NIST News

Measurements taken by a team including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists show that a newly devised material has the ability to separate closely related components of … more

In the diamagnetic lateral force calibration method, an AFM cantilever (shown here is a NIST HammerHead cantilever) presses against the surface of a piece of graphite that levitates in a … more

Washington, D.C. -- Responding to President Obama's call for an "all-of-the-above" strategy to help consumers reduce their energy costs, the Administration announced on March 22 that … more

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is saying farewell to Mr. Sandy McDonnell, a friend and leader who was critical to the program's start-up. Mr. McDonnell, 89, died on March 19 in the … more

It turns out you can be too thin—especially if you’re a nanoscale battery. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the University of … more

Why does inhaling anesthetics cause unconsciousness? New insights into this century-and-a-half-old question may spring from research performed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

Remember Slinky®, the coiled metal spring that “walks” down stairs with just a push, momentum and gravity? Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

An important aspect of any product is how easily someone can use it for its intended purpose, also known as usability. Electronic health records (EHR) that are usable have the potential to improve … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting proposals to support long-term research in next-generation semiconductor technology, which is critical to the future of the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is hosting a free public workshop on best practices in federal conformity assessment activities Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at … more

Gregg Gallatin, a researcher at the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, has shown that combining a nineteenth century flux theorem with an eighteenth century mathematical operation … more

With a great deal of optimism and the spirit of collaboration, as well as the acknowledgement of a great deal of work ahead, the senior leaders of the Baldrige Enterprise met on February 29 to … more

On March 9, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it is soliciting proposals to establish a steering group in support of the National Strategy for Trusted … more

Does the United States have sufficient industrial capabilities to produce adequate supplies of forged-quality metal parts to meet the needs of the Defense Department and other federal … more

President Obama announced today his proposal for a new initiative focused on strengthening and ensuring the long-term competitiveness and job-creating power of U.S. manufacturing. After touring … more

If there is life on other planets, a laser frequency comb developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may help find it. NIST researchers and collaborators … more

Organic solar cells may be a step closer to market because of measurements taken at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where a … more

In recent years, scientists have begun to harness DNA’s powerful molecular machinery to build artificial structures at the nanoscale using the natural ability of pairs of DNA molecules to … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have done a mash-up of two very different experimental techniques—neutron scattering and electrochemical … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a new certified reference material to support the federal government’s Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) in … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will significantly expand its work in support of an advanced wireless communications system for the nation’s first responders and … more

Register today for the 24th annual Quest for Excellence® conference and you’ll get something extra: an invitation to attend the ceremony and reception honoring the 2010 and 2011 … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released in final form a guide to enhanced security for wireless local area networks (WLAN). A WLAN is a group of wireless networking … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that it is soliciting proposals to establish two new Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers in South Dakota and … more

An updated roadmap for the Smart Grid is now available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which recently finished reviewing and incorporating public comments into the … more

A major revision of a Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) publication released today by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) adds guidance for combating new … more

This colorized photo shows trap cleaning in progress. The trap (shown from the side) is atop the gold-colored pedestal in the center and measures 8 mm across. The vertical stripes on the … more

The 2012 participants, from left: David Newell of PML, Jacques Liard of NRCan, Dave Inglis of NRC, Jason Silliker of N more

The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget for the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) submitted to Congress proposes an … more

A new report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has documented 149 potential sources of human … more

Weights and measures are indispensable. From the grocery store to the gas pump, all kinds of consumer products are sold by some measurable quantity, whether it’s length, count, volume or … more

The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking volunteers to participate in a workgroup that will develop industry best practice … more

Sometimes knowing that a new technology works is not enough. You also must know why it works to get marketplace acceptance. New information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published for public comment a draft update to a guide for organizations managing their responses to computer security incidents such … more

State of Maryland and Montgomery County Join Partnership The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced a new partnership to establish the National Cybersecurity Center … more

Graphical representation of a stack of individual chips connected by vertical pipelines or through-silicon vias (TSVs). Credit: IBM. Could three-dimensional stacked integrated circuits … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks manufacturers of electronic health record (EHR) systems to participate in a research effort to develop methods for assessing the … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) and the Department of Energy have announced the availability of up to $1.3 … more

Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and Sandia National Laboratories have published a detailed review of recent experimental and theoretical work highlighting the … more

Washington, D.C. – The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget for the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) submitted today … more

NIST OLES Enhancing Collaboration Between NIST and Law Enforcement NIST OLES has partnered with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Office of Cheltenham Operations … more

The NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is pleased to announce the release of the winter 2012 edition of The CNST News. This quarterly newsletter highlights recent … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that it is launching a project to collect and catalog DNA identification data for up to 1,500 human cell lines used in … more

A team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland has found an iron-based superconductor that operates at the highest known temperature for a … more

Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resumé, thanks in part to expertise from … more

You often hear about the Framers of the Constitution, but not so much the framers of the Magna Carta. They work for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Not the authors, of … more

Filtering carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from factory smokestacks is a necessary, but expensive part of many manufacturing processes. However, a collaborative research team from the National … more

The great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci once said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research … more

Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new report by the National Institute of … more

On Feb. 1, 2012, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched a competition for pilot projects to accelerate progress toward improved systems for interoperable, trusted online … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its recommendations for a new, privately led steering group to tackle the complex policy and technical issues necessary to create … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the 25th annual conference of the Federal Information Systems Security Educator’s Association (FISSEA) March 27-29, … more

Creation of a next-generation public safety communications network requires leadership from a single non-profit organization devoted to this purpose, according to a Jan. 31, 2012, report released … more

Video recordings of the Nov. 2-4, 2011 Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop IV hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are now available for on-line viewing. The … more

Much of what is known about decadal climate change – and much of what appears on the evening weather forecast as well – comes from satellite-based remote sensing of microwave … more

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Graphical user interface of Instrument Control (iC).Click image for larger version. A free, easily customizable software program for automating test equipment via GPIB or RS232 bus may … more

Physicists at JILA have created the first “frequency comb” in the extreme ultraviolet band of the spectrum, high-energy light less than 100 nanometers (nm) in wavelength. … more

Proposers’ Conference Set for Feb. 15 WASHINGTON - The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced a competition to award a total of approximately $10 million … more

Office of Science and Technology Blog Post by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher Standards—agreed upon parameters such as the size and shape … more

Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology have made a grating coupler that transmits over 45 % of the incident optical energy from a plane wave into a single surface … more

WASHINGTON—Creation of a next-generation public safety communications network requires leadership from a single non-profit organization devoted to this purpose, according to a report … more

A team of physicists from the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), the Neils Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Harvard University has developed a theory describing how to both detect weak … more

Top: Transmission electron diffraction pattern from from a segment of an indium gallium nitride (InGaN) nanowire about 50 nanometers in diameter taken with an SEM using the new NIST … more

Last week, the White House issued a memorandum recognizing the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in helping agencies implement best practices for standards … more

Three new draft reports published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are designed to help both public and private organizations improve the security of their information … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its first set of guidelines for managing security and privacy issues in cloud computing.* Guidelines on Security and Privacy … more

The International Biometric Performance Conference 2012, to be held March 5-9 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will bring together evaluators, users and technology … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is accepting applications for the 2012 Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers and the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) … more

A brand-new article on Inc.com, "We Will Be the Best-Run Business in America," features MidwayUSA, a 2009 Baldrige Award winner in small business, and its founder Larry Potterfield. … more

The National Strategy for a Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) National Program Office will host the 2012 NIST/NSTIC IDtrust Workshop “Technologies and Standards Enabling the … more

The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the 2012 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The medal is presented each … more

Taking a step closer to ensuring that new electrical devices will be ready to plug into the nation's next-generation power grid, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)'s … more

SANTA CLARA, CA – Today, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra joined utility and technology executives in Silicon Valley to announce several new online tools that will allow … more

Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and Purdue University have designed and fabricated an on-chip microresonator that converts continuous laser light into … more

The news in 2001 was impressive, but it’s even more emphatically evident a decade later: the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) significantly benefits the U.S. economy. … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will host two forums in February 2012 to help U.S. manufacturers prepare for upcoming … more

DOC/NIST Invites Vendors to Attend an Industry Day at NIST! The NIST Acquisition Management Division will partner with the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) to host an Industry Day at … more

Optimizing the conductivity of ceria based oxides, or doped ceria, is crucial to their use as electrolytes in future solid oxide fuel cells. Researchers from the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science … more

Similar to the way pavement, softened by a hot sun, will slow down a car, graphene—a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon with wondrous properties—slows down an object sliding across … more

A new clinical Standard Reference Material (SRM) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will help health care professionals more accurately diagnose and treat … more

With a random-looking spatter of paint specks, a pair of cameras and a whole lot of computer processing, engineer Mark Iadicola of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has developed two new Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) needs American innovators and entrepreneurs to help solve technological problems and develop NIST technologies into marketable products. … more

On Jan. 6, 2012, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a new report highlighting key policy priorities to sustain and promote American innovation and economic competitiveness. The report, … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting the 21st annual Text Retrieval Conference (TREC), the premier experimental effort in the field, to encourage research in … more

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society, has elected four researchers at the National Institute of Standards and … more

The top science stories of 2011, as selected by several science magazines, include two experiments and a famous computer, that relied on technology from the National Institute of Standards and … more

If graphene is to live up to its promise as a revolutionary component of future electronics, the interactions between graphene and the surrounding materials in a device must be understood and … more