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
NIST Calls for Research Grant Proposals in Science and Engineering Nine measurement science and engineering (MSE) programs are highlighted
Wed, 12/14/2011 - 13:06
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that it is accepting proposals for funding for a broad range of potential research projects and related activities that support the institute’s…
NIST FY 2012 Budget Signed Into Law Technology Innovation Program, Baldrige, and proposed AMTech program will receive no appropriated funding
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 13:01
On Nov. 18, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-55), which provides fiscal year (FY) 2012 funding for a number of government agencies, including the National Institute…
NIST Requests Funding Proposals for Projects in Precision Measurement Anticipated awards up to $100,000 to fund the first year of two new projects
Fri, 12/09/2011 - 12:44
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting proposals for the next round of funding in its long-running Precision Measurement Grant Program (PMGP). The program provides support for…
Tiny Levers, Big Moves in Piezoelectric Sensors New material could enable technologies such as ‘energy harvesting’
Tue, 11/29/2011 - 13:26
A team of university researchers, aided by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have succeeded in integrating a new, highly efficient piezoelectric material into a silicon microelectromechanical system (MEMS).…
Magnetic Field-Sensitive Alloy Could Be Used in New Sensors Cobalt-and-iron alloy offers size, processing advantages over common piezoelectric microdevices
Mon, 11/28/2011 - 13:04
Led by a group at the University of Maryland (UMd), a multi-institution team of researchers has combined modern materials research and an age-old metallurgy technique to produce an alloy that could be the basis for a new class of sensors and…
Four Organizations Awarded 2011 Baldrige National Quality Award Three health care recipients, one nonprofit reap top honors
Tue, 11/22/2011 - 13:25
(NIST: Gaithersberg, MD) -- U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson announced four organizations—three health care operations and one nonprofit business—as the recipients of the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor…
Chipping Away at the Mystery of Antimatter Imbalance Still no solution, but NIST physicists have narrowed the possibilities
Fri, 11/11/2011 - 12:13
Why there is stuff in the universe—or more properly, why there is an imbalance between matter and antimatter—is one of the long-standing mysteries of cosmology. A team of researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (…
Redefining the SI Base Units Metrology is poised to undergo a profound change
Tue, 11/08/2011 - 17:19
The international General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) has approved a plan to redefine four of the seven base units of the International System of Units (SI) in terms of fixed values of natural constants. The initiative would make…
Laser Frequency Comb on a Chip NIST’s compact laser frequency comb could go places
Mon, 10/31/2011 - 11:54
During the past decade, laser frequency combs—extraordinarily precise tools for measuring frequencies (or colors) of light—have helped propel advances in timekeeping, trace-gas detection, and related physics research. Although typical lasers…
Baldrige Award Recipient Hospitals Significantly Outperform Their Peers Recipients six times more likely to be counted among 100 Top Hospitals
Fri, 10/28/2011 - 12:23
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- A new report has found that health care organizations that have won Baldrige National Quality Awards for performance excellence or been considered for a Baldrige Award site visit outperform other hospitals in nearly…