National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 

Standards Services Division 

Technology Services 

NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 

Hazel M. Richmond 

C. Douglas Faison

December 18, 2002 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 1

1. Introduction 

This report provides NIST managers with an overview of the range and types of technical 

partnerships between Technology Services’ National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation 

Program (NVLAP) and NIST Technical Units. It reports on partnerships, both by field of 

accreditation and by NIST Laboratory Division. The report also provides information on 

NVLAP partnerships with other government agencies and with the private sector. Finally, the 

report analyzes growth trends in specific NVLAP programs and identifies implications of these 

trends for the NIST Laboratories, as well as for NVLAP. The data and analyses presented are 

intended to inform managers in NIST Technical Units about trends in the NVLAP program and 

to provide information that can assist them in their own technical, business and policy planning 

activities. As demands for laboratory accreditation services change in response to market and 

legislative needs, we hope that new and stronger partnerships can be achieved for the mutual 

benefit of NIST laboratory staffs and NVLAP. 

2. Background 

2.1 What is NVLAP? 

NVLAP is a voluntary, fee-supported program to accredit testing and calibration laboratories that 

are found competent to perform specific tests or calibrations, or types of tests or calibrations. 

The program is intended to serve the needs of industry, consumers, government, and others by 

fostering and promoting a uniformly acceptable base of professional and technical competence. 

NVLAP develops its accreditation programs for testing and calibration laboratories in response 

to legislative or administrative actions, requests from government agencies or, in special 

circumstances, from private sector entities. The program provides an unbiased third party 

evaluation and recognition of performance, as well as expert technical guidance to upgrade 

laboratory performance. 

NVLAP is committed to maintaining its reputation for quality by fostering continued process 

improvement and problem prevention; understanding and using the NVLAP quality system to do 

a good job consistently; providing quality services by striving to fulfill and exceed the needs and 

expectations of NVLAP customers; forming relationships with both laboratories and contractors 

that will improve quality in all aspects of services; and maintaining close associations with 

comparable national and international accreditation and standards development organizations. 

NVLAP’s association with NIST technical units promotes and sustains its reputation in the field 

of accreditation. Appendix A contains additional details on NVLAP and its history. 

2.2 Overview of NVLAP Activities 

NVLAP currently offers accreditation in 16 fields of testing; 8 fields of calibration, covering 90 

parameters; and 2 chemical calibration applications. Appendix B contains a current list of 

calibration parameters covered by field. NVLAP’s annual budget for FY02 was $4.57 million. 

A staff of 16 technical and administrative personnel manages programs to accredit a total of 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 2

more than 700 testing and calibration laboratories. During FY02, NVLAP transferred more than 

$164K to NIST laboratories in support of program development, proficiency testing, and 

technical assessor services. 

Table 2.2.1 on the following page shows the number of NVLAP accreditations by program group 

and field of accreditation. Because many laboratories, particularly calibration laboratories, are 

accredited in more than one field, the number of accreditations listed above exceeds the number 

of NVLAP-accredited laboratories. As of October 10, 2002, NVLAP had accredited 749 

laboratories - 685 testing laboratories and 64 calibration laboratories. 

NVLAP directly supports the U.S. measurement infrastructure by accrediting calibration 

laboratories that disseminate secondary standards and provide measurement results that are 

traceable to appropriate national and international standards. These NVLAP-accredited 

calibration laboratories rely on NIST calibration services for the calibration of their own 

equipment. They include laboratories operated by federal agencies, such as the Department of 

Defense, the Department of Energy, and the Food and Drug Administration; eight state 

metrology laboratories that provide legal metrology support in their respective states; major 

manufacturers of standards and test equipment; and a mixture of calibration service laboratories, 

some general and some sector-specific. 

Table 2.2.2 provides a more detailed listing of the number of laboratories participating in the 

NVLAP Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Program. 

Table 2.2.2 Accredited/Applicant Calibration Laboratories by Field of Accreditation

Field of 

Accreditation 

Number of Accredited 

Labs 

Number of Applicant 

Labs 

Dimensional 21(5) 8(4) 

DC/Low Frequency 13 4 

RF/Microwave 5 1 

Ionizing Radiation 7 1 

Mechanical 29(8) 17(7) 

Optical Radiation 3 0 

Thermodynamics 15(2) 9(3) 

Time and Frequency 14(3) 4(1) 

Note: - The number in parentheses indicates the number of state metrology laboratories 

included in the count. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 3

Table 2.2.1. Testing and Calibration Laboratories by Field of Accreditation

Program Group/Field of Accreditation Number of 

Accreditations 

Calibration Laboratories Group 

 Dimensional 21 

 Electromagnetics – DC/Low Frequency 13 

 Electromagnetics – RF/Microwave 5 

 Ionizing Radiation 7 

 Mechanical 29 

 Optical Radiation 3 

 Thermodynamic 15 

 Time and Frequency 14 

Chemical Calibration Laboratories Group 

 NIST Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs) 2 

 Providers of Proficiency Testing (PPT) 11 

Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry 34 

Electromagnetic Compatibility and Telecommunications Group 187 

Environmental Group 

 Bulk Asbestos Analysis (PLM-polarized light microscopy) 235 

 Airborne Asbestos Analysis (TEM-transmission electron 

microscopy) 

74 

Fasteners and Metals Group 35 

Information Technology Security Testing Group 

 Common Criteria Testing 6 

 Cryptographic Module Testing 7 

Product Testing Group 

 Acoustical Testing Services 25 

 Carpet and Carpet Cushion 8 

 Commercial Products Testing 

 (Paints, Paper, Plastics, Plumbing, Roofing, Seals/Sealants) 9 

 Construction Materials Testing 17 

 Efficiency of Electric Motors 15 

 Energy Efficient Lighting Products 16 

 Thermal Insulation Materials 13 

 Wood Based Products 4 

Total Accreditations 805 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 4

A detailed list of the number of calibration laboratories accredited by parameter is contained in 

Appendix C. Ten parameters in five fields account for the vast majority of calibration laboratory 

accreditations. In the mechanical field, mass, force, and volume and density account for the 

largest number of accreditations, while most accreditations in the dimensional field are for gage 

blocks and for length and diameter (step gages). In the thermodynamic field, resistance 

thermometry is the most common parameter in accreditations, and in the time and frequency 

field, nearly all laboratories are accredited for frequency dissemination. 

The considerable activity in the area of mass may be due to certain aspects of legal metrology 

and the fact that state laboratories rely on NIST to provide services to support trade in their 

respective states. High activity in the DC/low frequency areas may reflect activity in general 

purpose measurement and test equipment support. 

Under the terms of an agreement between the Analytical Chemistry Division (ACD) and EPA, 

NVLAP has accredited 11 laboratories for their competence to characterize samples and to 

conduct proficiency test programs to support EPA requirements for environmental laboratories. 

Technical oversight of the program and the evaluation process is provided by the ACD. 

NVLAP’s Certifiers of Spectrophotometric NIST Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs) 

program has accredited two laboratories, which design, prepare, characterize, certify, and 

distribute spectrophotometric filter reference materials traceable to NIST. The commercially 

produced reference materials under this program are recognized by NIST as NTRMs. 

3. Trends in NVLAP Programs 

There is growing recognition among governments and industries worldwide that laboratory 

accreditation is a vital tool to enhance confidence that data generated in accredited laboratories 

are accurate, traceable, and reproducible. Today, more than ever, governments and specifiers are 

relying on laboratory accreditation to reduce uncertainties associated with decisions that affect 

the protection of human health and the environment, eliminate redundant audits, reduce costs, 

and improve acceptance of products in world markets. 

Laboratory accreditation is now referenced in global trade agreements, such as the Asia Pacific 

Economic Cooperation (APEC) Telecommunications Arrangement, as a mechanism to ensure 

uniformity of products across borders. U.S. automobile manufacturers rely on laboratory 

accreditation to ensure accuracy and consistency of measurements made by their suppliers and to 

have confidence in the quality of the components that they purchase. 

Table 3.1 on page 6 provides data on trends in the number of laboratories accredited by NVLAP, 

by laboratory accreditation program. As shown in this table, several NVLAP programs have 

experienced growth in the past five years. For example, the number of laboratories enrolled in 

the Electromagnetic Compatibility and Telecommunications (ECT) Program has more than 

tripled since 1996 due to the rising number of information technology products placed on the 

market and the growing number of regulations that cover these products. Trade agreements 

signed in 1998 and 1999 provide for mutual recognition of testing and certification carried out in 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 5

support of EMC and telecommunications equipment regulations between the United States and 

European Union, APEC and CITEL (Inter-American Telecommunications Commission) 

countries. This has also created impetus for laboratories in these fields in the United States to 

seek accreditation, or to expand their scope of accreditation. The level of laboratory enrollment 

remains steady, but there is a great deal of activity among laboratories to expand their 

capabilities and to increase their scopes of accreditation in order to meet new requirements. 

Although there are only 15 laboratories in the Information Technology Security Testing 

Program, this highly specialized area of testing continues to experience growth. The testing 

conducted in these accredited laboratories is used to validate products that have been evaluated 

in accordance with the provisions of the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) 

Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme, and the Common Criteria Recognition 

Arrangement (CCRA). Laboratories in this program also test encryption/decryption products 

that ensure information security, which is critical in financial industries and other sectors 

dependent on secure communications. While few new laboratories are expected to join this 

program in the future, this small program is likely to have an enormous impact on the public and 

the economy by contributing to the security of financial and medical records. 

The Acoustics Program has seen a recent increase in applications because accreditation is viewed 

as a marketing advantage in the small community of acoustic testing laboratories. Moreover, 

many federal agencies are now upgrading their laboratories and seeking accreditation so that 

they can confidently conduct tests for hearing protection products to ensure the safety of their 

personnel. 

The Calibration Laboratories Program continues slow, steady growth. Increased demands by the 

automobile industry and other clients have caused many calibration laboratories to seek 

accreditation. Enrollment has doubled in the past five years and continued growth is anticipated 

because of growing industry reliance upon results from accredited calibration laboratories. 

Some NVLAP programs have seen a decrease in laboratory enrollment. For example, NVLAP’s 

Asbestos Program, which was first developed in 1988, had an enrollment of over 700 

laboratories in the early nineties. Although most of the regulatory work that prompted Congress 

to pass legislation has been completed, the Asbestos Program, with 237 laboratories (163 PLM 

only, 72 PLM/TEM, and 2 TEM only) remains NVLAP’s largest program. 

 

The Fasteners and Metals Program was developed in response to the Fastener Quality Act of 

1990. In 1998, NVLAP had over 90 laboratories enrolled in the program, but an amendment to 

the law reduced the need for laboratory accreditation and sent enrollment down considerably to 

the current level of 35 laboratories. It is expected that this program will remain stable at this 

level for the near future. 

NVLAP’s Dosimetry Program had over 75 laboratories enrolled in 1994. Today only 34 

laboratories are accredited because dosimetry-processing laboratories have been closing their 

facilities and contracting out their work to a few large laboratories to save operating costs. 

Although the number of accredited laboratories is expected to continue its downward trend, this 

program provides critical support for ongoing homeland security efforts. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 6

Table 3.1 Trends in Number of Labs Accredited in Each Testing and Calibration Program

Laboratory Facilities FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 Change 

FY01/FY02 

Information Technology 

 

Cryptographic Module 

Testing 

2 3 8 4 4 7 3 

Common Criteria 0 4 5 6 1 

Fasteners 78 92 83 49 43 35 (8) 

Calibration 15 23 27 31 45 51 6 

Chemical Calibration 

 

NTRMs 0 3 2 (1) 

Providers of PT 0 12 12 11 (1) 

Product Testing 

 

Acoustics 18 20 21 24 23 25 2 

Carpet 14 13 12 11 8 8 0 

Commercial Products 8 8 6 6 7 9 2 

Construction Testing 17 18 16 14 15 17 2 

Energy Efficient Lighting 10 10 9 8 10 15 5 

Energy Efficient Motors 6 7 9 8 14 16 2 

Thermal Insulation 19 18 18 16 13 13 0 

Wood Based Products 5 5 5 4 4 4 0 

Dosimetry 49 45 42 40 37 34 (3) 

Electromagnetics (ECT) 122 142 150 179 181 187 6 

Asbestos 

PLM (bulk asbestos 

analysis) 

311 291 280 254 244 235 (9) 

TEM (airborne asbestos 

analysis) 

73 75 76 74 73 74 1 

Total Laboratory 

Facilities 

747 770 762 738 741 749 8 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 7

Potential new programs that may involve NVLAP include the accreditation of laboratories that 

test various types of voting machines as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002, signed 

into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002. NVLAP will work with ITL to develop criteria 

to evaluate the laboratories. In addition, there are ongoing discussions between NVLAP and 

NIAP about the accreditation of laboratories to test and evaluate information systems for 

computer security. This is a very complex issue and will require much coordination and 

cooperation between NVLAP, ITL, other government agencies and industry in order to 

harmonize systems evaluation government wide. Future initiatives in homeland security may 

also call for government-operated laboratory accreditation to test and evaluate equipment and 

systems (e.g., biometric devices, metal detectors, radiation detectors, chemical sensors, etc.) that 

are used to enhance security. 

4. NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units– 

Testing and Calibration 

NVLAP partners with the NIST Laboratories in at least three different ways. When a new 

laboratory accreditation program (LAP) is being considered, the appropriate NIST Laboratory 

participates in determining the need for the program through public meetings with affected 

industry, government, and laboratory representatives. Once the decision has been made to 

proceed with a LAP, knowledgeable NIST laboratory staff work with NVLAP staff to develop 

the technical criteria that will be used to assess laboratory expertise. These criteria are published 

in program-specific handbooks (see <www.nist.gov/nvlap> for a complete list). If a LAP is 

developed in response to a request from a federal agency, agency personnel will also review the 

technical criteria. Once a LAP has been established, NIST laboratory staff often contribute 

technical expertise by serving as Technical Assessors at laboratory assessments and by providing 

technical support for laboratory proficiency testing. Eleven NIST laboratory divisions provide 

support for NVLAP’s testing laboratories program; more than 10 divisions have provided 

support to NVLAP’s Calibration Laboratories Program; and 2 laboratory divisions partner with 

NVLAP for its Chemical Calibration Laboratories Program. 

Table 4.1 on the following page provides data on the number of assessments, by field, in which 

NIST experts participated, and the number of proficiency tests conducted by NIST, by field, for 

the NVLAP Calibration Laboratories Program, while Table 4.2 provides data on NIST 

participation in on-site assessments and proficiency testing by Division, for the calibration and 

testing programs. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 8

Table 4.1 NIST Support for Calibration Program by Field

Field 

Number of Assessments in 

which NIST Experts 

Participated 

Number of Lab proficiency tests 

Conducted by NIST 

Dimensional 8 8 

DC/Low Frequency 5 5 

RF/Microwave 0 0 

Ionizing Radiation 1 7 

Mechanical 8 8 

Optical Radiation 2 2 

Thermodynamics 3 6 

Time and Frequency 6 6 

Table 4.2 NIST Direct Support for Onsite Assessments and Proficiency Testing 

Activities by Division

NIST Division Number of Assessors 

260 - TS – Weights and Measures Division 1 

811 - EEEL - Electricity Division 2 

812 - EEEL - Semiconductor Electronics 

Division 

1 

815 - EEEL – Optoelectronics Division 1 

821 - MEL - Precision Engineering Division 4 

831 – CSTL – Biotechnology Division 1 

836 - CSTL - Process Measurements Division 3 

839 – CSTL – Analytical Chemistry Division 8 

844 - PL - Optical Technology Division 2 

846 - PL - Ionizing Radiation Division 2 

855 - MSEL - Metallurgy Division 1 

893 – ITL – Computer Security Division 16 

897 – ITL – Software Diagnostics and 

Conformance Testing Division 

1 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 9

The following sections describe specific NVLAP partnerships with NIST laboratories, listed in 

order of their numerical designation. 

4.1 Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL (810))

4.1.1 Calibration Laboratories Program

EEEL Divisions, Electricity (811), Semiconductor Electronics (812), Radio-Frequency 

Technology (813) and Optoelectronics (815), provided the technical criteria for inclusion in 

NIST Handbook 150-2, Calibration Laboratories Technical Guide and other technical support 

and guidance as needed. Fields supported are DC/Low Frequency and RF/Microwave 

Electromagnetics, Thin Film, and Optical Radiation Metrology. Divisions 811, 812 and 815 

have also participated in on-site assessments of laboratories and/or proficiency testing activities. 

4.2 Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL (820)) 

4.2.1 Acoustical Testing Services Program

The NVLAP Acoustical Testing Services Program accredits laboratories for selected test 

methods in the areas of sound absorption, impedance, attenuation, vibration, power levels, 

emitted sound and hearing protection, among others. The program was designed to satisfy the 

requirements of contracts, state and local governments, and federal agencies specifying 

accreditation for laboratories that perform testing for compliance to acoustical design 

specifications and performance testing of acoustical materials and noise protection devices. 

Manufacturing Metrology Division (822) technical staff provide consultation services to the 

NVLAP Program Manager. 

4.2.2 Calibration Laboratories Program

 

MEL Divisions, Precision Engineering (821), Manufacturing Metrology (822), and 

Manufacturing Systems Integration (826), provided the technical criteria for inclusion in NIST 

Handbook 150-2, Calibration Laboratories Technical Guide, and other technical support and 

guidance, as needed. Fields supported are Dimensional and Mechanical Metrology. Divisions 

821 and 822 have also participated in on-site assessments of laboratories and/or proficiency 

testing activities. 

4.3 Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL (830))

4.3.1 Asbestos Fiber Analysis Program

NVLAP’s Asbestos Fiber Analysis Program was developed in response to the passage of Public 

Law 99-519, Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986, referred to as AHERA. 

AHERA required NIST (then NBS) to develop an accreditation program for laboratories 

analyzing both bulk samples of asbestos-containing materials and air samples of asbestos using 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 10

test methods specified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Beginning in mid-1986, 

a new partnership between NVLAP and CSTL’s Surface and Microanalysis Science Division 

(837) resulted in a long-term collaboration. The partnership led to the development of four 

Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) (1866a, 1867, 1868, 1876b) for use by asbestos-testing 

laboratories, and one Research Material (RM 8411). Since 1989, data compiled from proficiency 

tests (PT) on overall laboratory performance have been analyzed and used to evaluate the test 

method and technical requirements of the program. As the program has matured, laboratory 

personnel have been required to have more analytical skills to perform successfully in 

proficiency testing and to meet on-site requirements. Laboratories that have not met the 

accreditation requirements, including proficiency testing, have been dropped from the program, 

ensuring program credibility and more accurate test results for the general public. 

Technical staff in Division 837 co-authored NVLAP Handbooks 150-3 and 150-13, the program 

handbooks for Bulk Asbestos Analysis (PLM) and Airborne Asbestos Analysis (TEM). Staff 

continue to provide technical support for proficiency testing activities as well as addressing 

extraordinary technical microscopy issues. 

4.3.2 Calibration Laboratories Program

CSTL’s Process Measurements Division (836), and Physical and Chemical Properties Division 

(838) provided the technical criteria for inclusion in NIST Handbook 150-2, Calibration 

Laboratories Technical Guide and other technical support and guidance, as needed. Field 

supported is Thermodynamics Metrology. Division 836 has also participated in on-site 

assessments of laboratories and proficiency testing activities. 

4.3.3 Chemical Calibrations Laboratories Program

The Chemical Calibrations Laboratories Program consists of two fields of accreditation: (a) 

NIST Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs) for spectrophotometric filters and (b) Providers 

of Proficiency Testing (PPT). 

The NIST Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs) Program provides NVLAP accreditation to 

those laboratories demonstrating capabilities and competence as certifiers of spectrophotometric 

filter reference materials that meet certain technical specifications and requirements. 

Laboratories accredited under this program are permitted to distribute filter reference materials 

with the designation NTRM. This designation means that an accredited laboratory has designed, 

prepared, characterized, and certified an NTRM that meets all of the technical specifications and 

other requirements set forth in the NIST program. NVLAP assesses the laboratories and 

accredits those meeting the technical requirements, while the Analytical Chemistry Division 

(839) provides technical oversight and is the sole authority for determining which laboratories 

meet the technical requirements to be certifiers of NTRMs. The program illustrates how 

NVLAP can assist NIST laboratories in leveraging their resources to provide industry with the 

tools needed to be competitive in the global market place. 

The Providers of Proficiency Testing Program was developed to support the privatization of the 

U.S. EPA Water Proficiency Evaluation Program. A partnership between CSTL’s Analytical 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 11

Chemistry Division (839), PL’s Ionizing Radiation Division (846) and NVLAP, the program 

provides accreditation to laboratories demonstrating capabilities and competence to provide 

proficiency test services to environmental analysis laboratories. Laboratories that provide 

proficiency testing services must undergo a periodic, on site, technical assessment of competence 

and demonstrate their proficiency in accurately characterizing the samples they distribute and the 

methods they employ in conducting proficiency tests. Accredited laboratories are required to 

participate in proficiency testing programs conducted by the Analytical Chemistry Division on a 

fee-for-service basis. Currently, 11 accredited laboratories service approximately 8000 water 

analysis laboratories across the United States. 

CSTL’s Process Measurements Division (836) has provided technical expert guidance in the 

development of the NVLAP criteria for thermodynamics and flow measurements and provides 

staff to serve as NVLAP technical expert assessors. Additionally, the division provides 

extensive support to NVLAP in the design and implementation of proficiency testing schemes 

for the laboratories. 

4.4 Physics Laboratory (PL (840))

4.4.1 Calibration Laboratories Program 

Physics Laboratory Divisions, Electron and Optical Physics (841), Atomic Physics (842), Optical 

Technology (844), Ionizing Radiation (846), and Time and Frequency (847), provided the 

technical criteria for inclusion in NIST Handbook 150-2, Calibration Laboratories Technical 

Guide and other technical support and guidance as needed. Fields supported are Optical Physics, 

Ionizing Radiation, and Time and Frequency Metrology. Divisions 844, 846, and 847 have also 

participated in on-site assessments of laboratories and/or proficiency testing activities. 

4.4.2 Chemical Calibrations Program 

See Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory under Providers of Proficiency Testing above. 

4.4.3 Energy Efficient Lighting Products Program

NVLAP’s Energy Efficient Lighting (EEL) Products Program was established in anticipation of 

the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-486) at the request of the 

Lighting Equipment Division of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). 

The Act requires that the Department of Energy (DOE) specify energy efficiency standards for 

certain types of fluorescent and incandescent reflector lamps. It also stipulates that DOE 

determine whether efficiency standards would be appropriate for other incandescent and general 

service fluorescent lamps. The test procedures for determining energy efficiency are to be 

prescribed by DOE, and are to be conducted by accredited laboratories using Illuminating 

Engineering Society-North America (IESNA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 

test methods. The test methods for lamps and luminaires covered by the NVLAP program are 

consistent with the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. NVLAP program 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 12

requirements also support Energy Star, the government/industry energy efficiency program, 

which requires the use of accredited laboratories. 

Proficiency testing for lamps and luminaires is ongoing. The Optical Technology Division (844) 

participated in round 4 of proficiency testing for this laboratory accreditation program (LAP) in 

1996, providing direct comparison between performance of participating laboratories and NIST 

and has helped to reduce the spread in the data among laboratories. The proficiency testing 

program has highlighted the need for appropriate, traceable calibration in this group of 

laboratories. As a result of the collaboration, a meeting with government and industry was held 

to evaluate the results and provide guidance to the standards community. Staff in Division 844 

continues to provide technical support for the lighting proficiency testing, while staff in BFRL’s 

Building Environment Division (863) provide review and consultation for the lighting 

proficiency testing. 

4.4.4 Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry Program 

This program was developed by and for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and offers 

NVLAP accreditation to any laboratory that processes personnel dosimeters used to monitor 

individual occupational exposure to ionizing radiation. The NRC specifies that all personnel 

dosimeters that require processing be processed and evaluated by a NVLAP-accredited 

laboratory. Processor accreditation is related to the type of monitoring service provided, 

including radiation type monitored and the type and model of dosimeter utilized for each 

radiation category. NVLAP currently provides accreditation for several different types of whole 

body and extremity dosimeters, such as Thermoluminescence Dosimeter (TLD), Film Badge, 

Track Etch and Electronic Personnel Dosimeters. 

Since 1982, the Physics Laboratory’s Ionizing Radiation Division (846) has collaborated on the 

design of proficiency testing and calibrations for the Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry Program. 

Division 846 staff audits the proficiency testing contractor - Battelle, Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory, Richland, Washington - and provides technical support to NVLAP for the Ionizing 

Radiation Dosimetry Program. NVLAP has conducted an ANSI N13.11-compliant proficiency 

testing program continuously since 1984. 

4.5 Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL (850))

4.5.1 Calibration Laboratories Program

MSEL’s Metallurgy Division (855) provided the technical criteria for inclusion in NIST 

Handbook 150-2, Calibration Laboratories Technical Guide and other technical support and 

guidance as needed. The field supported is Mechanical Metrology. Division 855 has also 

participated in on-site assessments of laboratories and proficiency testing activities. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 13

4.5.2 Fasteners and Metals Program

The Fastener Quality Act, Public Law 101-592, was enacted in 1990 to protect the public by 

requiring that certain fasteners sold in commerce conform to the specifications for which they are 

represented to be manufactured. The 1990 Act required the Secretary of Commerce, acting 

through the Director of NIST, to establish a laboratory accreditation program to accredit 

laboratories engaged in fastener testing. The Act also required NIST evaluation and approval of 

any other laboratory accreditation bodies seeking recognition under the law. The Act has been 

amended several times, most recently in 1999, to further focus requirements and reduce the 

burden on fastener manufacturers. The Fastener Quality Act, as amended, still provides for the 

accreditation, in limited circumstances, of testing laboratories engaged in fastener testing. 

NVLAP currently offers accreditation in the areas of mechanical and physical testing and 

inspection, metallography, nondestructive inspection, dimensional inspection and chemical 

analysis. NVLAP worked with current and former NIST experts to develop the technical 

requirements for the program. Staff in the Metallurgy Division (855) partnered with NVLAP in 

the development of the technical requirements for mechanical and metallographic testing for the 

Fasteners and Metals Program. Fastener testing laboratories accredited by NVLAP must 

participate in proficiency testing for test methods for Rockwell hardness, axial tensile strength of 

full-size threaded fasteners, wedge tensile strength of full-size threaded fasteners, and chemical 

analysis. The proficiency testing is conducted by Collaborative Testing Services of Herndon, 

Virginia. 

4.6 Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL (860)) 

4.6.1 Construction Materials Testing 

The Building and Fire Research Laboratory’s (BFRL) Building Materials Division (862) has 

provided technical assistance to the NVLAP Product Testing Program’s Construction Materials 

Testing (CMT) Program since the 1980's through its Construction Materials Reference 

Laboratories program. This program consists of both the Cement and Concrete Reference 

Laboratory (CCRL), which is sponsored by ASTM International, and the AASHTO Materials 

Reference Laboratory (AMRL), a research associate program sponsored by the American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 

NVLAP-accredited construction laboratories are required to participate in CCRL/AMRL 

proficiency testing, and their results are sent to NVLAP on a quarterly basis. Five staff members 

in Division 862 provide NVLAP with program technical support. In addition, NVLAP worked 

with CCRL to achieve its goal of implementing the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 25 and, 

subsequently, ISO/IEC 17025. NVLAP also assisted AMRL staff with the recognition process 

for laboratory accreditation bodies; two AMRL staff members attended NVLAP assessor 

training. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 14

4.6.2 Carpet and Carpet Cushion Program 

NVLAP’s Carpet and Carpet Cushion Program provides for laboratory accreditation to ensure 

that standard test procedures for performance properties, including physical, mechanical, and 

surface flammability characteristics, are followed in testing carpets and carpet cushions. The 

program includes test methods developed by ASTM International, the American Association of 

Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), and Federal Specifications. Established in 1981, the 

program was developed in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Housing and 

Urban Development (HUD). Its purpose is to assist HUD in assessing the suitability of carpet 

and attached carpet cushion products for use in federal housing programs, including single, 

multifamily, elderly, and care-type dwellings. HUD Use of Materials Bulletin No. 44 (UM 44), 

Building Products Standards and Certification Program for Carpet, includes the minimum 

requirements and standard test methods to be used for determining the acceptability of carpet and 

attached carpet cushion products for HUD housing. One of the provisions of UM 44 is that a 

sample of the carpet or attached carpet cushion product, intended for use in HUD housing, be 

tested in a NVLAP-accredited laboratory to determine that its properties comply with the 

minimum requirements of UM 44. In 1993, HUD issued UM 72, Building Products Standards 

and Certification Program for Carpet Cushion, which includes minimum requirements and test 

methods for separate (not attached) carpet cushion products. 

The NVLAP Carpet and Carpet Cushion Program has maintained an extended partnership (1980 

to the present) with BFRL's Fire Research Division (866). In 1986-87, NVLAP and BFRL were 

able to determine through the use of NVLAP proficiency testing data and confirm with NBS 

Standard Reference Material 1012 that ASTM Test Method E648 (Standard Test Method for 

Critical Radiant Flux of Floor-Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source) was 

defective. BFRL received an industry-funded project grant to work with the Carpet and Rug 

Institute and ASTM Sub-Committee E05.22 to improve the method, which was subsequently 

issued as a parallel standard by ASTM and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). 

The results of the NIST work on the improvement of the E648 test method were reported in 

NISTIR 4799, August 1992. Division 866 and NVLAP staff continue to consult on proficiency 

testing for critical radiant flux and flammability.

4.6.3 Thermal Insulation Materials Program

BFRL’s Building Environment Division (863) also provides technical support to NVLAP for the 

Thermal Insulation Materials program. This partnership with BFRL has existed since the 1970's. 

NVLAP recently provided BFRL with data from an early round of proficiency testing so they 

could complete a long-term study for a smoke test. 

The Thermal Insulation Materials Program was the first NVLAP laboratory accreditation 

program, established in 1979 at the request of three private sector thermal insulation trade 

associations. The purpose of the program is to accredit laboratories that produce reliable thermal 

insulation test data. The program provides for laboratory accreditation to ensure that standard 

test procedures to measure corrosiveness, thermal resistance, strength, flammability, mass, 

density and dimensional stability and water vapor retarder characteristics are followed. The 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 15

program uses standard test methods from ASTM, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the 

TAPPI (Technical Association for the Pulp, Paper and Converting Industry), and the Canadian 

General Standards Board (CGSB). Test methods include ASTM C177 (Guarded Hot Plate), 

C236 (Guarded Hot Box) and C518 (Heat Flow Meter). Division 863 continues to provide 

support for proficiency testing. 

4.6.4 Energy Efficient Lighting Program 

The Building Environment Division (863) also provided review/consulting for the Energy 

Efficient Lighting Program’s lighting proficiency test (see Physics Laboratory entry earlier in 

this document). 

4.7 Information Technology Laboratory (ITL (890)) 

The Information Technology Laboratory’s (ITL) Computer Security Division (893) collaborates 

with NVLAP in two accreditation programs – the Common Criteria Testing Program and the 

Cryptographic Module Testing Program. 

The Common Criteria Testing Program was established in support of ITL’s partnership with the 

National Security Agency (NSA), known as the National Information Assurance Partnership 

(NIAP). The establishment of NIAP fulfilled requirements of the Computer Security Act of 

1987. Since 1997, the partnership has combined the extensive security experience of both NIST 

and NSA to promote the development of technically sound security requirements for Information 

Technology (IT) products and systems and appropriate metrics for evaluating those products and 

systems. The Cryptographic Module Testing Program was established in support of a joint effort 

between NIST and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of the Government of 

Canada. 

4.7.1 Common Criteria Testing Program

NVLAP’s Common Criteria Testing program accredits laboratories that perform IT security 

evaluations using the Common Criteria and Common Methodology, ensuring that such 

laboratories are capable and competent to meet the needs of the Common Criteria Scheme. IT 

security evaluations assess the conformance of a Protection Profile, Security Target, or IT 

product with a specific set of Common Criteria requirements. NVLAP accreditation is the 

primary requirement for achieving status as a Common Criteria Testing Laboratory (CCTL). 

Laboratories must go through a series of steps that involve both the NIAP Validation Body and 

NVLAP. 

The Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15408) is a set of functional and assurance IT security 

requirements that were developed to provide a common baseline against which IT products and 

systems could be evaluated. The Common Methodology describes a common approach for 

performing IT security evaluations using the Common Criteria. The Common Criteria and 

Common Methodology were developed and sponsored by the governments of the United States 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 16

(represented by NIST and NSA), Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United 

Kingdom. 

NIAP, a partnership between NIST and NSA, initiated the development of the program to 

accredit laboratories that perform IT security evaluations under the Common Criteria Scheme. 

The Common Criteria Scheme is the NIAP program to manage the validation of IT security 

products using the Common Criteria and Common Methodology. IT security products validated 

by this program will receive a Common Criteria Certificate and be listed on the NIAP Validated 

Products List. 

Three staff members from the Computer Security Division (893) provide technical support to 

NVLAP in the operation of this program, by serving as technical assessors and technical experts 

and are the liaison between NVLAP and NIAP. 

4.7.2 Cryptographic Module Testing

NVLAP’s Cryptographic Module Testing Program accredits laboratories for conformance testing 

of cryptographic modules conducted in accordance with FIPS PUB 140-1, Security Requirements 

for Cryptographic Modules and conformance testing of associated cryptographic algorithms. 

(Cryptographic modules are the set of hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, 

that implements cryptographic logic or processes, including cryptographic algorithms and key 

generation that is contained within the cryptographic boundary of the module.) The Program 

accredits laboratories that perform conformance testing for acceptance by the Cryptographic 

Module Validation Program (CMVP), a product certification program administered jointly by 

ITL and the Communications Security Establishment of the Government of Canada. Under this 

program, third-party cryptographic modules testing (CMT) laboratories accredited by NVLAP 

conduct all of the tests. Vendors interested in validation testing of their cryptographic modules 

and algorithms must use NVLAP-accredited CMT laboratories. 

ITL staff in the Computer Security Division (893), and Software Diagnostics and Conformance 

Testing Division (897) provide technical support for the operation of this program and serve as 

NVLAP technical assessors and technical experts. 

4.8 Technology Services (200) 

4.8.1 Calibration Laboratories Program

The Weights and Measures Division (260) provided the technical criteria for inclusion in NIST 

Handbook 150-2, Calibration Laboratories Technical Guide and other technical support and 

guidance as needed. Field supported is Mechanical Metrology. Division 260 has also 

participated in on-site assessments of laboratories and proficiency testing activities. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 17

4.9 Cooperation with Other NIST Divisions 

4.9.1 NIST Counsel 

A cooperative effort between NVLAP and the Counsel for NIST (100) on topics such as Mutual 

Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) for APLAC and ILAC has provided benefits regarding other 

NIST MRAs, use of the NVLAP term and logo, FOIA requests, fraud and other legal issues. 

4.9.2 Office of International and Academic Affairs 

NVLAP staff cooperates with the Office of International and Academic Affairs (109) by meeting 

with foreign visitors and giving talks to various groups. 

4.10 NVLAP Partnerships with Other Government Agencies

Seven of NVLAP’s current testing and calibration programs directly support specific Federal 

agency programs. These programs include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

(asbestos); the Department of the Navy and the Federal Communications Commission 

(electromagnetic compatibility – EMC - and telecommunications requirements); the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission (dosimetry); Department of Housing and Urban Development (carpet 

and carpet cushion, and wood based products); and the Department of Energy (energy efficient 

lighting and motors, calibration). Appendix D contains detailed information on each of these 

programs. In addition, the chemical calibrations program (providers of proficiency testing) 

supports the privatization of the EPA’s Performance Evaluation Studies supporting the 

administration of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. NVLAP’s Information 

Technology Program supports the National Security Agency and the Common Criteria Mutual 

Recognition Agreement, which includes 14 governments as signatories, including the United 

States. 

5. Conclusions 

Because of its close working relationship with the NIST laboratories, NVLAP is widely 

recognized and respected as a technically sound and rigorous accreditation program. Most of 

NVLAP’s programs are developed in response to critical health, safety and environmental issues, 

as well as to support international trade activities. 

NIST laboratory personnel benefit from involvement in accreditation activities by having access 

to the commercial laboratories that use the measurement standards and SRM’s that they develop. 

This first-hand experience provides them with valuable feedback that can be utilized to better 

serve NIST’s customers, including recognition of industry needs that can trigger useful research. 

NIST technical units may also use NVLAP accreditation to leverage their limited resources. One 

example of this is the development of the accreditation program for Certifiers of 

Spectrophotometric NTRMs. The NIST Analytical Chemistry Division (ACD) provides 

technical oversight for the accreditation of laboratories to be Certifiers of NTRMs. By 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 18

recognizing NVLAP-accredited laboratories to certify the NTRMs, ACD frees up time to pursue 

other activities while still ensuring the accuracy of measurements. 

NVLAP has made its resources available to NIST groups that seek to implement quality systems 

in their laboratories. NVLAP staff experience with laboratory quality systems, particularly 

ISO/IEC 17025, is a valuable reservoir of knowledge that can be tapped by NIST laboratories. A 

NVLAP staff member participated in the development of the NIST Traceability Policy and is 

serving on the NIST Task Group investigating NIST-wide approaches for implementing as many 

of the requirements in ISO/IEC 17025 as practicable. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 19

Appendix A 

A.1 Overview of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 

NVLAP was established as a result of a 1970 conference held by the National Bureau of 

Standards (NBS), now NIST, to consider a proposal for a voluntary national testing laboratory 

accreditation program that would issue accreditations to provide national recognition to those 

laboratories found to be competent to make certain tests. NVLAP was officially established by 

the U.S. Department of Commerce by the publication of program procedures in the Federal 

Register on February 25, 1976, for inclusion under Title 15, Part 7, of the U. S. Code of Federal 

Regulations. 

NVLAP accreditation signifies that a laboratory has demonstrated that it operates in accordance 

with NVLAP’s management and technical requirements for accreditation. These include 

requirements in the areas of quality systems, personnel, accommodation and environmental 

conditions, test and calibration methods and method validation, equipment, measurement 

traceability, sampling, handling of test and calibration items, assuring the quality of test and 

calibration results, and reporting results. NVLAP accredits laboratories that serve the testing 

needs of product certification programs, but does not accredit certification programs since they 

generally include activities outside NVLAP’s scope, e.g., marketplace surveillance and product 

recalls. Through coordination and consultation, NVLAP also seeks to maximize benefits 

achievable from other laboratory accreditation activities, avoiding duplication of programs 

conducted by the public and private sectors. NVLAP accreditation does not imply any guarantee 

(certification) of laboratory performance or of the validity of test/calibration data; it is solely a 

finding of laboratory competence. 

NIST Handbook 150, Procedures and General Requirements, July 2001, sets forth the basic 

procedures under which NVLAP operates and the general accreditation requirements for testing 

and calibration laboratories. NVLAP operates an accreditation system that is compliant with 

ISO/IEC Guide 58, Calibration and testing laboratory accreditation systems: General 

requirements for operations and recognition, 1993. ISO/IEC Guide 58 requires that the 

competence of applicant laboratories be assessed by the accreditation body against all of the 

requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 25, General Requirements for the Competence of Calibration 

and Testing Laboratories. In 1999, ISO/IEC Guide 25 was replaced by ISO/IEC 17025, General 

Requirements for the Competence of Calibration and Testing Laboratories, which NVLAP now 

uses as the basis for its accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories. 

International standards-based accreditation programs, such as NVLAP, rely on a uniform 

approach to determining laboratory competence, promote mutual recognition among accrediting 

bodies, and support increased acceptance of exported goods in overseas markets. NVLAP is 

recognized internationally as a high quality accreditation body whose accreditations can be used 

to reduce trade barriers and facilitate trade. NVLAP has entered into mutual recognition 

arrangements with other laboratory accreditation bodies through the Asia Pacific Laboratory 

Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation 

(ILAC), and the National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA). These 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 20

arrangements provide NVLAP customers with readier acceptance of their calibration and test 

data, both domestically and in those foreign economies where laboratory accreditors are also 

signatories. 

Laboratory accreditation is further supported through the mutual recognition arrangement 

(MRA) among national metrology institutes under the Comité International des Poids et Mesures 

(CIPM), in which NIST is an active participant. As stated in the CIPM MRA: This arrangement 

provides for the mutual recognition of national measurement standards and of calibration and 

measurement certificates issued by national metrology institutes, and is founded on the efforts of 

each national metrology institute to base its measurements and measurement uncertainties on SI 

units. 

Laboratory accreditation MRAs and the CIPM MRA are complementary functions, which are 

intended to contribute to reducing barriers to trade. The CIPM arrangement ensures that 

signatory NMIs disseminate measurement results that are traceable to the SI (International 

System of Units) while laboratory accreditation assures that accredited laboratories are capable 

and competent to provide measurement results traceable to standards maintained by those NMIs. 

Hence, the concept, One test, one calibration, sell anywhere can be realized. 

A.1.1 Development of the NVLAP Testing and Calibrations Program 

Since 1929, NBS/NIST has participated with Federal and State agencies and private interests in 

developing evaluation criteria for testing laboratories and in providing on-site examinations, 

proficiency test samples, calibrated standards and reference materials. In 1969, the American 

Society for Testing and Materials (now known as ASTM International) requested that NIST 

participate with ASTM and other interests in establishing a testing laboratory examination 

service to cover a broad range of product areas when and as needed. Also that year, the National 

Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) asked NBS to develop 

evaluation criteria and examination methodology for determining the capability of agencies that 

test and certify mobile homes. The ASTM proposal for a Technical Inspection Service led to an 

NBS study and development of a program for publicly recognizing qualified testing laboratories. 

As noted above, the NVLAP Procedures and General Requirements were subsequently published 

in the Code of Federal Regulations in 1976. 

In June of 1991, the National Conference of Standards Laboratories (NCSL), now known as 

NCSL International, filed a request that NIST, under the NVLAP procedures, develop and 

administer a laboratory accreditation program for calibration laboratories. As a result of that 

request and subsequent public notice process, on May 18, 1992, the Director of NIST published 

in the Federal Register a notice of intent to develop the Calibrations Laboratories Accreditation 

Program under the procedures of NVLAP. 

Work on this program began on September 18, 1992. A public workshop, attended by a mix of 

private sector and government personnel, was held at NIST Gaithersburg to review a draft 

program handbook on DC Voltage Calibration. The draft handbook included general 

requirements, as well as very specific technical requirements for DC Voltage calibrations at all 

levels. On May 18, 1993, a public workshop on a revised draft program handbook was held at 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 21

NIST Boulder and was attended by more than sixty industry and government representatives. As 

a result of these workshops, and responses to a survey/checklist mailing, the draft handbook was 

again revised and included in NIST Handbook 150: Procedures and General Requirements

(using ISO/IEC Guide 25 as a basis). The final version was published in March 1994. 

Concurrently, a public workshop was held to review the Technical Guide, which was under 

development. Public comments to the Technical Guide were reviewed and revisions made, 

resulting in a companion draft NIST Handbook 150-2: Calibration Laboratories Technical 

Guide containing detailed technical information for each field of calibration. This Guide is not 

considered a requirements document, but rather a book of good laboratory practices and is a 

living document, to be updated and revised as needed. 

On May 11, 1994, as a result of the efforts of NVLAP and many other NIST participants, a 

Federal Register notice announced the commencement of the Calibration Laboratories 

Accreditation Program in accordance with the intent of the original request. 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 22

Appendix B 

Calibration Parameters (FIELD/Parameter) 

DIMENSIONAL 

D01 - Angular 

D02 - API Ring Gages 

D03 - Gage Blocks 

D04 - Laser Frequency/Wavelength 

D05 - Length & Diameter; Step Gages 

D06 - Line Standards 

D07 - Measuring Wires 

D08 - Optical Reference Planes 

D09 - Roundness 

D10 - Sieves 

D11 - Spherical Diameter; Plug/Ring Gages 

D12 - Surface Texture 

D13 - Surveying Rods & Tapes 

D14 - Threaded Plug & Ring Gages 

D15 - Two Dimensional Gages 

D16 - Coordinate Measuring Machines 

D17 - Film Thickness Standards 

D18 - Gears 

DC/LOW FREQUENCY 

E01 - Voltage/Current Converter (to 1 Mhz) 

E02 - AC Resistors 

E03 - Capacitance Dividers 

E04 - Current Transformers 

E05 - DC Resistance 

E06 - DC Voltage 

E07 - High Voltage Resistors 

E08 - Inductive Dividers 

E09 - LF AC Voltage 

E10 - LF Capacitance 

E11 - LF Inductance 

E12 - LF Power/Energy 

E13 - Magnetics 

E14 - Mixed Dividers 

E15 - Phase Meters 

E16 - Power-Frequency Capacitors 

E17 - Pulse Waveform 

E18 - Resistance Dividers 

E19 - Voltage Transformers 

RF/MICROWAVE 

R01 - Coaxial Air Line Standards 

R02 - Coaxial/Waveguide Terminations 

R03 - Dielectric Materials 

R04 - Electromagnetic Field Strength 

R05 - HF Capacitance 

R06 - HF Inductance 

R07 - High Frequency Resistors 

R08 - Microwave Antenna Parameters 

R09 - Noise Temperature 

R10 - Q-Standards 

R11 - RF-DC Voltage/Current Converter 

R12 - RF/Microwave Bolometer Units 

R13 - RF/Microwave Attenuators 

R14 - RF/Microwave Phase Shifters 

R15 - VHF Omnidirectional Range 

R16 - Group Delay 

R17 - RF/Microwave Power Meters 

IONIZING RADIATION 

I01 - Dosimetry of X Rays, Gamma Rays & Electrons 

I02 - High-Dose Dosimetry 

I03 - Neutron Sources and Dosimeters 

I04 - Radioactive Sources 

MECHANICAL 

M01 - Acoustic 

M02 - Acoustic Emission Transducers 

M03 - Airspeed 

M04 - Cryogenic Flow 

M05 - Flow Rate 

M06 - Force 

M07 - Hydrometers 

M08 - Mass 

M09 - Ultrasonic Reference Block 

M10 - Ultrasonic Transducer 

M11 - Vibration 

M12 - Volume and Density 

M13 - Hardness 

OPTICAL RADIATION 

O01 - Laser Power Energy 

O02 - Photometric 

O03 - Radiometric 

O04 - Spectrophotometric 

O05 - UV Radiometric - Standard Detectors 

O06 - UV Radiometric - Standard Sources 

THERMODYNAMIC 

T01 - Heat Flux Gages 

T02 - Humidity 

T03 - Laboratory Thermometers 

T04 - Leak Artifacts 

T05 - Pressure 

T06 - Radiation Thermometry 

T07 - Resistance Thermometry 

T08 - Thermocouples & Pyrometer Indicators 

T09 - Vacuum & Low Pressure Gages 

T10 - Vacuum & Low Pressure Transducers 

TIME & FREQUENCY 

F01 - Frequency Dissemination 

F02 - Time Dissemination 

F03 - Oscillator Characterization
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 23

Appendix C 

Calibration Parameters (FIELD Parameter) #accredited/# applicants 

DIMENSIONAL 21/8

D01 - Angular 3 

D02 - API Ring Gages 

D03 - Gage Blocks 11/2

D04 - Laser Frequency/Wavelength 1 

D05 - Length & Diameter; Step Gages 9/3

D06 - Line Standards 1 

D07 - Measuring Wires 3 

D08 - Optical Reference Planes 1 

D09 - Roundness 2/1 

D10 - Sieves 

D11 - Spherical Dia.; Plug/Ring Gages 5/2 

D12 - Surface Texture 4/1 

D13 - Surveying Rods & Tapes 5/4

D14 - Threaded Plug & Ring Gages 5 

D15 - Two Dimensional Gages 3 

D16 - Coordinate Measuring Machines 1 

D17 - Film Thickness Standards 1 

D18 - Gears 1 

DC/LOW FREQUENCY 13/4

E01 - Voltage/Current Conv. (to 1 Mhz) 2/1

E02 - AC Resistors 4/2

E03 - Capacitance Dividers 1/1

E04 - Current Transformers 0/2

E05 - DC Resistance 11/3

E06 - DC Voltage 11/4

E07 - High Voltage Resistors 0/1

E08 - Inductive Dividers 1/1

E09 - LF AC Voltage 4/3

E10 - LF Capacitance 4/2

E11 - LF Inductance 1/1

E12 - LF Power/Energy 1/1

E13 - Magnetics 

E14 - Mixed Dividers 

E15 - Phase Meters 3/2

E16 - Power-Frequency Capacitors 0/1

E17 - Pulse Waveform 1/1

E18 - Resistance Dividers 1/1

E19 - Voltage Transformers 0/2 

RF/MICROWAVE 5/1

R01 - Coaxial Air Line Standards 1 

R02 - Coaxial/Waveguide Terminations 1 

R03 - Dielectric Materials 

R04 - Electromagnetic Field Strength 

R05 - HF Capacitance 1 

R06 - HF Inductance 1 

R07 - High Frequency Resistors 

R08 - Microwave Antenna Parameters 2/1

R09 - Noise Temperature 

R10 - Q-Standards 1 

R11 - RF-DC Voltage/Current Converter 1 

R12 - RF/Microwave Bolometer Units 2 

R13 - RF/Microwave Attenuators 3 

R14 - RF/Microwave Phase Shifters 

R15 - VHF Omnidirectional Range 

R16 - Group Delay 1 

R17 - RF/Microwave Power Meters 3 

IONIZING RADIATION 7/1 

I01 - Dosimetry of X Rays, Gamma Rays 

& Electrons 4/1

I02 - High-Dose Dosimetry 2 

I03 - Neutron Sources and Dosimeters 

I04 - Radioactive Sources 1 

MECHANICAL 29/17

M01 - Acoustic 

M02 - Acoustic Emission Transducers 

M03 - Airspeed 

M04 - Cryogenic Flow 

M05 - Flow Rate 2/2

M06 - Force 13/4

M07 - Hydrometers 

M08 – Mass 20/10

M09 - Ultrasonic Reference Block 

M10 - Ultrasonic Transducer 

M11 - Vibration 1 

M12 - Volume and Density 9/8

M13 - Hardness 5/2

OPTICAL RADIATION 3 

O01 - Laser Power Energy 

O02 - Photometric 3 

O03 - Radiometric 

O04 - Spectrophotometric 

O05 - UV Radiometric - Standard Detectors 

O06 - UV Radiometric - Standard Sources 

THERMODYNAMIC 15/9

T01 - Heat Flux Gages 

T02 - Humidity 0/2

T03 - Laboratory Thermometers 4/6

T04 - Leak Artifacts 1/1 

T05 - Pressure 5/4

T06 - Radiation Thermometry 

T07 - Resistance Thermometry 8/6

T08 - TCs & Pyrometer Indicators 6/3

T09 - Vacuum & Low Pressure Gages 0/3

T10 - Vacuum & Low Pressure Trans. 1/1

TIME & FREQUENCY 14/4 

F01 - Frequency Dissemination 12/3

F02 - Time Dissemination 4/3

F03 – Oscillator Characterization 4/1 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 24

Appendix D 

D.1 NVLAP Partnerships with Other Government Agencies and the Private 

Sector 

The following information regarding NVLAP programs supported by other agency partnerships 

is presented to complete the listing of available NVLAP accreditations and to provide NIST 

laboratories with information that may assist them in developing new partnerships with NVLAP. 

D.1.1 Department of Energy 

NVLAP programs support implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, as well as the 

Energy Star Program, operated jointly by DOE and EPA. Like NVLAP’s Energy Efficient 

Lighting Products Program, NVLAP’s Efficiency of Electric Motors (EEM) Program was 

developed at the request of the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA). NEMA 

requested the establishment of this program to assist the electric motor industry to comply with 

Energy Policy Act (EPACT) provisions for electric motors. NVLAP coordinated the 

development of the EEM program with NEMA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). 

Public Law 102-487, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT), required that the Department of 

Energy specify energy efficient standards for certain types of electric motors rated from 1 to 200 

horsepower. The law stipulates that the testing of motor efficiency be conducted according to 

the procedures in Method B of IEEE Standard 112, as in effect on the date of the enactment of 

EPACT. DOE set forth these requirements in their motor efficiency rule, which was codified 

under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 431. There are currently 16 accredited 

laboratories participating in the NVLAP EEM program. 

The purpose of the EEM program is to accredit testing laboratories to ensure that standard test 

procedures for efficiency are followed in testing electric motors. Specifically, the EEM program 

addresses testing the efficiency of electric motors according to the scope and procedures given in 

Method B of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 112, Test 

Procedure for Polyphase Induction Motors and Generators, and Method 1 of the Canadian 

Standards Association (CSA) Standard C390 Energy Efficient Test Methods of Three-Phase 

Induction Motors. Standard 112 indicates that polyphase motors larger than 250 horsepower 

may be tested by Method B. Consequently, laboratories that test motors greater than 250 

horsepower can also request accreditation in this program. The two standards, IEEE 112 and 

CSA C390, are considered equivalent because the subtest procedures producing the data on 

which efficiency is calculated are, for all intents and purposes, the same. However, because of 

DOE requirements, some of the EEM program requirements, particularly those associated with 

the accuracy of instrumentation, are somewhat more stringent than those given in IEEE 112 

(CSA C390). 

As noted earlier, NVLAP's Energy Efficient Lighting Products Program was also developed in 

response to the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 1992. The Act directed DOE to prescribe test 

procedures that must be carried out by accredited test laboratories conducting energy efficiency 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 25

tests on fluorescent and incandescent lamps. DOE defines an accredited laboratory as one that 

meets the standards and requirements of NVLAP. 

In addition, the Energy Star Program, a voluntary program sponsored by DOE and EPA, requires 

that each compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) model be tested by a NVLAP-accredited laboratory to 

determine that the lamp meets the Energy Star energy efficiency criteria. After successful 

testing, a CFL manufacturer may submit the necessary documentation for verification that the 

product meets the Energy Star specification. There are currently 15 accredited laboratories 

participating in the NVLAP lighting program. 

DOE’s Nuclear Weapons Program accepts calibration and test results from laboratories 

accredited by recognized accreditation bodies, including NVLAP. Laboratories that meet the 

accreditation requirements provide evidence to DOE that they are capable of providing the 

necessary services as well as traceability to national standards. This policy has eliminated the 

need for users of those laboratories to audit their suppliers, which has greatly reduced the audit 

activity within the DOE community. 

D.1.2 Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognizes laboratories accredited under 

NVLAP’s Electromagnetic Compatibility and Telecommunications Program (ECT) for FCC Part 

15 - digital devices and FCC Part 68 – analog and digital, terminal equipment test methods. The 

ECT Program was originally established in response to a request from private sector testing 

laboratories. Accreditation is now required by the FCC. The test methods covered by the ECT 

Program are divided into categories of: emissions, immunity, radio, safety, MIL-STD-462, and 

telecommunications testing. 

NVLAP accreditation to the FCC Part 15 test methods meets the FCC requirements under their 

Declaration of Conformity (DoC) rules for testing laboratories. This ruling allows manufacturers 

who have their products tested by NVLAP-accredited laboratories to claim FCC compliance for 

their products without having to apply for FCC approval. The FCC Part 68 test method has 

merged with the Canadian CS-03 test method, which allows NVLAP to provide accreditation 

that satisfies both U.S. and Canadian requirements. 

NVLAP worked with the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), the American 

Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), private sector testing laboratories and the 

FCC to develop a more flexible electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) accreditation checklist 

used to accommodate an expanding scope of accreditation. This allows NVLAP to respond 

more quickly to customers’ needs to add test methods to their scopes of accreditation, 

particularly to meet foreign government requirements. The use of the checklist by both NVLAP 

and A2LA also helps ensure uniformity within the accreditation community in the United States. 

NVLAP also worked with the Department of the Navy and its contractors to develop a program 

for MIL-STD-462 electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) accreditation. NVLAP has continued to 

partner with the Navy to expand this accreditation to include MIL-STD-461E. The Navy, in 
NVLAP Partnerships with NIST Technical Units 26

contracts with their testing laboratories, requires NVLAP accreditation. There are currently 187 

laboratories accredited in the NVLAP ECT program. 

9.1.3 Department of Housing and Urban Development 

NVLAP’s Wood Based Products Program was developed in response to a request made in 1992 

by the American Plywood Association, and subsequently supported by the National 

Particleboard Association and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 

letters requesting the development of the program indicated the importance of international 

acceptance and reciprocity in laboratory accreditation to promote international trade. The 

program provides for laboratory accreditation to assure that standard test procedures for 

chemical, physical, mechanical, fire performance, formaldehyde, and treated-wood 

characteristics are followed when testing wood based products. The standard test methods used 

for the program are from the American Institute of Timber Construction, American National 

Standards Institute, American Plywood Association, American Society for Testing and 

Materials, American Wood Preservers’ Association, Canadian Standards Association, European 

Committee for Standardization, Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association, NIST and the 

National Particleboard Association. There are currently four accredited laboratories in the 

NVLAP Wood Based Products program.