VISITING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

National Institute of Standards and Technology

2020 Annual Report

Visiting Committee on Advanced 

Technology

of the

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

March 2021
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Preface

The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT or the Committee) of the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST or the Institute) was established in its present form by the Omnibus 

Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and updated by the America COMPETES Act in 2007 and the 

American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017. The VCAT is a Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) committee and its charter includes reviewing and making recommendations regarding general 

policy for NIST, its organization, budget, and programs within the framework of applicable national 

policies as set forth by the president and the Congress. This 2020 annual report covers the period from 

March 2020 through February 2021. 

The Committee reviews the Institute’s strategic direction, performance and policies, and provides the 

Secretary of Commerce, Congress, and other stakeholders with information on the value and relevance 

of NIST’s programs to the U.S. science and technology base and to the economy. At the first meeting of 

each year, the Director of NIST proposes areas of focus to the Committee and agreement is reached on a 

program for the year. Over the past year, the Committee has been active in assessing NIST’s 

contributions to and progress in the following areas: 

⮚ NIST Role in the Innovation Ecosystem 

o NIST Efforts to Advance Emerging Technologies

o NIST Support for U.S. Manufacturers

o NIST Efforts to Enhance U.S. Technology Transfer

o Evolving Strategic Context and Emerging Challenges 

⮚ NIST Efforts to Respond to COVID-19 

⮚ NIST Strategic Planning

⮚ NIST Facilities and Infrastructure

The Committee reviews a significant portion of NIST programs through direct discussion with NIST 

leaders, scientists, and engineers. Reactions and observations of the Committee members are 

presented candidly to the NIST senior management and other attendees at each meeting. This feedback 

encourages continuous improvement in key areas in the overall operation. The Committee also visits 

various NIST laboratories and satellite facilities to discuss research projects directly with the technical 

staff. These laboratory tours help the Committee to assess the impact of NIST research, progress 

towards achieving research goals, the quality of the staff, institutional culture – especially related to 

safety and security – and the efficacy of the facility infrastructure. 

Under the Committee charter, the Director of NIST appoints the VCAT members. Members are selected 

on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance. 

Members are selected solely on the basis of established records of distinguished service; provide 

representation of a cross-section of traditional and emerging U.S. industries; and are eminent in fields 

such as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management 
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consulting, environment, and international relations. No employee of the Federal Government can 

serve as a member of the Committee. Members are appointed for staggered three-year terms.

During this reporting period, three VCAT members completed their two consecutive three-year terms: Dr. 

Rodney Brooks (Robust AI), Mr. Michael Garvey (M-7 Technologies), and Ms. Hemma Prafullchandra 

(Microsoft).

This report highlights the Committee’s observations, findings and recommendations. Detailed meeting 

minutes and presentation materials are available on the NIST web site at www.nist.gov/director/vcat. 
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VCAT Members during the Period Covered by this Report

Dr. Allen Adler, Chair

HRL Laboratories, LLC

Term: January 25, 2016 – January 24, 2022

Ms. Katharine Ku, Vice Chair

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati

Term: May 22, 2018 – May 21, 2021

Mr. Jay Alexander

Keysight Technologies

Term: May 22, 2018 – May 21, 2021

Dr. Eric Kaler

University of Minnesota

Term: December 21, 2018 – December 20, 2021

Dr. Rodney Brooks

Robust AI

Term: June 1, 2014 – May 31, 2020

Dr. Mehmood Khan

PEPSICO

Term: November 13, 2018 – November 12, 2021

Dr. Vinton G. Cerf

Google

Term: December 21, 2018 – December 20, 2021

Ms. Hemma Prafullchandra

Microsoft 

Term: October 27, 2014 – October 26, 2020

Mr. George Fischer

Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Term: May 22, 2018 – May 21, 2021

Dr. Theodore Sizer

Nokia Bell Labs

Term: August 28, 2015 – August 27, 2021

Mr. Michael Garvey

M-7 Technologies

Term: January 23, 2015 – January 22, 2021

Mr. David Vasko

Rockwell Automation

Term: February 2, 2017 – February 1, 2023

Dr. Waguih Ishak

Corning Incorporated

Term: January 25, 2016 – January 24, 2022

Dr. Gail Folena-Wasserman

AstraZeneca

Term: January 30, 2017 – January 29, 2023

Dr. Dana (Keoki) Jackson

Lockheed Martin

Term: May 22, 2018 – May 21, 2021
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Table of Contents

Contents

Preface 2

Table of Contents 3

Executive Summary 1

1. VCAT Focus in 2020 2

2. NIST Role in the Innovation Ecosystem 2

2a. NIST Efforts to Advance Emerging Technologies 2

2b. NIST Support for U.S. Manufacturers 5

2c. NIST Efforts to Enhance Technology Transfer 7

2d. Evolving Strategic Context and Emerging Challenges 7

3. NIST Efforts to Respond to COVID-19 9

4. NIST Strategic Planning 11

5. NIST Facilities and Infrastructure 12

6. NIST Budget (FY 2021 Enacted) 14

FY 2021 Enacted Budget 14
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Executive Summary

The VCAT appreciates the forthright and candid nature with which the NIST staff have engaged over the 

past year. NIST is playing a critical role in furthering national goals around the development and 

deployment of critical emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum science, and 

advanced communications. NIST programs focused on manufacturing including the Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership, Manufacturing USA, and the research efforts of the NIST laboratories will be 

critical in supporting the post pandemic economic recovery. NIST has responded magnificently to the 

challenges posed by COVID-19 in the steps they have taken to protect their staff while continuing 

essential research, and in the way that the NIST community has rallied together to focus skills, 

resources, and capabilities to help combat the pandemic. NIST strategic planning efforts have provided 

the agency with a framework to drive important cultural change around issues like diversity and 

inclusion, collaboration, and leadership, while also ensuring that NIST is well positioned to meet the 

needs of its stakeholders. Despite so many positive contributions across such a broad portfolio of 

activities, NIST remains under resourced. Perhaps nowhere is this more painfully obvious than in the 

status of NIST’s facilities where NIST currently has a deferred maintenance backlog of over $800 million. 

Without sustained and stable investment, NIST faces an increased probability, which will approach near 

certainty, of catastrophic infrastructure failure which will escalate overall operational costs, decrease 

efficiency and lower productivity of the research laboratories, and could endanger the health and life 

safety of the NIST staff. The report provides further details of our deliberations and recommendations 

for NIST. The VCAT believes that the following issues deserve priority attention:

● NIST must be adequately resourced to meet the growing list of challenges that NIST is called 

upon to address—from supply chain security to advancing quantum science and trustworthy AI 

to strengthening U.S. engagement in international standards.

● The Manufacturing USA program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program should 

be sufficiently resource in order to play a significant role in strengthening the overall 

competitive posture of the U.S. and will certainly help accelerate post-pandemic economic 

recovery. Significant new investment in the NIST facilities must be part of any scientific research 

and development infrastructure initiative for the US to effectively compete with China and other 

global competitors the U.S. must have a vibrant infrastructure to support scientific research and 

development. 

● NIST has made impressive strides in its strategic planning, leadership and the new leadership 

should continue ongoing efforts to strengthen NIST branding and external communications, 

along with its efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across the NIST workforce. 
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1. VCAT Focus in 2020

With the COVID-19 Pandemic raging across the world, 2020 was a unique year for the VCAT. Despite 

being forced to meet throughout the year virtually, the VCAT had very productive interactions with NIST 

leadership and scientists. In 2020, the VCAT focused their efforts on four major items: 

● NIST’s role in the innovation ecosystem (including NIST efforts to advance emerging 

technologies, support advanced manufacturing, and strengthen technology transfer); 

● NIST’s response to COVID-19; 

● NIST efforts in strategic planning; 

● Ongoing efforts to strengthen NIST infrastructure. 

Additionally, the VCAT was briefed on the NIST Budget Outlook. The VCAT received detailed 

programmatic briefings in all these areas and met with key policy makers. This 2020 Annual report 

summarizes the VCAT’s work, observations, and recommendations related to these topics. 

2. NIST Role in the Innovation Ecosystem 

NIST is playing an important role to enhance overall U.S. innovation and competitiveness. In 2020 the 

VCAT continued to focus on NIST’s role in advancing important emerging technologies such as quantum 

science, artificial intelligence, and advanced communications. The VCAT reviewed NIST progress and 

programmatic plans, including important external partnerships, such as Centers of Excellence, Joint 

Institutes, consortia, and grant programs to name a few. In addition, the VCAT was updated on NIST’s 

continuing efforts to advance and support work in advanced manufacturing as well as priorities and 

plans for Manufacturing USA and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. The VCAT 

also continued to track NIST efforts to strengthen and reform the policies governing technology transfer 

in the U.S., including ongoing efforts towards the implementation of the NIST Return on Investment 

Initiative (ROI), and plans to streamline the commercialization of NIST-developed technologies. As 2020 

has been a year of significant change, the VCAT also explored the evolving strategic context in which 

NIST operates and the challenges it must be prepared to address over the next several years. The work 

of the VCAT on these issues is summarized below.

2a. NIST Efforts to Advance Emerging Technologies

NIST directly impacts the competitiveness of U.S. industry through fundamental research breakthroughs 

in emerging areas like quantum science and artificial intelligence (AI) that accelerate the development 

and adoption of multiple “bleeding edge” technologies. These technologies transform our economy by 

delivering both economic and national security advantages to the U.S. Throughout the year the VCAT 

reviewed NIST plans and received updates on progress and achievements in the strategic focus areas of 

quantum information science, AI, engineering biology, the internet of things (IoT), as well as advanced 

communication. 
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Figure 1. Four NIST Strategic Focus Areas highlighted in the President's FY 2021 Budget Request

The VCAT supports NIST’s continued focus in these areas that are essential to support broader U.S. 

efforts to maintain a competitive advantage in high-value sectors. The NIST programs are oriented to 

ensure that researchers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders have the measurement and standards 

tools they need to drive discoveries and to facilitate the deployment, adoption, and interoperability of 

technologies. Over the past year NIST has made several significant accomplishments towards these 

efforts as described below.

VCAT is pleased to see the continued progress with the Quantum Economic Development Consortium 

(QED-C). The QED-C has been a tremendous success, bringing together nearly 200 potential members, 

strengthening ties between NIST and the public and private sectors. The consortium is beginning to 

provide a coordinated voice for industry to inform and guide R&D (research and development) 

investment priorities, standards and regulation, as well as workforce education and development. The 

coordination around voluntary consensus standards was especially important with increased efforts in 

the International Telecommunication Union and other international standards bodies. NIST will be 

looking to franchise the QED-C model with global partners in the future. 

With a significant concentration of world-leading talent in quantum science, especially in the area of 

metrology, NIST continues to produce an impressive array of research outputs, paving the way for new 

quantum tool development. One of the examples is NIST’s work in combining several precision 

measurement capabilities into one tool that can make three different atom-scale measurements 

simultaneously. Together, these measurements can uncover new insights about a wide range of special 

materials that are crucial for developing the next generation of quantum computers, communications, 

and a host of other applications. While these individual investigators’ achievements are important and 

should be encouraged, the VCAT urges NIST to continue to strengthen and expand focused and 

coordinated outcome-oriented efforts associated with its quantum network grand challenge. NIST has a 

unique concentration of resources and talent to develop a simplified quantum network as a proof-ofprinciple. A breakthrough in quantum networking would be a significant contribution to the broader 
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national effort by helping the research community to identify and understand potential bottlenecks. An 

example of NIST’s work in this area is the planned effort to demonstrate a compact scalable quantum 

repeater.

The VCAT was also pleased to see the progress that NIST has made in its efforts focused on AI. A major 

element of NIST’s efforts in AI are aimed at defining and developing the key concepts of trustworthy AI. 

Over the past year NIST launched a series of workshops to gather input from the AI community about 

the technical requirements needed to cultivate trust in AI: how to ensure that AI systems are accurate 

and reliable, safe and secure, explainable, and free from bias. Several important draft documents on 

these topics were issued by the Information Technology Laboratory during 2020 and the VCAT looks 

forward to future briefings from NIST on the results of these AI efforts.

NIST has also made significant advances in the application of AI across all its programs where scientists 

are applying AI and machine learning to a range of technology areas – from collaborative robotics to 

biometric identification. One AI-focused activity in the Materials Measurement Laboratory is targeting 

advanced materials discovery under the acronym JARVIS (joint automated repository for integrated 

simulations). AI work in the Communications Technology Laboratory is focused on 5G and advanced 

communication through the Synthetic Aperture Measurements of Uncertainty in Angle of Incidence 

(SAMURAI) system that uses AI to support antenna optimization frequency sharing, a capability needed 

to meet the capacity demands of interconnected 5G Internet of Things devices. These are some of the 

prime examples of how the incorporation and application of AI into NIST mission delivery can have a 

significant impact on technology communities.

In addition to these efforts NIST has also made significant headway against the priorities and plans they 

have set in the areas of IoT, advanced communications, engineering biology, cybersecurity, and 

resilience. For example, in the area of cybersecurity, the NIST Security and Privacy Frameworks are 

foundational in developing cost-effective IT hygiene programs that reduce vulnerabilities and available 

surface area targeted for attack by bad actors. The frameworks support execution and transparency 

actions for security governance and emerging privacy considerations. These frameworks are critical 

tools for those working to protect modern network connected platforms that service consumers, 

patients, students, employees, and supply chains. An additional example in the area of advanced 

communications NIST has developed the NIST 5G Spectrum Sharing Test Bed that is enabling testing of

the impact of spectrum sharing on communications and RF (radio frequency) remote sensing in adjacent 

bands. To support the spectrum sharing needs of government, NIST continues to lead the National 

Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN), a multi-agency-chartered partnership 

that includes Department of Defense (DOD), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), 

the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and academic partners, with 

the goal to provide validated data and models to guide key spectrum sharing decisions affecting our 

Federal partners. 

NIST has continued to generate an impressive list of outputs and accomplishments, even during this 

difficult and tumultuous year, but the VCAT is concerned that NIST’s programs are stretched too thin. 

Science and technology continue to evolve rapidly and bring transformational capabilities that cut across 

the entire economy, including in manufacturing processes, transportation systems, critical 

infrastructure, and healthcare. For these advances to have a positive impact on the U.S. economy and 

improve the quality of life requires the ability to address significant measurement and standards 
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challenges in areas like interoperability, security, usability, performance, and resiliency. Despite the real 

need for expanded NIST capabilities, and the increasingly competitive global S&T (Science & Technology) 

environment in which the U.S. resides, NIST has faced four years of stagnant budgets. The VCAT 

commends NIST for its efforts to prioritize and focus its investments in the areas most critical to U.S. 

competitiveness, as well as its efforts to leverage its capabilities and resources and to expand the impact 

of its research programs by partnering with both the public and private sector. However, without 

sustained increases in resources it will be extremely difficult for NIST to continue to compete for the 

necessary staff, support a modern research infrastructure, and build the research depth necessary for 

sustained impact. The VCAT looks forward to working with the incoming leadership of the Department 

to shape a proactive approach for NIST to address the S&T priorities of the nation. 

2b. NIST Support for U.S. Manufacturers

NIST has a unique role in the U.S. innovation ecosystem with its role and mission to provide support 

targeted at strengthening manufacturing. NIST has been a strong partner of the manufacturing sector 

for over 100 years. The NIST portfolio of programs spans fundamental and applied research as well as 

programs designed to help U.S. industry develop and implement new technology, develop robust supply 

chains, and refine their systems for efficiency and effectiveness, all while making them more 

competitive in the global economy.

● The NIST laboratory programs currently (as of FY 2020) invest $147.9 million annually in support 

of advanced manufacturing, ranging from work on materials design and discovery to the use of 

collaborative robots in factories, to biomanufacturing and standards for data exchange and 

processing manufacturing information. The manufacturing industry uses NIST test methods, 

measurement tools and know-how, and scientific data, every day. NIST and its scientists also 

actively participate in industry-led standards activities ASTM (American Society for Testing and 

Materials), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), IEC (International 

Electrotechnical Commission), etc.) and consortia. NIST traceable standards can be found in all 

aspects of manufacturing.

● The Manufacturing USA network is coordinated by the interagency Advanced Manufacturing 

National Program Office (AMNPO), hosted at NIST and staffed by representatives from federal 

agencies with manufacturing-related missions (i.e.; NIST, the Departments of Defense, 

Department of Energy, NASA, and NSF) as well as fellows from manufacturing companies and 

universities. Manufacturing USA is a network of 16 manufacturing innovation institutes located 

across the country where companies, universities, community colleges, and entrepreneurs 

develop new manufacturing technologies with broad applications. The Federal government’s 

commitment of over $1 billion to the sixteen institutes has been matched by over $2 billion in 

non-Federal resources from across industry, academia, and state governments, demonstrating 

the remarkable catalyzing effect of matching funds. State governments contributed more than 

$400 million — underscoring the importance of advanced manufacturing to the future 

success of state and local economies. Manufacturing USA education and workforce training 

programs have reached nearly 200,000 individuals and include programs focused on training 

veterans in advanced manufacturing skills. 

● The MEP program is a federal-state-industry partnership that consists of centers located across 

the country. MEP works directly with their local manufacturing communities to strengthen the 

competitiveness of our nation’s domestic manufacturing base. NIST MEP provides technical 

assistance in adopting advanced manufacturing technologies, addressing emerging 
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manufacturing needs, and understanding foreign manufacturing and compliance issues. The 

centers provide guidance on cybersecurity of supply chains and transferring technology from 

NIST labs and other federal research organizations. Since its creation, MEP has worked with 

94,033 manufacturers, leading to $111.3 billion in sales and $18.8 billion in cost savings, and 

has helped create and retain 985,317 jobs. As a result of MEP services, in FY 2019 

manufacturers reported $15.7 billion in new and retained sales, $4.5 billion in new investments, 

$1.5 billion in cost savings and 114,650 jobs created or retained in FY 2019. A recent study 

found that the $140 million invested in MEP by the federal government had a nearly 13.4:1 

return on investment.

In 2020 the VCAT was pleased to see NIST bring on Ms. Mojdeh Bahar as the Associate Director to lead 

the NIST Innovation and Industry Services (ADIIS) Programs. The VCAT is highly supportive of her efforts 

to strengthen the synergies between the programs in her directorate (MEP, Manufacturing USA, 

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, and the Technology Partnerships Office). These programs 

help NIST build communities around technological innovations, manufacturing, and performance 

excellence through key public-private partnerships. The VCAT looks forward to reviewing progress in 

future years on how these efforts have helped programs to collectively expand their reach, identify new 

external partners, and improve the dissemination of these NIST program impacts.

The VCAT was pleased to see the changes in the legislation for the Manufacturing USA Program that 

were passed as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. Specifically, the legislation:

● Provides NIST the ability to renew federal funding for any manufacturing institute meeting 

performance standards;

● Emphasizes the importance of education and workforce development; 

● Provides authority for pilot programs and public service grants in support of any institute;

● Encourages the establishment of new advanced manufacturing institutes; and

● Creates a new mechanism facilitating private companies or nonprofits to join the Manufacturing 

USA network.

These changes to authority, when matched with appropriations, will give the Manufacturing USA 

program the necessary flexibility to strengthen the environment for U.S. manufacturing.

The VCAT was also encouraged to see what steps MEP was taking to strengthen its connectivity to the 

other ADIIS programs and the NIST Labs. MEP’s efforts to expand collaboration with the Manufacturing 

USA institutes are focused on the programs targeting manufacturing 4.0. NIST MEP is providing funding 

of up to $1 million to various MEP Centers to implement build capabilities to deliver new services to 

manufacturers. For example, Florida MEP (FloridaMakes) will develop and implement a new, 

manufacturing-specific assessment tool incorporating Industry 4.0 principles within the Baldrige 

framework. Through these assessments, used as standalones or through regional, state, and/or national 

award processes, companies will be able to benchmark themselves against the criteria, and/or against 

each other, and understand pathways to improve their competitiveness and technological performance. 

To deepen the connection between MEP and the NIST laboratories, MEP launched the MEP-Assisted 

Technology and Technical Resource program designed to facilitate MEP client access to expertise and 

technical resources in the NIST laboratories. The effort is in its early stages; over 50 engagements 

occurred over the past year.
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The pandemic exposed the fragility of U.S. manufacturing with significant disturbances to operations, 

disruptions in supply chains for critical components, and increased costs of production. Programs at 

NIST, like MEP and Manufacturing USA will be critical in supporting a robust U.S. recovery. In turn, the 

research efforts in the labs will help in the rapid development and deployment of technological 

solutions, such as exposure notification tracking applications, that can help mitigate the impact of future 

pandemics. The VCAT looks forward to working closely with the NIST leadership and the Biden 

Administration to realize the full potential of NIST to support advanced manufacturing and further U.S. 

economic recovery. 

2c. NIST Efforts to Enhance Technology Transfer

The VCAT has been closely engaged with NIST efforts to strengthen and streamline the transfer and 

commercialization of technology, developed as a result of Federal R&D, since NIST launched its ROI 

initiative in 2018. NIST has made significant strides in advancing this effort over the past 2 years. NIST 

provided the results of this nationwide effort in 15 key findings in a final version of the NIST “green 

paper” on maximizing U.S. innovation from government-funded research. This effort directly supported 

the President’s Management Agenda and its Lab-to-Market Cross Agency Priority goal. The green paper 

findings led to community-informed legislative and regulatory proposals to modernize the StevensonWydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 and a proposed regulatory update of the Bayh-Dole Act. The 

VCAT was pleased to see that the “Return on Investment Initiative” Legislative Package was delivered 

to Congress in late 2020, and that a Notice of Proposed Rule Making for the Bayh-Dole Act has been 

published in the Federal Register with a comment period open through April 2021. The VCAT looks 

forward to providing whatever additional support is necessary to help see this initiative to fruition.

The VCAT was also briefed on additional efforts that NIST has implemented in its own laboratories to 

improve the transfer of NIST-developed technologies. Chief among these efforts was the Technology 

Maturation Accelerator Program (TMAP). In 2020 NIST launched the second round of TMAP to fund 

proposals from the NIST Laboratories to accelerate the maturation of emerging technologies with 

significant commercial promise. The program funds projects that improve the Technology Readiness 

Level (TRL) of early stage technologies, for which feasibility has been demonstrated in the laboratory, 

towards a higher TRL prototype. NIST also actively engages its lab scientists in creating awareness of 

commercialization opportunities and holds virtual sessions such as “Tech Transfer 101 Training: A 

Scientist’s Perspective on Tech Transfer.” 

2d. Evolving Strategic Context and Emerging Challenges

With 2020 being a year of significant transition, both due to the pandemic and presidential election, in 

October the VCAT explored in depth some of the trends and issues that NIST should be prepared to 

confront in the coming years. 

The VCAT heard from Dr. Robert Atkinson, President of the Information and Technology Innovation 

Foundation, on his views of the state of the U.S. high-technology sector, his opinion on what needed to 

be done to address existing weaknesses, and potential roles for NIST. Dr. Atkinson reviewed several

economic measures painting a troubling picture for the long-term competitive posture of the U.S. Dr. 

Atkinson provided his views on how best to address these shortcomings advocating for a more hands-on 

manufacturing and technology policy from the U.S. Government. This would include combining 

increased investment in R&D, coupled with increases to programs like MEP and Manufacturing USA, as 
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well as the return of focused technology development programs as central pillars. Dr. Atkinson also 

highlighted the challenges raised by China including the new China Standards 2035 strategy, which will 

require increased capacity at NIST.

The VCAT also reviewed an updated Environmental Scan prepared by the NIST Program Coordination 

Office. The 2020 National Institute of Standards and Technology Environmental Scan provides an 

analysis of key external factors that could impact NIST and the fulfillment of its mission in the coming 

years. The analyses were conducted through four separate lenses: Societal, Investment & Geopolitical, 

Political & Policy, and Technology & Science. Informed by the 2018 Environmental Scan also prepared 

by NIST, many of the issues discussed then are still relevant, but several additional key issues have 

emerged that will impact NIST since the writing of that report. Most notably, recent issues emerged 

related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the national discourse around race. Societal inequality, political 

division, mistrust of institutions, financial constraints, and workforce issues will challenge NIST to 

maintain and advance its leadership in metrology, standards, and technology. However, a broad range 

of emerging technology issues present opportunities for NIST to significantly impact advances in the 

nation’s innovation and industrial competitiveness. The VCAT found the analysis to be very insightful 

and encourages NIST to continue this best practice on a regular basis.

The VCAT believes that the priorities and actions defined in the NIST Strategic Plan (discussed in more 

detail in section 4 of this report), especially those focused on strengthening the NIST workforce and 

addressing issues around diversity and equity, put NIST on a good path to addressing many of the 

societal challenges identified in the environmental scan. 

The VCAT also agrees with NIST leadership that many of the priorities outlined by Dr. Copan including: 

strengthening U.S. standards engagement; continued focus on advanced communications; leading U.S. 

efforts on strengthening advanced manufacturing in the U.S.; cultivating an inclusive workforce; 

cybersecurity and privacy; and NIST’s ongoing efforts to advance emerging technologies, should remain 

a focus of NIST moving to the future. Additionally, with the transition to the Biden Administration it is 

likely that NIST will also face calls to support efforts to address climate change and promote alternative 

energy technology development through measurements and standards. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing focused resources 

through MEP and Manufacturing USA for:

a. Continuing to enable companies to transform their operations to support COVID-19 

related needs and increase resilience in pandemic-impacted supply chains. 

b. Fund additional high-impact biopharmaceutical manufacturing projects to support the 

nation’s response to the pandemic.

2. Ensure that the NIST workforce and partner organizations supporting standards development 

and negotiation have all necessary tools and resources to represent the nation fully and 

vigorously while working under pandemic-driven travel and workplace constraints. 

3. Augment NIST activities in trustworthy AI to include developing a framework or standards for 

verification, validation and accreditation of AI systems, in order to accelerate adoption and 

acceptance of these systems in support of the nation’s economic competitiveness and national 

security. 
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3. NIST Efforts to Respond to COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has changed daily life globally for the majority of 2020 and beyond. As of the 

end of October 2020, there are almost 45 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 1.1 million 

deaths globally, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University. Out of a necessity to 

protect employee health and safety, both NIST campuses in Gaithersburg and Boulder closed with 

limited access from mid-March to mid-July. Most of NIST staff are still on maximum flexibility 

telework indefinitely, with about 20% of critical mission staff and researchers returning to campus as of 

October. Transitioning to an all-virtual workplace was not an easy task, but the Information Technology 

(IT) staff helped make a successful transition to telework and researchers shifted to remote work, paper 

writing, or applying their research techniques to COVID-related projects. NIST added training and 

seminars to help with learning and navigating new virtual platforms as staff continued to carry on the 

NIST mission. NIST is closely monitoring the local case load around its campuses and has developed a 

thorough mitigation plan and training for all staff returning to campus. As the pandemic has not been 

contained and a vaccine is not yet available to NIST staff broadly, the full long-term impact is yet to be 

seen.

The VCAT commends NIST for the data-driven and science-based approaches that it has implemented to 

protect the health and safety of its workforce. NIST’s ability to transition 6,000+ federal employees and 

associates to mandatory telework, which included getting agreements in place, powering down 

equipment, providing the necessary IT tools and equipment, and figuring out how to make bench 

research remote, was an impressive feat that was executed with minimal disruption. In fact, the 

transition to telework is one of the few bright spots of the pandemic, as it has clearly demonstrated the 

value and potential of telework and remote work to NIST. The majority of staff have been able to fully 

perform their duties from a telework posture and many look forward to and expect an increased use of 

telework even after the pandemic has subsided. Increased use of telework in the future creates new 

opportunities for NIST with respect to space utilization, and the recruitment and retention of staff.

As of the date of this report, NIST still does not know the full impact of the pandemic. The institute’s 

financial future remains to be seen. Solvency is a concern due to loss of on-site conference hosting, a 

projected increase in administrative leave and decrease in annual leave, and increased IT costs. 

Additionally, measurement sales are impacted since SRMs/RMs (Standard Reference Materials) and 

calibration services are delayed or not all available, and state and local governments have fewer funds 

to spend on these services and products. Research projects can also be delayed, which could impact 

future partnerships or standards development. Many staff are also now juggling caregiving needs with 

telework and there is an increased number of retirements occurring that could have an impact on NIST’s 

skill, retention and depth in key mission delivery areas. The VCAT looks forward to hearing future 

updates from NIST on the longer-term impacts of the pandemic and on NIST’s planned mitigation 

efforts. 

Despite these challenges NIST programs, and in particular the NIST staff, have readily stepped forward 

to contribute their time, talents, and expertise to help combat the pandemic. The breadth of NIST’s 
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programs has enabled a diversity of projects to aid the national and worldwide coronavirus pandemic 

response. It has truly been an inspiring response.

In addition to these grass roots efforts NIST received an additional $66 million in CARES (Coronavirus 

Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding across the Innovation and Industry Services ($60 million) 

and Laboratory ($6 million) programs. In late March, NIST launched an internal crowdsourcing 

effort to identify additional laboratory project opportunities and bring staff together to address 

multidisciplinary research challenges. NIST continues to expand its international and domestic 

partnerships to address measurement challenges related to the pandemic. Updates are regularly posted 

to the NIST website: https://www.nist.gov/coronavirus. 

In brief, NIST responses to COVID-19 include:

● Leveraging National Networks: NIST awarded funds to all 51 MEP centers to support 

manufacturers across the country to transform their operations to support COVID-19 related 

needs and aid in development of pandemic-related supply chains. NIST awarded funds 

to Manufacturing USA institutes for high-impact biopharmaceutical manufacturing projects to 

support the nation’s response to the pandemic. 

● Biological Measurements: NIST is applying expertise in applied genetics, biomolecule 

characterization, high-throughput testing, and statistics to advance reliable SARS-CoV2 detection tests and antibody assays working with other organizations in the U.S. and 

worldwide. 

● Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): NIST research outputs include characterization 

of different PPE decontamination methods from UV light to vapor treatments, and aerosol 

measurements and air flow visualizations to assess the performance of fabrics used in face 

coverings. NIST helped industry and other federal agencies access technical standards for 

production and testing of PPE and is currently supporting an ASTM International effort 

to develop voluntary standards for consumer face coverings. 

● Technology Solutions for Safer Communities: NIST is using long-standing data and technology 

capabilities in areas like information search, privacy and cybersecurity, machine learning, and 

wireless signals to develop measurement tools to understand whether and how technologies 

like exposure notification and indoor airflow models can blunt the spread of pandemics. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

● New emerging COVID-19 variants displaying varying transmissibility, severity, and vaccine 

immunity responses are likely to require new characterization, testing and monitoring 

techniques. VCAT recommends that NIST utilizes expertise in biological measurements, applied 

genetics, biomolecule characterization, high-throughput testing, and statistics to advance 

reliable and discriminating tests, antibody assays, and analytic techniques working with other 

organizations in the U.S. and worldwide. 

● Create a priority project to devise tools, techniques or approaches (including “NIST on a chip” 

applications) to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness of calibration and measurement 

services in the pandemic environment with anticipated long-term impacts to workplaces, 

workforces, and state and local budgets. 
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4. NIST Strategic Planning 

The VCAT continued to receive ongoing updates on NIST’s strategic planning efforts and their progress in 

implementation over the course of FY 2020. Throughout the year NIST has been working to implement 

eight Actions that were identified as priorities for implementation based on input from the NIST 

Leadership Board and the NIST community. As discussed previously these actions are listed in the 

following figure:

Figure 2. Graphic outlining 8 Actions for the NIST Strategic Plan, presented to VCAT at the June 2020 meeting.

NIST has established an evaluation cycle where progress on each Action is evaluated at six-month 

intervals, at which time progress will be reviewed and additional actions, outlined in the master plan, 

will be prioritized and identified for the next round of implementation. This process ensures that NIST is 

systematically implementing the proposed Actions and making consistent and steady progress toward

its ultimate aim of ensuring that NIST continues to be an essential and valued component of America’s 

innovation ecosystem.

The VCAT continued to pay particular attention to two of these initiatives the Committee feels are 

important for NIST to address and make sustained progress on: NIST’s efforts to strengthen diversity, 
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equity, and inclusion at NIST; and, NIST efforts to improve stakeholder awareness by clarifying and 

sharpening NIST’s strategic communication and brand.

As the VCAT has noted before, a diverse and inclusive workplace is necessary for attracting and retaining 

an innovative and highly skilled scientific and technical workforce. Research shows that diverse 

workplaces lead to increased creativity, innovation, and organizational performance, and inclusive and 

equitable workplace cultures improve employee engagement and retention. The VCAT supports NIST’s 

efforts to take a strategic and long-term approach to building a diverse workforce along with improving 

the workplace culture in parallel. The VCAT was briefed on a number of initiatives that are underway, 

including examining promotion and pay-setting practices, developing and adopting best practices for 

hiring new employees, expanding training on bias and allyship, launching a mentoring program, offering 

training and leadership opportunities, and ensuring support for staff including the establishment an 

Organizational Ombuds. The VCAT was pleased to see the progress NIST has made in terms of 

establishing the position and process to recruit and hire a Director of Diversity and Inclusion who will 

help unify efforts across NIST and provide continued focus and energy around these important issues. 

The VCAT realizes that changing the culture at NIST is a difficult process that must be persistently 

worked at over a long period. As such the VCAT believes that it is important for NIST to develop good 

measures to track progress in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace to maintain focus on 

these efforts and ensure the organization benefits from the ongoing actions. 

As NIST leadership and the VCAT have discussed, NIST does not have a consistent, recognizable brand 

that clearly communicates NIST’s priorities, capabilities, and value. As part of the effort to address this 

issue NIST, through its Public Affairs Office, has awarded a contract to conduct a branding study. The 

NIST branding study is aimed at improving stakeholder awareness of NIST by clarifying and sharpening 

NIST’s strategic communications. The study is in its early stages, with a team collecting input from NIST 

leadership and staff, as well as external stakeholders -- including members of the NIST VCAT. The VCAT 

looks forward to the results of this study and the proposed next steps. It is also the opinion of the VCAT 

that a well-articulated brand will not be enough so long as a large portion of NIST communications 

happens outside of the Public Affairs Office. Uncoordinated messaging, including competing outreach 

among internal NIST organizations, hurts a unified NIST brand. To achieve measurable strategic 

communications goals, NIST needs discipline and consistency in messaging. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

● Create branding packages, guidelines, and toolkits for all NIST organizational elements and 

employees to achieve uniformity and consistency in branding and messaging both internally and 

externally. 

5. NIST Facilities and Infrastructure

The VCAT has been tracking the status of NIST facilities and infrastructure for the past several years, and 

remains concerned that each year, NIST’s ability to maintain and renovate its infrastructure has been 

falling further and further behind. NIST’s ability to maintain and modernize its facilities has been 

stymied by several factors including inefficient Federal procurement processes and an unstable and 

unpredictable funding stream. The insufficient resources in NIST’s general maintenance fund have 

necessitated unacceptable and impossible choices between temporary fixes in NIST’s general laboratory 
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spaces, administrative buildings, and plant facilities instead of implementing a more strategic approach 

to improving the condition of NIST’s campuses that was presented to the VCAT this year. 

In FY 2020 NIST submitted its Implementation Plan for integrating the master plans for the 2 campuses 

to Congress. This plan identifies the top 10 large capital projects in rank order, with estimates and 

projected schedules for completion depending on funding availability. Having a long-range plan for 

these significant projects will allow NIST to properly plan and execute its capital construction program.

The top five projects identified for Gaithersburg are: 

1. New Research Building 228; 

2. Building 101 Renovation; 

3. Building 221 Renovation; 

4. Gate F Shipping and Receiving Facilities for Security; and 

5. Building 220 Renovation.

The top five projects for Boulder are: 

1. Building 1 Renovation, Wing 5;

2. Building 2 Replacement; 

3. Building 3 Addition; 

4. Renovate Building 24; and 

5. New Childcare Center.

To develop a path forward NIST has been working with Congressional appropriators to establish a 

sustainable level of base funding for both meeting the needs of capital construction, as outlined in the 

master plan, as well as providing the ability for NIST to make significant headway in addressing its 

deferred maintenance backlog. This backlog was well over $700 million when the VCAT was briefed 

earlier in the year. NIST is proposing an annual investment of between $60 and 80 million for capital 

construction, to provide the flexibility and stability necessary to implement the NIST campus master 

plan. For ongoing maintenance needs and to address the backlog, federal and industry guidelines 

indicate that NIST would require between $115 to $144 million annually to maintain its facilities. Based 

on trends of the last 4 years, NIST is trying to establish an annual maintenance and repair funding level 

of $100 million. The VCAT has been briefed that this is a funding level that NIST can execute based on 

recent and ongoing improvements to staffing, procedures and proactive planning efforts. 

The VCAT fully supports NIST’s goal of establishing a base level of funding of $160 to $180 million a year 

to address its construction and renovation needs and will work to continue to point a spotlight on this 

issue which if left unaddressed will completely degrade the ability of NIST to support the research and 

development highlighted earlier in this report.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

● Continue working with OMB and Congressional appropriators to establish and sustain the 

annual level of investment required for the nation’s critical infrastructure entrusted to NIST for 

advancement of standards, advanced technology, and manufacturing excellence. 
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● Invest in the information technology (IT), business process and digital transformation 

capabilities needed for NIST to sustain world leadership in standards and technology in today’s 

virtual and collaborative work environment. 

● Provide NIST with increased flexibility in the use of its CRF resources with authorities to create 

capital investment resources through monetization of NIST properties and facilities; move 

activities to lower cost venues; and remove restrictions on modification or demolition of 

designated historic structures. 

6. NIST Budget (FY 2021 Enacted)

FY 2021 Enacted Budget

FY 2020 Enacted NIST Budget (Dollars in Millions) 

The VCAT was briefed on the FY 2021 budget and appropriations cycle. The resolution of the FY 2021 

budget cycle happened at the very end of the year. While the VCAT was pleased to see that the drastic 

cuts proposed in the President’s budget were not enacted, the overall budget remains flat when 

compared with topline funding from FY 2020. The VCAT was pleased to see that the proposed 

elimination of MEP was rejected, and that there were some, albeit incremental, increases to NIST 

research efforts focused on quantum science and artificial intelligence. However, to remain 

internationally competitive, to fulfill the increased demands to advance emerging technology areas, and 

to strengthen U.S. manufacturing requires a significant investment above current levels. Perhaps most 

disappointing was the $38 million decrease NIST incurred in its construction budget. This decrease will 

only serve to further the decline of NIST’s facilities, delay progress on ongoing projects, increase the 

already astronomical deferred maintenance costs, and increase the likelihood of further catastrophic 

infrastructure failure that has the potential to shut down large portions of the NIST facilities for 

prolonged periods of time.