NIST News

Additional Contact: Juliana Gruenwald NTIA, 202-482-2145 BOULDER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National … more

On June 4 - 5, 2013, NIST hosted the Measurement Science and Standards in Forensic Handwriting Analysis Conference in collaboration with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences-Questioned … more

It's not reruns of "The Jetsons", but researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new microscopy technique that uses a process … more

The nice thing about standards, it's been said, is that there are so many to choose from.* Though this tongue-in-cheek chestnut might be an exaggeration, it is not grossly so. Thousands of … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a draft document on security for cloud computing as used in the federal government. The public comment period runs through … more

Three new Economic and Policy Analysis summaries* from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) explore technology's impact on economic growth, policy options for increasing … more

Former Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank recently appointed Robert Hagans, Warren Harris, Terry Holliday, and Liza Nickerson Seltzer to three-year terms on the Board of Overseers of the … more

Three aspects of in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). On April 11 and 12, 2013, the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology(CNST) hosted a workshop on … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have reported* the first observation of the "spin Hall effect" in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), a cloud of … more

Larry Hudson with NIST-fabricated examples of test artifacts called out by the new CT image quality standard for security applications. Click on&photo for enlarged view. Every month, … more

The Standards Coordination Office (SCO) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites your participation in a brief survey regarding SCO's standards information services … more

Montgomery County Bomb Squad Tests Robots at NIST! & Scroll down to view photos of the new facility and the test methods Photos credit: NIST May 15, 2013 – A sign points the way to … more

Top: The TES package contains the sensor (about one-fourth the width of a human hair)&at the center of the circular section. Bottom: A wafer with multiple sensor package substrates. … more

The countdown has begun for the 2013 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Volunteer examiners will soon tackle the difficult job of choosing America’s best examples of organizational … more

Next week, join NIST and our collaborators via the free live webcast for the Measurement Science and Standards in Forensic Handwriting Analysis Conference and facilitated discussion! This event on … more

Scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated for the first time a new type of lens that bends and focuses ultraviolet (UV) light in such an … more

Once uncommunicative industrial robots and machine tools are now beginning to talk turkey, thanks to a prototype application developed by a team of partner companies led by the National Center for … more

Over 46 million residential structures in the United States are in areas at risk of wildfires. A new publication* from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identifies a set of … more

Physicists John Kitching and Svenja Knappe of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will receive 2014 Rank Prizes in optoelectronics "for the creation and demonstration of … more

For the first time, scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a new type of lens that bends and focuses ultraviolet (UV) light in such an … more

This view of the molecular structure of the MOF shows the triangular channels that run through the material. The walls of these channels trap the lower-octane components of gas while … more

What's the most formidable challenge faced by the staff of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)? Designing atomic clocks accurate for billions of years? Manipulating … more

Graduating from the three-day Baldrige Examiner Preparation course, 482 Baldrige examiners and special visitors now find themselves among an elite group—trained evaluators (1) to help … more

(Originally published on May 20, 2013.) Measurements define your daily life. From the amount of toothpaste in the tube to the calories in the bagel to your weight on the scale (it’s not … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has posted an initial analysis of hundreds of comments submitted by industry and the public related to the President's "Improving … more

Although made of fire-resistant materials, terracotta and cement roof tiles are vulnerable to penetration by windblown embers generated in wildfires, according to new research findings* from the … more

Detecting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could soon become far easier with the help of an innovative technique* developed by a team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), … more

A class of water-loving, jelly-like materials with uses ranges ranging from the mundane, such as superabsorbent diaper liners, to the sophisticated, such as soft contact lenses, could be tapped for … more

Using a powerful combination of microanalytic techniques that simultaneously image photoelectric current and chemical reaction rates across a surface on a micrometer scale, researchers at the … more

Chances are you know how many miles your car logs for each gallon or tankful of gas, but you probably have only a foggy idea of how much energy your house consumes, even though home energy … more

The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), the nationwide network that promotes and strengthens technology transfer from its membership of 300 federal laboratories and … more

The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University has announced that five researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Bryan Barnes (left) and Rick Silver (right) load a wafer into the NIST-built 193 wavelength microscope. (Click image for larger version.) more

The Colorado Federal Executive Board (CFEB) promotes strategic partnering, communication, and collaboration among the Federal agencies located in Colorado. Each year, as part of Public Service … more

Additional Media Contact: SRC: Dan Francisco 916-293-9030 NRI Second Phase Features Multi-University Network Focused on Research Centers at SUNY's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, … more

Schematic showing a single photon source (SPS) that is created from a quantum dot (QD) by optically pumping it with a periodically pulsed laser.& The output of the QD SPS is temporally … more

NIST's Daniel Madrzykowski is a finalist for the 2013 Service to America medals. Credit: NIST View hi-resolution image Daniel Madrzykowski, a National Institute of Standards and … more

An old, somewhat passé, trick used to purify protein samples based on their affinity for water has found new fans at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where … more

As markets for miniature, hybrid machines known as MEMS grow and diversify, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has introduced a long-awaited measurement tool that will help … more

A new handbook by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) provides forensic laboratories, law … more

Two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists, David Wineland and David Nesbitt, have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. David … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program has awarded cooperative agreements to the Arizona Commerce Authority … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published the fourth revision of the government's foundational computer security guide, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal … more

By bouncing eye-safe laser pulses off a mirror on a hillside, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have transferred ultraprecise time signals through open air … more

On April 12, 2013, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted a workshop for DNA Analysts at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus, which was simultaneously webcast to … more

Tom Silva (left) and Hans Nembach examine the partially disassembled original H-MOMM set-up. The entire configuration is being re-built to measure damping on smaller structures and different … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is holding the second of four planned workshops to develop a voluntary framework to reduce cybersecurity risks for critical infrastructure … more

To help the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) address industry's needs most efficiently, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced its … more

Aaron Johnson checks an array designed to hold 21 CFVs. The array is inserted into the yellow 8-inch pipeline at left and used to calibrate larger CFVs with the green cylindrical … more

Dr. Joseph L. Dehmer, a 40-year veteran of federal science research and administration, has been named Director of the Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML) of the National Institute of Standards … more

The President's fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget proposes $928.3 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an increase of $177.5 million from FY 2012 enacted levels. … more

When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in putting out fires and completing … more

In a ceremony on April 15, 2013, 11 major companies formally established partnerships with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE). The center is a public-private partnership hosted … more

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Kansas State University have demonstrated a spray-on mixture of carbon nanotubes and ceramic that has unprecedented … more

Portable electric generators retrofitted with off-the-shelf hardware by the University of Alabama (UA) emitted significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide (CO) exhaust, according to the results* … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting proposals to establish a new Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center in Nebraska. The award will provide up … more

Schematic showing fluorescence from UV-activated fluorophores excited by 532 nm light that reveals nanoscale photoacid distribution (left).& Activated fluorophore concentration … more

Radio communications can be unreliable in underground tunnels and other large, complicated structures, posing a safety hazard for emergency responders. New tests of wireless emergency safety … more

Getting Lyme disease may be easy—the tick-transmitted illness is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States—but accurately identifying it during the early stages … more

The video of the April 3, 2013, Cybersecurity Framework Workshop convened by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is now available for streaming on demand. This meeting, held … more

The sixth annual “Safeguarding Health Information: Building Assurance through HIPAA Security” conference will meet on May 21 and 22, 2013, at the Ronald Reagan Building and … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is hosting a symposium on how to develop and evaluate “ontologies”—formal, computer-readable definitions of … more

ROCKVILLE, Md. — In recognition of the critical need to protect private-sector intellectual property and other valuable business data from a growing number of cyber threats 11 major … more

Christina Hacker characterizes the individual monolayers prior to flip-chip lamination using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. (Click image more

Video showing a 10 µm × 1 µm fluorescently labeled rod being controlled using a combination of electric fields and fluid flow to travel along the “NIST” … more

WASHINGTON — The President's fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget released today proposes $928.3 million for the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

PHOENIX – When responding to fires in high-rise buildings, firefighting crews of five or six members—instead of three or four—are significantly faster in putting out … more

The role of forensic science throughout the world is changing due to recent technological development. Whereas forensic science has traditionally supported police work, the field has begun moving … more

President Obama&Conveys&a&Message at 25th Baldrige Award Ceremony Photo by Eddie Arrossi Current and former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton honored the … more

On April 8, 2013, U.S. Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank presented four U.S. organizations with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest honor for … more

Sam Benz demonstrates the relatively small amount of equipment required for the newly automated voltage standard. The chip containing Josephson junctions is at the lower end of the … more

The NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) was featured on the Friday, March 22 edition of Metro Connection, a weekly radio broadcast of National Public Radio affiliate WAMU that … more

Plots of photon arrival times at each of two detectors show that the emission of only one photon following an excitation pulse is less likely than had been widely assumed. Click on the image … more

Talk about storing data in the cloud. Scientists at the Joint Quantum Institute&(JQI) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland have taken this … more

The challenge of making concrete greener—reducing its sizable carbon footprint without compromising performance—is just like the world's most ubiquitous manufactured … more

The nation's aging power grid is evolving into a modern, "smart" energy distribution network, and with these changes comes a host of challenges for the research and development … more

NIST Boulder researcher Johannes (Hannes) Hubmayr recently spent several weeks at the South Pole Telescope, where he optimized the performance of a NIST camera delivered to the telescope in 2011. … more

Seen from the base of the MOBY spar, researchers work on&the&the&facility. MOBY is deployed in clear waters about 1200 meters deep, far enough from shore to be visible to … more

Ferromagnetic resonance force microscopy image of the precession of an edge mode in a 500 nm diameter permalloy disk.& The disk appears as a blue region, and the precession of the edge … more

A new set of publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) could make it easier, faster, and most importantly, more reliable, for forensic examiners to match a set of … more

The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has sent its 2012 annual report to Congress. The committee report supports … more

Robert Celotta, Director, NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology.& Robert Celotta, Director of the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), was interviewed … more

Using a low-cost apparatus designed to quickly and accurately measure the properties of handheld laser devices, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers tested 122 laser … more

Dr. András Vladár operates the NIST dimensional metrology reference SEM. (Click image for larger version.) Since the inception of the scanning electron microscope (SEM), … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new microscope able to view and measure an important but elusive property of the nanoscale magnets used in … more

One of the oldest forms of computer memory is back again—but in a 21st century microscopic device designed by physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for … more

The NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is pleased to announce the release of the Winter 2013 edition of The CNST News. This quarterly newsletter highlights recent … more

Due to an unexpected technical issue, some older radio controlled clocks may have made the change to Daylight Saving Time (DST) up to a day earlier than intended. Daylight Saving Time begins on … more

SAVE THE DATE All-of-Government Approaches to International Consequence Management for CBRNE Incidents The National Research Council (NRC), through a grant sponsored by NIST OLES, is organizing a … more

NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD, is closed today with limited access due to inclement weather. All conferences and meetings are cancelled for today. No public access is permitted. Emergency … more

At the center of the cylinder is aµcapillary tube used to study single-particle measurement capability in magnetic contrast agents for MRI. Click&on photo for enlargement of … more

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland, College Park, have built a practical, high-efficiency nanostructured electron source. … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a solid-state refrigerator that uses quantum physics in micro- and nanostructures to cool a much larger … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is changing the way it broadcasts time signals that synchronize radio-controlled "atomic" clocks and watches to official U.S. … more

To speed development and adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) for pediatrics, a group of experts from industry, academia and government convened by the National Institute of Standards and … more

Tiny biomolecular chambers called nanopores that can be selectively heated may help doctors diagnose disease more effectively if recent research by a team at the National Institute of Standards and … more

Debbie Collard is immediate past chair of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Foundation, who served as chair from 2011 to 2012. She is currently Director, Quality, Safety, Continuous … more

When you hear the term “cultural heritage,” what springs to mind? The dramas of Tennessee Williams, the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe? Software from the early 1980s? … more

How the semiconductor industry can create the next generations of nanoscale computing technology will be one of the themes of the 2013 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and … more

Building upon the success of last November’s “Forensics@NIST 2012” symposium, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is offering three upcoming … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the 26th annual conference of the Federal Information Systems Security Educators’ Association (FISSEA) March 19-21, … more

Three members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Information Technology Laboratory were named to the 2013 list of the top 100 government, industry and academic … more

Paul Emanuel (left) and Kevin Chesnutwood carefully hoist a container off its floor mount atop the platform of the large-mass balance-beam scale. The PML reference masses used for the … more

From the fuel for your vehicle to a cab ride to the airport, all kinds of consumer products and services are sold by some measurable quantity. The methods for measuring these quantities and the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register as its first step in the process to develop a Cybersecurity Framework, … more

Dear Colleagues, I am excited to share this news with you. NIST Director Pat Gallagher has asked me to take on a new role as Director of the Standards Coordination Office. I will lead … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced the establishment of a National Commission on Forensic Science as part of a new … more

The new Precision Measurement Laboratory (PML) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Boulder, Colo., has received LEED Gold certification. The Precision … more

The January 15-16, 2013, Cloud Computing and Big Data Conference webinar video is now available on demand. This meeting, held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), explored … more

Take a tip from the six two-time winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award: If your organization wants to achieve growth in both revenue and jobs, the Baldrige Criteria for Performance … more

Francesco Marsili at the SPD experiment. The&metal cylinder&at&top&left&is the&device's cryogenic enclosure. A single photon may not seem like much of a … more

DOJ Contact: Office of Public Affairs 202-514-2007& WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the free Measurement Science and Standards in Forensic Handwriting Analysis Conference on its Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus on … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced the first step in the development of a Cybersecurity Framework, which will be a set of voluntary standards and best … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland have demonstrated that a new spectroscopy technique* can simultaneously measure a … more

On April 30 - May 1, 2013, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host a free workshop on the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus to … more

Dennis Everett selecting a gauge from the NIST-housed Grand Master set. When he looked at the dramatic increase in his laboratory’s thread gauge calibration income – … more

One of the surprising predictions of quantum mechanics is that uncharged conductors can attract each other over small distances, even in empty space.& While the resulting “Casimir … more

Additional Contacts: Patricia Lee Director of Marketing Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. 815-227-8286 Jeff Ostermayer Senior Media Strategist National Association of … more

If designed and built efficiently, flexibly and securely, next-generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) now sprouting from interconnections that join the digital and engineered physical worlds will … more

A recent news story from Purdue University describes how Indiana state transportation officials are making concrete use of concrete research to extend the service life of bridge decks in the state … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) expects to host three new Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) from the latest round announced yesterday by the White House.* The PIF … more

A new guide* for Web developers recently released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will make it easier for electric utilities and vendors to give customers convenient, … more

For organizations seeking insight toward improved performance and results, the annual Quest for Excellence® conference is the definitive showcase of best practices from the previous year's … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a call for grant proposals for a broad range of potential research projects covering the institute's interests in the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting comments on the final public draft of Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations, … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is in search of a partner organization to help small businesses commercialize the technologies they develop as part of NIST's Small … more

States that have not adopted the latest energy-efficiency standard for commercial buildings are foregoing an average reduction of almost 10 percent in energy consumed by new structures over 10 … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites organizations to participate in a National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) effort to integrate commercially available … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a new competition for grants to create pilot projects for online secure identity systems that advance the vision of the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology&(NIST) is accepting applications for the 2013 NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers and the Research Experience for … more

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are sponsoring a symposium to explore emerging trends in voting system technology, Feb. 26-28, … more

Marlin Kraft of PML's Quantum Measurement Division adjusts connections on a current shunt resistor that dates from 1899. At left is NIST's Direct Current 3000 Ampere Measurement … more

Many journals now require cell line authentication prior to publication of research results. Are you ready? How are you authenticating your non-human cell lines? Are you confident in the … more

The Administration's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has released a report based on the input of nearly 900 stakeholders that describes an approach to implementing and managing a … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has demonstrated a novel chip-scale instrument made of carbon nanotubes that may simplify absolute measurements of laser power, especially … more

A team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has shown that by bringing gold nanoparticles close to the dots and using a DNA template to control the distances, … more

Firefighters in Spartanburg, S.C., battle a 'test burn' of an abandoned house in an experiment to demonstrate new techniques for combatting flashover, an extremely dangerous … more

Small and mid-size manufacturers in Kentucky and South Dakota have new resources to help them create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save time and money, thanks to funding from the National … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting proposals to support significant research in the field of fundamental measurement or the determination of fundamental … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking one or more qualified institutions or organizations to work with it in developing and implementing a fellowship program to … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is offering support to qualified institutions interested in developing teaching materials and curricula that instruct students in the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, invites small businesses to propose solutions to specific challenges in the … more

Thomas Gentile holds one of the new wide-angle neutron spin-filter cells. Each spans about 120 degrees of arc and has a volume of approximately 1 liter. For most Americans, neutron … more

Optical micrographs showing the assembly of a 2D colloidal crystal composed of approximately 200 particles. Top:& The initial configuration is a fluid weakly held by negative … more

The Administration's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) today released a report based on the input of nearly 900 stakeholders that describes an approach to implementing and managing … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a workshop to discuss proposed supplements to the biometric data format standard that support voice recognition, dental and oral … more

Now available for purchase on the Baldrige Web site: the 2013–2014 Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence and the 2013–2014 Education Criteria for Performance … more

Communicating with light may soon get a lot easier, hints recent research* from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland's Joint Quantum … more

Having blood drawn and analyzed to diagnose disease is a process that can take a few days, but what if your doctor could perform this analysis in moments, right before your eyes? That’s … more

With the launch of the 2013 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) application process, the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is ready to help U.S. organizations usher in a quality … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is accepting applications for its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at its Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder, Colo., … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants to help turn manufacturing robots into dexterous, nimble-fingered machines—affordable mechanical helpers that can easily … more

John J. Tracy, chief technology officer of The Boeing Company and senior vice president of Engineering, Operations and Technology, has joined the National Institute of Standards and … more

Two media lists of top science stories of 2012 highlight cosmology discoveries that relied on contributions from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Both discoveries were … more

On November 28 -30, 2012, NIST hosted the Forensics@NIST symposium at its Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. The symposium featured three days of presentations and discussions on forensic science … more

On Friday, April 12, 2013, NIST will host a free, one-day workshop on interpreting forensic DNA mixtures in casework. Participants may attend this workshop hosted at the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland … more