Work With MEL

MEL takes responsibility for understanding the metrology and advanced technology needs of U.S. manufacturers. Specifically, MEL addresses the measurement and standards needs of manufacturers in the areas of length metrology; mechanical metrology; manufacturing systems, processes, and equipment; intelligent control; and interoperability. To do this effectively MEL partners with industrial consortia, individual companies, other government agencies, and universities. The MEL stake in partnerships tends to focus on issues that can benefit industry sectors in a broad sense, centering on measurements and standards.

MEL partnerships with organizations can either be formal or informal, and there are a number of partnership vehicles available to facilitate relationships. Included among these vehicles are the following:

• Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)
• Domestic and foreign guest researcher arrangements  
  
• Sabbaticals for university professors
• Memoranda of understanding
• Letters of agreement
• Post-doctoral research associate positions run in conjunction with the National Research Council
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program
• Interagency Working Group on Manufacturing R&D
• The Department of Commerce Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program   
• Grants   
• Contracts
• Licenses

International Collaboration Opportunities

• Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS)