The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has delivered a three-year plan for its programs to Congress, as required by the America COMPETES Act passed in August 2007. The plan provides a broad vision for NIST programs during Fiscal Years 2009-2011.
In the document, NIST directs future planning towards three overarching strategic goals: help the United States to drive and take advantage of the increased pace of technological change; foster more efficient transactions in the domestic and global marketplace; and address critical national needs.
To reach these goals, the plan rests on four strategic "pillars," including optimizing NIST's outreach to academia and industry, for example by developing and implementing new models of public/private partnerships to promote directed basic research in key technological sectors. The document provides a framework that allows NIST to continually reevaluate itself, and retain the flexibility necessary to develop programs that address immediate national needs, whether they relate to voting standards and technology, IT security, public safety or other currently unforeseen issues.
The plan (pdf file) is available online at www.nist.gov/director/reports/Final_NIST_3y.pdf.