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
The Secret Behind NIST’s New Gas Detector? Chirp before sniffing
Mon, 05/16/2011 - 06:00
Trace gas detection, the ability to detect a scant quantity of a particular molecule—a whiff of formaldehyde or a hint of acetone—in a vast sea of others, underlies many important applications, from medical tests to air pollution detectors to…
Webinar: Document Traceability and Calibration Intervals July 21, 2011
Mon, 04/25/2011 - 11:32
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- On Thursday, July 21, 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a webinar, “Documenting Traceability and Calibration Intervals.” Georgia Harris, of NIST’s Weights and Measures Division (WMD…
NIST Digital Archives Seeks Help in Identifying Mystery Artifacts Check out old measuring instruments at the online artifact museum
Wed, 04/13/2011 - 10:31
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Do you hold the key to solving some gadget mysteries from the last century of U.S. science and technology? During its 110 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made many innovations in…
A Measurement First: ‘Noise Thermometry’ System Measures Boltzmann Constant Simpler technique could help revamp world’s scientific measurement system
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 06:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have for the first time used an apparatus that relies on the “noise” of jiggling electrons to make highly accurate measurements of the Boltzmann…
NIST Electromechanical Circuit Sets Record Beating Microscopic ‘Drum’ Device may help process information and measure motion at quantum scale
Mon, 03/14/2011 - 06:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated an electromechanical circuit in which microwaves communicate with a vibrating mechanical component 1,000 times more vigorously…
NIST Expert Software “Lowers the Stress” on Materials Problems Object-Oriented Finite element analysis helps designers understand how stress acts on complex materials
Mon, 03/07/2011 - 10:04
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Before you can build that improved turbojet engine, before you can create that longer lasting battery, you have to ensure all the newfangled materials in it will behave the way you want—even under conditions as harsh…
NIST and Willow Garage Launch Robot Perception Challenge Competition to measure performance of algorithms that process data gathered with cameras and sensing devices
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 05:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is teaming up with Willow Garage, a Silicon Valley robotics research and design firm, to launch an international “perception challenge” to drive improvements in…
NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers Accepting Applications Stipends available for this workshop as well as NIST Research Experience for Teachers program
Tue, 03/01/2011 - 09:18
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting nominations of middle-school science teachers from eligible U.S. public school districts or accredited private educational institutions to…
Crowding Out Collisions: Close Quarters Boost Atomic Clock’s Accuracy NIST scientists coax atoms into neutrality
Mon, 02/21/2011 - 05:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- In a paradox typical of the quantum world, scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the University of Colorado at Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have eliminated collisions…
President’s NIST Budget Request Includes Science and Technology Investments But Baldrige Program budget smaller than in past
Mon, 02/14/2011 - 13:16
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget submitted to Congress for the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposes a funding level of $1.001 billion, an 8.9-percent…