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Office of the Director /Chief of Staff

Public Affairs Office

PAO provides communications support to help NIST share its research results, services, and programs; to assist policymakers in learning about NIST's role and activities; and to advise and assist NIST managers on public affairs and policy strategies.

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Why You Need Standards
Illustration shows a tape measure stretched out with a laser beam across it and says "HDYMI? Tape Measure."
How Do You Measure It?
Orange glowing microbes in a landfill
Finding PFAS Wherever They’re Hiding

Learn about what NIST is doing for the Champlain Towers South Collapse in Surfside, Florida.

News and Updates

World Metrology Day Symposium 2025

BIPM 150th Anniversary Standout Poster

The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) invites you to celebrate World Metrology Day (20 May 2025) marking the sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of the
fraudulent five-gallon measure

Deception, Trickery, and Metrology

While exploring a box of early 20th century index cards in the NIST archives, I stumbled upon two that starkly illustrated one of NIST's missions – legal

Featured Videos

Meet NIST: Advancing The Science Behind The Science

Meet NIST: Advancing The Science Behind The Science

Why Do We Use Atoms To Keep Time?

Why Do We Use Atoms To Keep Time?

The Journey Toward Quantum Resistant Algorithms: NIST's Initiative

The Journey Toward Quantum Resistant Algorithms: NIST's Initiative

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Taking Measure blog

Krister Shalm, wearing safety glasses, smiles over a lab table covered with electronics equipment.

Quantum and Dance: It Takes 2 to Entangle

Quantum physics and dancing may seem very different, but they both rely on creativity and precision. Both have shaped one NIST researcher’s outlook on life.

Contacts