NIST
is a key technical contributor to the nation's standards infrastructure.
Our laboratories have the job of developing ever more accurate ways
to measure length, time, mass, temperature, and the other physical
quantities that are fundamental to all types of technology. In turn,
such measurement standards are integral to product and process standardsthose
specifying, for example, the diameter of optical fibers, the content
of steel alloys, or electromagnetic compatibility requirements for
electronic devices.
NIST plays a
variety of roles in support of voluntary standardization efforts
that respond to market and industry needs. We provide technical
expertise and facilitate private sector agreement. In addition,
NIST supports trade agreements by helping to build the underlying
conformity-assessment infrastructure necessary to harmonize standards
and regulatory requirements across borders. We also coordinate federal
agencies' use of voluntary standards. |
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Measurement standardsprovide measurement
traceability, at necessary levels of accuracy, to national standards
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Documentary standardsspecify characteristics
of products, processes, services, or systems.See standards
information, (which includes Export
Alert! an e-mail notification service), standards
coordination and participation in standards activities, and training |
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Conformity assessment/accreditationprocedures
for demonstrating compliance with standards and regulations, including
NIST guides to EU directives |
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Information technology standards |
Measurement
standards
NIST is the
nation's measurement laboratory, performing a job originally assigned
to the federal government in the Constitution. Scientists and
engineers in NIST's Laboratories perform
fundamental research leading to tools and capabilities that ensure
measurement accuracy and reliability on scales ranging from the
enormous to the nearly infinitesimal.
Across industries
and technologies, demand for near perfect measurements is growing.
NIST develops and supplies references that companies and other
organizations use to check the accuracy of their equipment, be
it a scale, volt meter, gas-flow meter, thermometer, spectrometer,
DNA profiler, scanning electron microscope, hardness indenter,
gage block, or even a clock. These and other tools make it possible
to compare measurements, promoting trust and confidence in measurement-based
transactions-from the sale of gasoline to the synchronization
of computer clocks to the integration of supplier-made parts on
an automobile assembly line.
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Measurement
services
Standard
Reference MaterialsNumbering more than 1,300, SRMs are
reference artifacts characterized by NIST for specific physical
or chemical properties. |
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Standard
Reference DataCollections of evaluated, high-quality technical
data are used for such applications as developing new materials or
improving industrial processes. |
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CalibrationsComparisons
of instrument performance to standards of known accuracy, calibrations
directly link customers' measurement equipment to national and international
standards. |
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Physical
Reference DataOfferings of this rich on-line physics resource
include recommended values of the fundamental constants, guidelines
for the expression of measurement uncertainty, and a tutorial on
the SI--the international system of measurement units.
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Weights and measures
Office
of Weights and Measures-Promotes uniformity in U.S. weights
and measures laws, which affect sales of products or services totaling
more than $4.5 trillion annually. Includes link to the National
Conference on Weights and Measures. |
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History
of weights and measuresThis NIST Virtual Museum Exhibit
begins with President Washington's repeated appeals to Congress
to exercise its constitutional power to standardize weights and
measures.
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International
metrology
NIST
works to assure that the U.S. realization of the basic and derived
measurement units is consistent with the realization in other nations. |
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International
Comparisons DatabaseNIST developed this database for the
International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It is key to an international
arrangement calling for "mutual recognition of national measurement
standards." |
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International
AgreementsUnder bilateral agreements with organizations
in 18 nations, NIST is working to improve the quality of the international
measurement system. These complement multilateral agreements, some
involving more than 20 nations. |
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International
Organization of Legal MetrologyNIST serves as the U.S. representative
to this 97-country treaty organization. OIML recommends performance
requirements for measuring instruments, which nations may incorporate
into their laws or regulations. |
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Metric
ProgramThis program helps to encourage the US transition
to the metric system, the international standard for weights and
measures. |
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National
Metrology LaboratoriesThis alphabetical list of NIST's
counterparts in other nations supplies contact information and web
addresses (when available). |
Documentary standards
In the United
States, responsibility for setting product and process standards
rests almost exclusively with the private sector. Government agencies
rely heavily on voluntary standards, which they often incorporate
into regulatory and procurement requirements. Because
of its measurement expertise and its impartiality, NIST is called
upon to provide technical support that contributes to the development
of high-quality domestic and international standards.
Standards needs
span many sectors and uses, and the division of labor among the
private and public standards developing organizations can be complex.
NIST's standard-related services can provide the information you
need or steer you in the right direction.
Standards
Information |
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NIST
National Center for Standards and Certification InformationThis
telephone (and e-mail) inquiry point supplies information on U.S.,
foreign, and international voluntary standards; government regulations;
and rules of conformity assessment for non-agricultural products.
NCSCI staff assists users in identifying relevant standards and
technical regulations and maintains a reference collection of select
standards, available for review in Center offices. |
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U.S.
industry standards are copyrighted by the standards developing organization;
NIST does not have copyright authority to reproduce or sell the
documents. Contact information on standards developing organizations
can be obtained from NCSCI
or the
American National Standards Institute. |
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Military
and federal standards are available for review in NCSCI
offices. Full text is available, free of charge, at the DOD
ASSIST-Quick Search. |
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Information
on Federal
Specifications and Standards is available from the General Services
Administration. |
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Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) NotificationsThrough a new, automated
e-mail service--called Notify U.S. --NIST distributes WTO members' advance notifications
of impending changes in standards or other regulatory requirements
that could influence terms of market entry for U.S. exports. NIST's
NCSCI
can provide complete copies of these regulatory proposals, and it
will distribute comments from U.S. organizations to the notifying
country.
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Publications
on Standards ActivitiesMany of these NIST-prepared informational
resources are available in PDF format. Topics range from ISO 9000
to standardization in the European Union. |
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Information
on standards-related activities by global regionAfrica,
Asia,
Europe,
Russia/Newly
Independent States, Western
Hemisphere, and NIST
standards representatives in other regions. |
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Department
of Commerce Voluntary Product StandardsAt the request of
outside organizations and on a fee-for-service basis, NIST acts as
an unbiased coordinator in the development of standards. This page
contains links to the three DOC VPS standards: (DOC PS 1-95) Construction
and Industrial Plywood, (DOC PS 2-92) Performance Standard for Wood-based
Structural-use Panels, and (DOC PS 20-99) American Softwood Lumber
Standard. |
Standards
Coordination and Participation in Standards Activities
The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act provides
specific responsibilities to NIST to coordinate federal use of
documentary standards and participation in their development.
In addition, NIST is charged with coordinating the federal government's
standards-related activities with the private sector. The aim
is to eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity. Each year
NIST reports on the progress federal agencies are making in implementing
the law.
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National
Technology Transfer and Advancement ActExplains responsibilities
stemming from 1996 legislative mandate to foster greater federal use
of voluntary standards. |
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Interagency
Committee on Standards PolicyConsisting of representatives
of 31 agencies, the ICSP advises on federal participation in the activities
of voluntary standards organizations and on the adoption and use of
voluntary standards. |
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NIST
Participation in Standards ActivitiesThe Office of Standards
Services maintains a searchable database of NIST and Department of
Commerce staff members who are members of standards committees in
the United States and abroad. |
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Federal
agency participation in standards activitiesThis searchable
database includes staff members from federal agencies that participate
on standards committees. |
NIST also
actively coordinates standards activities with those of the private
sector, in particular the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI is not a standards
developer but rather serves to coordinate US activities, particularly
with respect to the International
Organization for Standardization and the International
Electrotechnical Commission, and develop cross-cutting policy
positions within the United States. In December 2000, NIST and
ANSI signed a Memorandum
of Understanding that recognizes the particular responsibilities
of each.
Training
The Standards-in-Trade Workshops are designed to provide timely
information to foreign officials on U.S. practices in standards
and conformity assessment. Participants are introduced to U.S.
technology and principles in metrology, standards development
and application, and conformity assessment systems.
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Standards-in-Trade
Program and Workshop Description |
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Standards-in-Trade
Workshop Schedule |
Conformity
assessment/accreditation
In government-to-government
trade agreements, such as the U.S.-European Union Mutual Recognition
Agreement, NIST plays key roles in completing steps that make
it easier for companies to demonstrate compliance with standards
and regulations, a process formally known as conformity assessment.
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Conformity
assessment refers to the varied activities involved in assuring
that products, processes, or systems comply with regulations or
voluntary standards. These activities range from tests of components
to quality-system registration and from accreditation methods that
assess the competence of testing laboratories to procedures for
evaluating accreditor performance.
In international
markets, US exporters may encounter two types of conformity assessment
hurdles: Other nations may not recognize test results and product
approvals issued by accredited US laboratories, or they may impose
entirely different sets of requirements that entail additional testing
by laboratories in the destination market. NIST works with government
agencies and private-sector organizations to eliminate duplicative,
redundant conformity-assessment activities. |
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Conformity
assessment informationThis site contains a wealth of informational
resources developed by NIST and other organizations; it also features
links to relevant resources around the United States and the globe. |
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Information
on government-to-government mutual recognition agreementsNIST
provides the technical assistance necessary to carry out bilateral
and regional agreements designed to achieve mutual acceptance of conformity
assessment results. |
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NIST
guides to EU directivesThese guides can help U.S. manufactures
carry out the steps necessary to demonstrate compliance with the
EU-wide requirements and gain unfettered access to the 18-nation
market. |
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National
Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation ProgramThis
voluntary program evaluates and recognizes organizations involved
in product-acceptance testing and other conformity assessment activities.
NVCASE recognition facilitates acceptance of US products in foreign
regulated markets based on US conformity assessment results. |
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FCC
Telecommunications Certification Bodies ProgramNVCASE has
recognized the Conformity Assessment Program of the American National
Standards Institute as an accreditor of Telecommunication Certification
Bodies for certifying new telecommunications equipment as compliant
with federal and foreign requirements to prevent radio-wave interference. |
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National
Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation ProgramNVLAP provides
third-party accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories.
Accreditation programs are established in response to mandates or
administrative action by the federal government or requests from private-sector
organizations. See also the NVLAP
Directory of Accredited Laboratories. |
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National
Cooperation for Laboratory AccreditationHeadquartered
at NIST, NACLA is developing a national system for recognizing the
competence of testing and calibration laboratories, enabling worldwide
acceptance of their test and calibration reports.
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Information
technology standards
Standards
are essential elements of information technology-hardware, software,
and networks. Standard interfaces, for example, permit disparate
devices and applications to communicate and work together. Standards
also underpin computer security and information privacy, and they
are critical to realizing many widespread benefits that advances
in electronic and mobile commerce are anticipated to deliver.
NIST assists
industry groups as they develop IT standards. One function is to
provide testbeds that industrial collaborators use to evaluate prospective
standards and to determine how best to implement standards in new
products and services. Although this work cuts across all of NIST,
much of it is carried out in the institute's Information
Technology Laboratory. Below, you'll find a sampling of NIST
web sites with information on IT standards. |
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Common
CriteriaThis international standard (ISO/IEC Standard 15408)
establishes a common language for specifying security requirements
in IT products and systems as well as a rigorous approach for evaluating
security features. |
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Computer
Security Resource Centerprovides information about a variety
of computer security issues, standards, products, and research of
concern to federal agencies, industry, and users. |
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Federal
Information Processing StandardsWhen there are compelling
federal government requirements, such as for security and interoperability,
and no acceptable industry solutions exist, NIST issues standards
and guidelines for approval by the US Secretary of Commerce. Many
of these FIPS are used by federal agencies and have been adopted by
industry. |
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Standards
and Conformance Testing GroupDevelops conformance tests
and related tools for assessing conformance to IT standards.
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See also: Products
and services, A-Z
Subject Index, NIST
Home Page
Date created:
2/19/01
Last updated: 08/14/07
Contact: inquiries@nist.gov
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