NIST News

A new report* sponsored by the U.S. Commerce Department (DOC)—the results of the first independent study of its kind in almost 10 years—describes both barriers and effective … more

By swapping one superconducting material for another, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found a practical way to boost the efficiency of the world's … more

In a recent article in Applied Physics Letters,* CNST researchers demonstrated how commercially available electro-optic modulators can be used to tailor the single photon output of quantum dots … more

By combining advanced laser technologies in a new way, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have generated microwave signals that are more pure and stable than … more

Today President Obama announced a new initiative, the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in … more

John Cahn, an emeritus senior fellow and materials scientist at the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was named today to receive the … more

A method developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder for making thin, flexible, high-temperature superconducting … more

Anticipating forthcoming experiments, a CNST team has shown that few layer graphene stacks have favorable transport properties that could enable engineering of novel electronic devices.*& There … more

A team of researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), George Mason University and the University of Maryland has made nano-sized sensors that detect volatile organic … more

Gold nanoparticles are becoming the … well … gold standard for medical-use nanoparticles. A new paper* by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued the final version of its Guide to Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security (SP 800-82),* intended to help pipeline operators, … more

Interested in improving your organization's excellence? Then sign up for one of the two 2011 Baldrige Regional Conferences. This year, they're being held in Missouri and Alabama. Senior … more

Most industry executives, military planners, research managers or venture capitalists charged with assessing the potential of an R&D project probably are familiar with the wry twist on … more

The Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force is requesting comments on a report that proposes voluntary codes of conduct to strengthen the cybersecurity of companies that … more

The CNST’s Daniel Pierce has provided an overview of three decades of applications of spin-polarized measurement techniques to understanding metallic ferromagnetism.& His insights … more

A new White House policy document released today* highlights strategic roles that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plays in accelerating the modernization of the … more

Additional Contact: Gail Porter, 301-975-2762 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today released a report that proposes voluntary codes of conduct to strengthen the … more

A CNST-led collaboration with the University of Maryland and the University of Texas has computed how electrostatic interactions between electrons in different layers of few-layer graphene affect … more

Like an opera singer hitting a note that shatters a glass, a signal at a particular resonant frequency can concentrate energy in a material and change its properties. And as with 18th century … more

Depending on whom you ask, nanoparticles are, potentially, either one of the most promising or the most perilous creations of science. These tiny objects can deliver drugs efficiently and enhance … more

Robotic automation, microrobotics and robotic perception and recognition all advanced a few steps closer to their future applications in manufacturing, health care and other areas during the week … more

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers are working to reduce the uncertainty associated with climate-change measurements using a mobile temperature-sensing technology … more

Preventing fraud at oil-change services and enabling consumers to make value comparisons when shopping for printer ink will be among the many issues discussed at this year's annual meeting of … more

Sixty-nine organizations have tossed their hats—and their strategies for success—into the ring for the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest … more

If you missed the 23rd Annual Quest for Excellence conference in April, 2011, or just want to continue learning about the best practices, proven strategies and real-world insights presented there, … more

Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has named Karen Kerr of Intellectual Ventures to serve on the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology … more

Read the article: Eye on Dallas -- 5 Questions with Freese and Nichols CEO Robert Pence: ‘Lots to Do’ Post-Baldrige. Freese and Nichols is a Texas-based multidiscipline … more

A massive tornado, rated category EF5 (the most powerful on the Enhanced Fujita scale), hit Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency … more

NVLAP has released&a new Policy Guide to publish revisions to NVLAP proficiency testing procedures as found in NIST Handbook 150, NVLAP Procedures and General Requirements, section 3.4.1. The … more

Dare Improve to a Better Business Strategy? PRESENTED BY: Kevin Scoles, Small Business Opportunity Specialist, DLA Land and Maritime Small Business Program Office DIBBS is the electronic … more

CNST Director Robert Celotta has been elected as a Member-at-Large of the American Physical Society (APS) Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics (FIAP).& FIAP was formed in 1995 with the … more

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is an important tool for nanoscale surface metrology. Typical AFMs map local tip-surface interactions by scanning a flexible cantilever probe over a surface. They … more

Mark Stiles, a NIST Fellow in the CNST Electron Physics Group, has been elected Vice-Chair of the American Physical Society (APS) Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications (GMAG).& As … more

Flower-like defects in graphene can occur during the fabrication process. The NIST team captured images of one of the defects (figures a and c) using a scanning tunneling microscope. A … more

Flower-like defects in graphene can occur during the fabrication process. The NIST team captured images of one of the defects (figures a and c) using a scanning tunneling microscope. A … more

A new, free software tool from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) could prove to be a breath of fresh air for architects and designers of ventilation systems for … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a suite of green tea reference materials to help manufacturers evaluate the composition of their products and assure … more

A wealth of information on recent advances in semiconductor research is now available for free, thanks to an agreement between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the … more

Behind the smart phone's continuing transformation into the quintessential multipurpose tool is the rise and diversification of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), tiny machines that work … more

Three scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been chosen to receive the Arthur S. Flemming award, recognizing distinguished service in the federal … more

by Timothy J. Clark A good first step is to start with a review of the performance management framework that is incorporated within the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Components of this … more

Read the article Model of Efficiency (go to page 24) in Operations Magazine about Pal's Sudden Service, a 2001 Baldrige Award recipient in the small business category. Pal’s is a … more

In this schematic image (top) and transmission electron micrograph, a silicon nanowire is shown surrounded by a stack of thin layers of material called dielectrics, which store … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is holding a special industry workshop on June 2 and 3, 2011, at the NIST laboratories in Gaithersburg, Md., to assess interest in forming … more

NIST’s SCO recently released a report summarizing responses to the RFI on Federal Agency Participation in Standardization Activities in Select Technology Areas issued on December 8, … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is hosting a workshop on usability of electronic health records (EHR) on June 7, 2011, at NIST's campus in Gaithersburg, Md. "A … more

The cloud computing research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting public comments on a draft of its most complete guide to cloud computing to date. NIST … more

Nanoparticles of silver are being found increasingly in the environment—and in environmental science laboratories. Because they have a variety of useful properties, especially as … more

Bottlenose dolphins* and beluga whales**, two marine species at or near the top of their respective food webs, accumulate more chemical pollutants in their bodies when they live and feed in waters … more

In a step toward taking the most advanced atomic clocks on the road, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have designed and demonstrated a super-stable laser … more

Trace gas detection, the ability to detect a scant quantity of a particular molecule—a whiff of formaldehyde or a hint of acetone—in a vast sea of others, underlies many … more

Physicist Charles Clark of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been named a co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research collaboration that includes NIST … more

Physicist Jun Ye, a Fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and a Fellow of JILA, a joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, has been elected to … more

The NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is pleased to announce the publication of its 2010 Report. This Report updates the state of the CNST and highlights the 2009-2010 … more

A team of physicists from the United States and Russia announced today* that it has developed a means for computing, with unprecedented accuracy, a tiny, temperature-dependent source of error in … more

On May 3, 2011, the Complex Fluids Group and the Microrheometry Project hosted a meeting with manufacturers (in the United States and United Kingdom) to discuss measurement advances and needs in … more

A new publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides guidelines to secure the earliest stages of the computer boot process. Commonly known as the Basic … more

Energy & Fuels highlights NIST paper Energy & Fuels is the premier journal for research in all areas of the chemistry of nonnuclear energy sources, including the properties and … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a summary report on technology transfer activities of the federal laboratories for fiscal year 2009. The report summarizes the … more

Magnetics researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) colored lots of eggs recently. Bunnies and children might find the eggs a bit small—in fact, too small … more

In a pair of studies—one recently published online* and the other soon-to-be published**— researchers at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML), a government-university collaboration in … more

As manufacturers and other businesses step up efforts to cut waste, reduce energy use and improve the overall sustainability of their products and processes, the number of planet-friendly standards … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have shown that the electronic properties of two layers of graphene vary on the nanometer scale. The surprising new results … more

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Wesleyan University have used computer simulations to gain basic insights into a fundamental problem in material science … more

It may not be as catchy a combination as "Miss Scarlet in the parlor with a revolver," but "polyester-rayon wipes in the field followed by saline-surfactant extraction and … more

On April 15, the Obama Administration formally launched its National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), a plan to work with the private sector to develop a private market for … more

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), in collaboration with the NIST National Center for Standards and Certification Information, has … more

The governing board of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has voted in favor of a new standard and a set of guidelines important for making the long-planned “smart” … more

The manufacturing experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership are now spreading the word on manufacturing innovation by blog. … more

What are the major technology challenges to future growth in the solar-cell industry? Where are the big-bang-for-the-buck R&D investment opportunities? These and other questions were put to … more

Roberto Padovani View hi-resolution image Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has named Roberto Padovani of Qualcomm Incorporated … more

Tuesday April 26th will start the annual month long training period for the 2011 Board of Examiners. Week 1 will see a total of 120 Examiners pass through the classrooms at the National Institute … more

Effective June 1, 2011, all new applicant labs applying for NVLAP accreditation to IES LM-79, or existing&NVLAP-accredited&laboratories requesting addition of IES LM-79&to&their … more

Gaithersburg, Md. – The governing board of the public-private Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has voted in favor of a new standard and a set of guidelines important for making … more

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Obama Administration released the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), which seeks to better protect consumers from fraud and … more

A new Standard Reference Material (SRM) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will help clinical genetics labs accurately diagnose Huntington’s disease, an … more

For the many states, communities, new-home builders and prospective buyers now mulling over the pluses and minuses of installing residential fire suppression sprinklers, the National Institute of … more

The idea of probing the body's interior with radiation stretches back to experiments with X rays in the 1800s, but more than a century later, images taken with radiological scans still are not … more

In tests of four different types of new refrigerators, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers found that ice makers increased rated energy consumption by 12 to 20 … more

Do you hold the key to solving some gadget mysteries from the last century of U.S. science and technology? In its 110 years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made many … more

Steven Cundiff, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has received the 2011 William F. Meggers Award from the Optical Society of America (OSA). The Meggers … more