SPO Mission

NIST’s Special Programs Office plans and manages high-profile programs that span the mission and expertise of multiple NIST laboratories to address critical national needs, primarily in forensic science, greenhouse gas measurements, and open data.  

To meet these needs, SPO works with and forges partnerships among government, private industry, academia, and professional organizations to provide world-class leadership in advanced measurement science, science-based standards, and data-driven technology innovations. SPO actively fosters communication and collaboration between NIST and external stakeholder communities, as well as agile collaboration across organizational boundaries at NIST.