Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Partnerships
The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) serves as a national resource for industry, universities, and government agencies. To stay at the forefront of materials research and neutron science, the NCNR collaborates with several key internal and external organizations. These partnerships expand our instrument capabilities, foster interdisciplinary research, and ensure that the broader scientific community has access to world-class neutron scattering facilities.
NCNR Core Partnerships
Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS)
CHRNS is a joint program between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) dedicated to developing and operating state-of-the-art neutron scattering instrumentation for use by the general scientific community. This partnership enables researchers from across the United States to access high-resolution instruments that are critical for studying the structure and dynamics of materials at the nanoscale.
Neutron Measurements for Advanced Technology (nMAT)
The nMat consortium (formerly known as nSoft) partnership represents a strategic effort to apply neutron scattering techniques to the most pressing challenges in advanced technology and industrial manufacturing. By leveraging the NCNR’s unique measurement capabilities, nMat works to accelerate the development of new materials—from battery technologies and hydrogen storage to advanced semiconductors. This partnership bridges the gap between fundamental neutron science and practical engineering applications.
Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
As one of NIST's primary research laboratories, the MML is a natural and vital partner for the NCNR. MML serves as the nation's reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological, and materials sciences. The NCNR MML partnership integrates neutron scattering data with MML’s expertise in materials synthesis and theoretical modeling. Together, we provide a holistic approach to understanding material properties from the atomic level to the macroscopic scale.
Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)
The PML partnership links the NCNR with NIST’s world-leaders in fundamental physics and metrology. This collaboration is essential for the development of next-generation neutron detectors, optics, and precision measurement standards. PML researchers utilize the NCNR's neutron beams to conduct fundamental physics experiments, such as testing the limits of the Standard Model and improving our understanding of the basic properties of the neutron itself.
Partner Universities
The NCNR and partner universities develop and operate cutting edge neutron instruments, create software and algorithms for data analyses, and provide expertise not available within NIST to the user community. Opportunities to engage NIST in a cooperative agreement are announced periodically and competed. Currently active agreements include University of Maryland, University of Delaware, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Working with Our Partners
The NCNR’s collaborative environment is what makes it a premier destination for global research. Whether you are an academic researcher through CHRNS or an industrial partner through nMaT, our goal is to provide the expertise and instrumentation necessary for breakthrough discoveries.