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
Optical Microscope Technique Confirmed as Valid Nano-Measurement Tool Simple and usable even for low-cost nanomanufacturing applications
Tue, 09/09/2014 - 13:06
Recent experiments have confirmed that a technique developed several years ago at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can enable optical microscopes to measure the 3D shape of objects at nanometer-scale resolution—far below…
It’s a Dynamic World Now NIST can help you measure its changes
Mon, 09/08/2014 - 14:22
Crash-test dummies, yarn-spinning machines, and steel girders in bridges. What do they have in common? Look inside them all and you find transducers, devices that measure the forces that push, pull, weigh upon, and slam into them. But transducers…
Technology Commercialization Support for Small Businesses Grant applications due Sept. 23, 2014

Thu, 08/28/2014 - 10:05
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking an organization to support its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awardees by providing technical and business expertise and resources to promote commercialization of the…
MEP Launches Competition to Fund Manufacturing Centers in 10 States For every one dollar of federal investment, MEP helps businesses generate nearly $19 in new sales growth
Mon, 08/18/2014 - 13:23
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has opened a competition to award new cooperative funding agreements for its Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers in 10 states. The…
NIST Seminar: Fundamentals of Metrology Aug. 25–29, 2014, in Gaithersburg, MD
Tue, 08/12/2014 - 15:38
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Fundamentals of Metrology seminar will introduce participants to the concepts of measurement systems, units, measurement uncertainty, measurement assurance, traceability, basic statistics, and how they fit into the…
Fill ‘Er Up... With Hydrogen NIST develops prototype meter test for hydrogen refueling stations
Mon, 08/11/2014 - 15:25
To support the fair sale of gaseous hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a prototype field test standard to test the accuracy of hydrogen fuel dispensers. Once the…
Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award 2015 Nominations Are Open Nomination deadline is Sept. 20, 2014
Thu, 07/31/2014 - 17:56
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Baldrige Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award (HSHLA). The award is presented annually at the Quest for Excellence conference. We are seeking nominations to identify…
Backscatter Body Scan Redux Measuring exposure levels and assessing the uncertainties
Thu, 07/31/2014 - 17:34
Airline passengers have already said bon voyage to the controversial backscatter X-ray security scanners, pulled from U.S. airports in 2013 over concerns about privacy and potential radiation risks. But the devices may be reintroduced in the future…
NIST Test House Exceeds Goal Ends year with energy to spare
Wed, 07/09/2014 - 11:37
The net-zero energy test house at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in suburban Washington, D.C., not only absorbed winter’s best shot, it also came out on top, reaching its one-year anniversary on July 1, 2014, with enough…
Snowballs to Soot Is packing density standard?
Mon, 06/30/2014 - 13:55
Particles of soot floating through the air and comets hurtling through space have at least one thing in common: 0.36. That, reports a research group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is the measure of how dense they will…