications
Mon, 07/27/2015 - 16:27
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have come up with a way to shrink a research instrument generally associated with large machines down to a pinpoint-precision probe. This electron spin resonance probe…
Recruiting the Next Generation on Manufacturing Day Anchoring a small town, Detroit Tool & Engineering had a big problem
Tue, 07/21/2015 - 14:51
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Lebanon, Missouri’s population is a few hundred people more than 14,000. To put that number in perspective, 1,120,000 people ride the commuter train on the average New York weekday. In Lebanon, people welcome you with…
Ultra-Stable JILA Microscopy Technique Tracks Tiny Objects for Hours A useful tool for making things on the single-nanometer scale
Tue, 07/14/2015 - 16:48
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- JILA researchers have designed a microscope instrument so stable that it can accurately measure the 3D movement of individual molecules over many hours—hundreds of times longer than the current limit measured in seconds…
Twenty-Six Organizations Apply for 2015 Baldrige Award This is the first award process using the simpler eligibility requirements announced in 2014
Wed, 06/17/2015 - 11:21
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Recognizing that performance excellence and innovation are the key ingredients in a recipe for success, 26 top-level organizations are vying to be honored as the “top chefs” in the nation by applying for the 2015 Malcolm…
NIST Announces 2016 Plans for Manufacturing Center Competitions Two allocations of funds will help areas where U.S. manufacturing is concentrated
Tue, 05/26/2015 - 17:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has announced that it will hold two separate competitions in 2016 for MEP centers in 21 states and Puerto…
NIST's Physical Measurement Laboratory Hosts Hands-On Dimensional Metrology Workshop
Thu, 05/21/2015 - 16:30
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- In April, the Dimensional Metrology Group from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) hosted a three-day hands-on training event for 13 industry and government…
Baldrige Program Tops in Leadership Development for Two Straight Years Again received first place in the government and military category of the Leadership 500 Excellence Awards
Tue, 04/14/2015 - 12:05
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- For the second year in a row, the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) has received the first place award in the government and military category of the Leadership 500 Excellence Awards, an annual recognition…
New NIST Tools to Help Boost Wireless Channel Frequencies and Capacity Better tools and methods are sought and being found
Thu, 03/12/2015 - 12:29
Smartphones and tablets are everywhere, which is great for communications but a growing burden on wireless channels. Forecasted huge increases in mobile data traffic call for exponentially more channel capacity. Boosting bandwidth and capacity…
Sign Up for the 27th Annual Quest for Excellence Conference April 12–15, 2015, in Baltimore
Wed, 03/11/2015 - 11:45
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Learn how your organization can achieve outstanding performance. Plan now to join us in Baltimore, April 12–15, 2015, at the premier showcase of the 2014 Baldrige Award recipients:
• PricewaterhouseCoopers Public…