National Institute of Standards and Technology facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Agency overview
Formed	March 3, 1901; 124 years ago (March 3, 1901) (as National Bureau of Standards), became NIST in 1988
Headquarters	100 Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S. 39°07′59″N 77°13′25″W / 39.13306°N 77.22361°W / 39.13306; -77.22361
Employees	Approx. 3,400
Annual budget	$1.03 billion (FY 2021)
Agency executive	Laurie E. Locascio, Director of NIST and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
Parent department	Department of Commerce

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a special agency of the United States Department of Commerce. Its main goal is to help American businesses create new ideas and compete well. NIST does this through different science programs. These include nanoscale science, engineering, information technology, and research on neutrons. They also work on measuring materials and physical things. From 1901 to 1988, this agency was called the National Bureau of Standards.

The Story of NIST: A History

Early Ideas for Measurement Standards

The idea for standard weights and measures in the U.S. goes way back. The Articles of Confederation, which was like an early constitution in 1781, said that the government should set these standards.

Later, the Constitution of the United States, created in 1789, gave this power to Congress. It said Congress could "fix the standard of weights and measures."

In 1790, the first U.S. President, George Washington, spoke about how important it was to have the same money, weights, and measures across the country. He mentioned it again in 1791, saying it would be good for everyone.

Even President John Quincy Adams said in 1821 that "Weights and measures may be ranked among the necessities of life." But it took until 1838 for the U.S. government to finally agree on a single set of standards.

Before NIST, from 1830 to 1901, an office within the United States Department of the Treasury handled weights and measures.

National Bureau of Standards: 1901-1988

In 1901, the National Bureau of Standards was created. This happened because Congressman James H. Southard suggested a bill. The new Bureau's job was to provide standard weights and measures for the whole country. It also became the national science lab for the U.S.

Chart of NBS activities, 1915. This shows the many things the Bureau worked on in its early days.

President Theodore Roosevelt chose Samuel W. Stratton to be the first director. The Bureau started with a budget of $40,000. It took charge of the official copies of the kilogram and meter bars. These were the main standards for U.S. measurements.

The Bureau also built a lab in Washington, D.C.. It bought special tools from other countries' science labs. Besides weights and measures, it developed tools for measuring electricity and light. In 1905, it held the first "National Conference on Weights and Measures."

At first, the Bureau only focused on measurements. But Herbert Hoover later directed it to create standards for products and materials. These standards helped both the government and private companies. They covered things like clothing, car parts, and electrical safety.

During World War I, the Bureau helped with war production. It even made its own optical glass when supplies from Europe stopped. Between the wars, a scientist named Harry Diamond developed a radio system to help planes land in bad weather.

During World War II, the Bureau did military research. This included predicting radio signals and developing special fuses. They also worked on guided bombs and torpedoes.

A mass spectrometer being used at the NBS in 1948. This machine helps scientists study what things are made of.

In 1948, the Bureau started building a computer called SEAC. It began working in 1950. Another computer, SWAC, was built in Los Angeles. A mobile version, DYSEAC, was made for the military in 1954.

NIST: From 1988 to Today

In 1988, the "National Bureau of Standards" changed its name to the "National Institute of Standards and Technology" (NIST). This was because its work had changed and grown.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, NIST led the official investigation into why the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings fell down.

In 2019, NIST started a program called "NIST on a Chip." The goal is to make lab instruments much smaller, even chip-sized. This could help with things like aircraft testing and satellite communication. After the 2021 Surfside condominium building collapse, NIST sent engineers to investigate what caused it.

In 2023, the Biden administration planned to create a U.S. AI Safety Institute within NIST. This institute would help manage AI safety. Some reports say NIST needs more funding and staff for these efforts.

What NIST Does: Its Mission

NIST is a non-regulatory agency. This means it doesn't make rules, but it helps set standards. Its main job is to:

Promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

In 2007, NIST's budget was about $843.3 million. In 2009, it was $992 million, plus an extra $610 million from a special recovery act. NIST has about 2,900 scientists, engineers, and staff. About 1,800 guest researchers also work there. NIST also partners with many manufacturing specialists across the country.

NIST publishes the Handbook 44. This book gives rules and requirements for weighing and measuring devices.

The Metric System and NIST

In 1866, the U.S. Congress made it legal to use the metric system in business. In 1875, 17 countries signed the Treaty of the Meter. This agreement created the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. This group helps make sure measurements are the same all over the world.

How NIST is Organized

The Advanced Measurement Laboratory Complex in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This is one of NIST's important research buildings.

An aerial view of the Gaithersburg campus in 2019. This shows how large the NIST facility is.

The Boulder Laboratories campus. NIST has facilities in two main locations.

NIST has its main office in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It also has a facility in Boulder, Colorado, which opened in 1954. NIST's work is divided into different lab programs and other programs. Since 2010, NIST has six main lab units:

• Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)
• Engineering Laboratory (EL)
• Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
• Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
• Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
• Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)

Other programs include:

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP): This helps small and medium-sized manufacturers improve their work and create jobs.
• Technology Innovation Program (TIP): This program gives grants to help develop new, risky technologies.
• Baldrige Performance Excellence Program: This program gives out the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. It's the highest award for business excellence in the U.S.

NIST's Boulder labs are famous for NIST‑F1. This is an atomic clock that keeps the nation's official time. NIST uses the natural rhythm of cesium atoms to define the second. It then broadcasts time signals using radio stations like WWVB and WWV.

NIST also has a special facility called the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). Scientists use its neutron scattering tools for research in many areas, like materials science and biotechnology.

The SURF III Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility has been running since 1961. It's a source of special light called synchrotron radiation. This facility is the U.S. national standard for measuring light. All NASA instruments that observe extreme ultraviolet light have been calibrated here since the 1970s.

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) does research in nanotechnology. It also has a special cleanroom facility called "NanoFab." Scientists can use its tools for making tiny patterns and imaging things, like with electron microscopes.

NIST Committees

NIST has several important committees that help guide its work:

• Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC)
• Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR)
• National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee (NCST Advisory Committee)
• Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB)
• Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT)
• Board of Overseers for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA Board of Overseers)
• Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Advisory Board (MEPNAB)

NIST Projects and Contributions

A tiny NIST logo made with cobalt atoms. It's only 40 nanometers wide!

Measurements and Standards

NIST provides over 1,300 Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). These are special items that have certified properties. They are used to calibrate measuring equipment, check quality in factories, and as samples in experiments.

Handbook 44

NIST publishes the Handbook 44 every year. This book is created with the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). Its goal is to help states have the same laws and methods for weights and measures.

NIST has been publishing versions of this handbook since 1918. The current name, Handbook 44, started in 1949. The 2010 edition uses the SI (metric) measurements, as suggested by a 1988 law.

Homeland Security Efforts

NIST helps create standards for identity documents for federal employees. This helps prevent unauthorized people from entering government buildings and computer systems.

World Trade Center Collapse Investigation

In 2002, NIST was asked to investigate the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. This included buildings 1, 2, and the 47-story 7 World Trade Center. The investigation looked at why the buildings fell.

NIST also started a program to improve building and fire safety rules. They also shared information to help builders, architects, and emergency responders. The final report on the WTC Towers was released in 2005. It included 30 suggestions to make buildings safer. The report on 7 World Trade Center was finished in 2008.

Election Technology Standards

NIST works with the Election Assistance Commission to develop guidelines for voting machines. These are called the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines.

Cybersecurity Framework

In 2014, NIST released the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. This guide helps organizations manage and lower their cybersecurity risks. It was updated in 2018. A U.S. government order made this Framework required for federal agencies.

The Framework also highlights Zero-trust architecture (ZTA). This idea means "never trust, always verify." It focuses on protecting resources, not just the network edge. With ZTA, users are checked at every step to prevent unauthorized access.

NIST released a new draft of the Framework (CSF 2.0) in 2023. They want to make it easier for small and medium businesses to use. They also want it to keep up with the fast-changing world of cybersecurity.

Notable People at NIST

Four scientists who worked at NIST have won Nobel Prizes in physics. These are William Daniel Phillips (1997), Eric Allin Cornell (2001), John Lewis Hall (2005), and David Jeffrey Wineland (2012). Their work on laser cooling atoms helped develop atomic clocks. In 2011, Dan Shechtman won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on quasicrystals at NIST.

Other important people who have worked at NBS or NIST include:

NIST Directors

Since 1989, the U.S. President chooses the director of NIST, and the United States Senate must approve the choice. The director also holds the title of Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.

Patents Held by NIST

NIST holds patents for the Federal government of the United States. Some of these are held to protect public use, like a patent for a Chip-scale atomic clock. This clock was developed by a NIST team.

See Also

In Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Estándares y Tecnología para niños

• Dimensional metrology
• Forensic metrology
• Quantum metrology
• Smart Metrology
• Time metrology