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 Detector Counts Photons With 99% Efficiency Measures nearly the same detection efficiency for every device
Mon, 04/19/2010 - 10:59
NIST physicist Sae Woo Nam works with refrigeration equipment used to cool photon detectors to nearly absolute zero. His team’s efforts have created devices that can detect single photons with 99-percent efficiency. (NIST:…
Company News: New TIP Competition Focuses on Manufacturing Research Technology Innovation Program offers cost-shared funding for research
Sun, 04/18/2010 - 09:23
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a new competition for high-risk, high-reward research funding under the Technology Innovation Program (TIP). The new TIP competition offers…
Knowing When Poultry Goes Foul New method of sampling the air above the food
Thu, 04/15/2010 - 10:06
Researcher, Tara Lovestead, prepares a sample of meat (by excising a few milligrams) for testing with a new sampling method developed by Lovestead and NIST research chemist, Tom Bruno, that can detect trace amounts of low…
Event: The Quest for Excellence XXII The official conference of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 14:29
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Quest for Excellence XXII is bringing a passion for excellence, innovative practices, engaging conversations, and showcasing world-class results, dynamic leaders, and sustainability to all attendees on April 12–…
Baldrige Program Funds Four State Efforts to Teach Performance Excellence Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington will develop the new curricula.
Wed, 03/17/2010 - 09:16
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Baldrige National Quality Program (BNQP) has announced that four state quality programs will receive funding for the development of Baldrige-based and…
Quality Is Virtual! Baldrige Program Offers Quest for Excellence Online Registration is now open for "Virtual Quest."
Tue, 03/16/2010 - 18:42
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Washington, D.C., for the Quest for Excellence XXII conference on April 12–14. You can participate from your home or office, learning all about the exceptional performance management…
NIST, NASA Launch Joint Effort to Develop New Climate Satellites NIST to focus on the calibration of the instruments aboard CLARREO satellites.
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 16:33
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have launched a joint effort to gather enhanced climate data from spaceborne climate observation…
NIST Launches New Competition for Research Facility Construction Grants Grants to fund new or expanded facilities for scientific research in measurement science, oceanography, atmospheric research, or telecommunications
Fri, 02/26/2010 - 16:09
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced a new competition for grants for the construction of new or expanded scientific research buildings at institutions of…
President’s 2011 Budget Includes Vital Science and Technology Investments Request reflects intent to advance U.S. innovation and competitiveness
Mon, 02/01/2010 - 13:49
(NIST: Washington) -- President Barack Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget submitted today to Congress for the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposes a funding level of $918.9 million, a 7.3-…
Manufacturing Competition Challenges University Teams to Stack a Better Pallet Simulate an industrial robot performing a common but complex shop floor task
Thu, 01/28/2010 - 06:30
Pallet-Packing Robot: This simulation shows a robot in the middle of creating a pallet of boxes of mixed sizes. NIST engineers are seeking university teams to develop such simulations for a May competition.…