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
Celebrate Legal Metrology During Weights and Measures Week 2012 Recognizing the importance of accuracy
Tue, 02/28/2012 - 11:19
Weights and measures are indispensable. From the grocery store to the gas pump, all kinds of consumer products are sold by some measurable quantity, whether it’s length, count, volume, or weight. These values, the machines that measure them, and the…
NIST 2013 Budget Targets Advanced Manufacturing, Science, and Tech Programs The proposed $857 million is up $106 million from 2012 budget
Tue, 02/14/2012 - 12:17
(NIST: Washington) -- President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget for the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) submitted to Congress proposes an appropriations funding level of $857 million, an increase…
NIST ‘Cell Assay on a Chip’ Solid results from simple means
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 11:43
The great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research engineer Javier Atencia certainly believes in the wisdom of what da Vinci preached…
JILA Scientists Confirm First ‘Frequency Comb’ to Probe Ultraviolet Wavelengths Laser-generated combs are the most accurate for measuring colors in the spectrum
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 15:21
Physicists at JILA, a joint venture of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder, have created the first “frequency comb” in the extreme ultraviolet band of the spectrum, high-energy light…
NIST to Support Federal Agencies as They Implement Standards Activities Helping improve awareness, understanding, and effective engagement
Wed, 01/25/2012 - 10:49
Two weeks ago, the White House issued a memorandum recognizing the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in helping agencies implement best practices for standards development activities to address national priorities.…
Economic Study Shows Value of Baldrige-Based Performance Excellence Benefits outweigh overall cost by a whopping 820 to 1
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 14:02
(NIST) -- The news in 2001 was impressive, but it’s even more emphatically evident a decade later: The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) significantly benefits the U.S. economy. That’s the finding from a new economic study to determine…
Stretching Exercises Using digital images to understand bridge failures
Wed, 01/11/2012 - 13:36
With a random-looking spatter of paint specks, a pair of cameras, and a whole lot of computer processing, engineer Mark Iadicola of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been helping the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA…
NIST Sensor Improvement Brings Analysis Method into Mainstream Neutron interferometry can now be a tool for industry
Wed, 01/04/2012 - 12:32
An advance in sensor design by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Waterloo’s Institute of Quantum Computing (IQC) could unshackle a powerful, yet high-maintenance technique for exploring…
New Partnership Aims to Get Baldrige Criteria to Small Businesses Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, The Alliance for Performance Excellence, and The Alternative Board create nonprofit network
Thu, 12/22/2011 - 12:15
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- A new collaboration between the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP), The Alliance for Performance Excellence, and The Alternative Board (TAB) will provide resources and training for small businesses to…
Study Finds Failure Points in Firefighter Protective Equipment Fire experiments help improve match between standard requirements and real-life conditions
Mon, 12/19/2011 - 16:50
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- In fire experiments conducted in uniformly furnished but vacant Chicago-area townhouses, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers uncovered temperature and heat-flow conditions that can…