National Institute of Standards and Technology | NIST

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

In this animation, three people must collaborate to open a document by contributing parts of a key. Only the combined parts can open the lock, preventing a single corrupt individual from stealing secrets.

NIST Kick-Starts ‘Threshold Cryptography’ Development Effort

A person leans over a sewing machine to work on a protective face covering.

NIST Awards $50 Million in Funding to Help Manufacturers Respond to the Pandemic

Tytus Mak sitting at his desk and while colleague Arun Moorthy and he look at a computer screen

Shaping the Future of the NIST Mass Spectral Library

MEASURE. INNOVATE. LEAD.

Working with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life.

Man in collared shirt with piece of scientific equipment

Services & Resources

Woman holding vial of red liquid with other vials of colored liquid on the table in front of her

Labs & Major Programs

3 multicolor blobs surrounded by what looks like wire mesh structure. black background.

Publications

Featured Topics

Advanced Communications

Advanced Communications

Advanced Manufacturing

Advanced Manufacturing

Cybersecurity

Forensic Science

Forensic Science

Health & Bioscience

Health & Bioscience

Quantum Science

Quantum Science

Resilience

Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer

Standard Reference Materials

Standard Reference Materials are certified reference materials (CRMs) that can be used to help develop accurate methods of analysis, to calibrate measurement systems used to measure a property at the state-of-the-art limit.

View all materials

Standard Reference Data

Standard Reference Data cover a broad range of scientific disciplines including atomic and molecular physics, chemical and crystal structures, fluids, material properties, biotechnology, optical character recognition and more. Data products include web applications, personal computer products, site licenses, subscriptions and distributor agreements. The SRD data program includes the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data.

Read more

News

A person leans over a sewing machine to work on a protective face covering.

NIST Awards $50 Million in Funding to Help Manufacturers Respond to the Pandemic

July 8, 2020

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a total of $50 million in emergency

Padlock with tri-colored keyhole

NIST Kick-Starts ‘Threshold Cryptography’ Development Effort

July 7, 2020

A new publication by cryptography experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposes the direction the technical agency will take to

three in one scanning probe module

Atomic ‘Swiss Army Knife’ Precisely Measures Materials for Quantum Computers

July 6, 2020

It images single atoms. It maps atomic-scale hills and valleys on metal and insulating surfaces. And it records the flow of current across atom-thin materials

A man stands at a podium labeled "America Makes," with a man and woman at his left and a man on his right.

Commerce Funds Manufacturing USA Pandemic Response Projects

July 6, 2020

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $3.4 million in grants to support high

Events

ADS Safety Measurement and Operational Design Domain

Tue, Jul 7 - Wed, Jul 8 2020

NIST is closely monitoring guidance from Federal, State, and local health authorities on the outbreak of COVID-19. To

Building the Federal Profile For IoT Device Cybersecurity: Next Steps for Securing Federal Systems

Wed, Jul 22 - Thu, Jul 23 2020

On July 22-23, NIST will host a virtual-only event, Building the Federal Profile For IoT Device Cybersecurity: Next

Exploring AI Trustworthiness: Workshop Series Kickoff Webinar

Thu, Aug 6 2020, 1:30 - 4:00pm

It is widely acknowledged that “trustworthiness” in artificial intelligence (AI) systems is critical to their

Bias in AI Workshop

Tue, Aug 18 2020, 9:00am - 5:00pm

The workshop was originally scheduled to be held at NIST Gaithersburg, MD. While we strive to accommodate global