About the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL)

Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory Mission and Vision

The Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the United States’ reference laboratory for chemical measurements. CSTL is entrusted with developing, maintaining, advancing, and enabling the chemical measurement system for the US, thereby enhancing US industry’s productivity and competitiveness, assuring equity in trade, and improving public health, safety, and environmental quality. With current world events, the need for accurate and timely chemical and biological measurements is more important than ever. CSTL is ready to meet these new challenges.

Today NIST’s vision is to be the global leader in measurement and enabling technology, and delivering outstanding value to the nation. NIST provides scientific leadership for the Nation's measurement and standards infrastructure and ensures the availability of essential reference data and measurement capabilities. To discharge these responsibilities, NIST maintains expertise in a broad range of science and technology areas. CSTL is responsible for measurements, data, and standards in chemical, biochemical, and chemical engineering sciences. Building on a 100-year history of technical excellence, todays CSTL has the most comprehensive array of chemical, physical, and engineering measurement capabilities and expertise of any group worldwide working in chemical science and technology.

CSTL refers to its role in NIST’s mission in the following manner: CSTL fulfills NIST’s mission by addressing customer needs for measurements, standards, and data in the areas broadly encompassed by chemistry, biosciences, and chemical engineering. Likewise CSTL looks to the NIST Strategic Plan to identify CSTL’s part in its realization. This strategic plan is by its nature visionary, long term, and at a high level. It sets a clear direction and course for NIST. CSTL, in the context of this plan, identifies, explores, develops, and refines those opportunities that lie in the areas of chemistry, chemical engineering, and bioscience. CSTL’s strategy and substructure is flexible and fluid enough to respond quickly to changes in National priorities, escalating and changing customer needs, and the rapid evolution of science and technology.

CSTL is working toward a Shared Vision – one that all can understand and embrace. The most current version is simply stated: that CSTL is seen by its staff and stakeholders as providing value to our customers with the right measurements, standards, and data at the right time.

Some measures of success are: we identify our customer needs in an open and consistent process; we understand, anticipate, and respond cost-effectively to customer needs; we balance research and services, projects and people, and new and existing strengths, skill sets, and expertise; we work collaboratively and in partnership to leverage resources for the best strategic and stakeholder outcomes; we advance the fundamental science basis for global measurement systems, and we consistently assess the value and impact of our work.

CSTL Overview of What We Do

CSTL's vision is dynamic – it will become clearer and may shift focus over time; it is not about repackaging what we’re already doing; we must develop and/or adapt specific strategies and tactics to achieve this vision; not everything or everyone is always going to fit; and communication, transparency and teamwork will become norms throughout CSTL in order to foster effective involvement and trust, and enable the best ideas to emerge. In pursuit of this vision, CSTL provides technical leadership for the Nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure in synchrony with NIST’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan allows us to respond to National priorities, changing customer needs, and the rapid evolution of science and technology. Although the details of the strategic planning process have varied over the years, its essential characteristics — customer-focus and openness to all stakeholders — have been preserved and even enhanced. Our project planning and priority setting are driven by our three goals listed below:

Measurement Standards: Establish CSTL as the pinnacle of the national traceability and international comparability structure for measurements in chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology, and provide the fundamental basis of the nation’s measurement system. This objective is achieved by:

• Developing and demonstrating international comparability for chemical and physical measurements;

• Supporting and strengthening the traceability structure in the US; and

• Supporting and strengthening voluntary standards organizations.

Chemical and Process Information: Assure that US industry has access to accurate and reliable data and predictive models to determine the chemical and physical properties of materials and processes. This objective is realized by:

• Developing benchmark data for the properties of important substances, classes of substances, and systems;

• Developing data collections, data prediction methods, and models to meet high-priority industrial and national needs;

• Contributing to the development of consensus standards for key properties, substances, and processes; and

• Developing procedures or protocols for data access, facilitating data exchange, and disseminating formatted data.

Measurement Science: Anticipate and address next-generation measurement needs of the Nation. This final goal is achieved by:

• Maintaining a strong and cutting-edge research program to support the Nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure, and

• Establishing new measurement capabilities to support new and advanced technology development and dissemination.