FY18 Budget
Budgeting to Preserve Core NIST

The NIST mission is to promote U.S. innovation and 

industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement 

science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance 

economic security and improve our quality of life

The FY 2018 budget request reflects the Administration’s priority to rebuild the 

military, make critical investments in the nation’s security, and keep the nation 

on a responsible fiscal path. 

Funds will maintain core capabilities in measurement science so that the 

Institute can continue to meet its mission to provide the measurements and 

standards that accelerate innovation. 

2
Summary of FY 2018 Budget Request 

Proposed $88.7 million reduction (13%) in 

Scientific and Technical Research Services 

(STRS)

– Cuts across all laboratory programs 

Proposed $133.7 million reduction (86%) 

in Industrial Technology Services (ITS)

– Eliminates Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership Program funding

– No new NIST Manufacturing USA institutes 

Proposed $14.8 million reduction (12%) in 

Construction of Research Facilities (CRF)

– Funding focused on Building 245 renovation

$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

FY 2016

Enacted

FY 2017

Annualized CR

FY 2018

Request

Dollars (Thousands)

NIST Budget

STRS ITS CRF

$964,000 $962,167

$725,000

3
NIST FY 2018 Budget Request (Dollars in millions)

4

+/(-) Over +/(-) Over

FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2017

Enacted Annualized CR Enacted Request Annualized CR Enacted

STRS $690.0 $688.7 $690.0 $600.0 ($88.7) ($90.0)

Laboratory Programs 605.2 603.6 604.7 544.3 (59.3) (60.4)

Corporate Services 17.3 17.3 17.3 11.3 (6.0) (6.0)

Stds Coord & Special Pgms 67.5 67.8 68.0 44.4 (23.4) (23.6)

ITS $155.0 $154.7 $153.0 $21.0 ($133.7) ($132.0)

Hollings Mfg Ext Partnership 130.0 129.8 128.0 6.0 (123.8) (122.0)

Manufacturing USA 25.0 24.9 25.0 15.0 (9.9) (10.0)

CRF $119.0 $118.8 $109.0 $104.0 ($14.8) ($5.0)

 Construc & Major Renovations 60.0 60.0 60.0 60.0 0.0 0.0

Saf, Cap, Maint & Maj Repairs 59.0 58.8 49.0 44.0 (14.8) (5.0)

Total, NIST Discretionary 964.0 962.2 952.0 725.0 (237.2) (227.0)
ITS Summary ($21 M, -$134 M and -61 FTE)

Proposes 86% reduction to ITS account:

– Eliminates the MEP program

– Provides funding for continued 

coordination of existing Manufacturing 

USA network activities 

– Maintains funding for NIST’s institute in 

Manufacturing USA (NIIMBL)

– Requires reorganization in Innovation 

and Industry Services directorate

0

40

80

120

160

FY2017 Enacted FY2018 President's

Request

Dollars (millions)

ITS Summary

MEP

ManufacturingUSA

5
Manufacturing Extension Partnership ($6 M, -$124 M and -61 FTE)

The Hollings Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership program is a Federal-state 

partnership of centers in every state and 

Puerto Rico. 

– Transitions to non-federal funding of the 

program

– Provides $6 million to cover the costs 

associated with the shut down of the 

program to begin Oct. 1, 2017 

– Impacts 1,300 non-federal technical experts, 

2,500 partners and nearly 600 field offices

– Ends NIST Labs / MEP Centers collaborations 

6
Manufacturing USA ($15 M, -$10 M, and 0 FTE)

• Funds NIST’s coordination of the 

Manufacturing USA network

• Continues funding the only 

NIST/Department of Commerce 

Institute in the network 

– The National Institute for 

Innovation in Manufacturing 

Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) 

– NIST will not have funds available 

to stand up new open-topic 

institutes (earliest in 2021)

7
Construction of Research Facilities ($104.0 M, -$14.8* M)

• Gaithersburg - Building 245 ($60.0 M)

– Estimated cost $322 M over FY 2016-FY 2024

– Eliminate delays in FDA-required 

mammography calibrations and enables 

modern instrumentation needed for nuclear 

forensics standards

• Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major 

Repairs ($44.0M)

– $10M to continue renovations in Boulder

– Anticipate increased backlog of deferred 

maintenance (now $364M)

– Anticipate infrastructural systems failures

– Anticipate more program funded renovations

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

FY2016 Enacted FY2017 Enacted FY2018

President's

Request

Dollars (millions)

CRF Summary

Building 245 SCMMR*

*Includes continued renovation on Boulder Building 1 Wings 4 , 5, and Center Spine

8 *Comparison to Full Year CR levels
STRS Summary ($600 M, -$88.7 M and -337 FTE)

FY2018 request reduces laboratory 

programs by 13%

– Laboratories, 11% reduction

– Corporate Services, 16% reduction

– Standards Coordination and Special 

Programs Office, 36% reduction

Prioritization criteria include: 

– External grant focused

– Reached technological maturity

– Subcritical resources 

– Less need for leading-edge NIST 

measurement science capability

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

FY2017 Enacted FY2018 President's

Request

Dollars (millions)

STRS Funding Breakout

Standards Coordination and Special Programs

Corporate Services

Laboratory Programs

9

208

72

21 35

FY18 Staff Reduction 

by Pay Band

ZP ZA ZT ZS
Summary of STRS Program Reductions 

Topic Reduction (M)

Advanced Materials Manufacturing $8.3 ($0.8)

Advanced Networks, Connected Systems, and Data Science $15.5

Biological Science and Health Measurements $5.4

Cybersecurity $5.9 ($0.75)

Environmental Measurements $6.6

Forensic Science Program Management and Committee Support $2.7 ($1.0)

Greenhouse Gas and Climate Measurements $5.8 ($4.5)

NIST Center of Excellence Program $4.0 ($4.0)

NIST Consortium for Semiconductor and Future Computing Research $3.3 ($3.3)

Office of Special Programs Management and Program Coordination $4.2

Quantum Science $4.1

Resilience and Structural Engineering $5.9 ($0.6)

Semiconductor and Microelectronic Measurements $6.9

Standards Coordination Office $4.4 ($3.75)

Time and Fundamental Measurement Dissemination $6.3

User Facilities $3.7 ($1.3)

10

($ external grants)

Special 

programs 

office

SCO
Institutional Support

Institutional support (“IS”) funds Management Resources and Directors office functions 

– HR, facilities, procurement, security, safety, etc.

– Not a budget line, applied as an overhead

– Reductions scale with collections of STRS, ITS, Other Agency funding, etc.

Continue a full review of IS services

– Full review of services against program needs and 

requirements

– Seek efficiencies in organization and services

– Implement as appropriate 

– Fully support efforts in process management IT 

(build on successes!)

HR STAT Initial Results: 
HR STAT Initial Results

4

2 2

7

16

19

3

10

2

0

2 2

10 10

23

7

8

0

1 1 1

7

3

5

1

4

2

0

5

10

15

20

25

Draft

Announcement

Approve

Announcement

Open

Announcement

Open Period Issue Certificate Return Certificate Tentative Offer Clear Security Final Offer

65 Day Standard FY16 HR STAT

Allows standardization and measurement of process flow

– Can see opportunities and focused efforts on biggest performance potentials. 
Budget Process

NIST Commerce OMB President’s

Budget

Budget 

Resolution

Budget 

Resolution

Appropriation 

subcommittee 

markup

Appropriation 

subcommittee 

markup

Senate 

Appropriation 

House 

Appropriation 

Reconciliation President

signs appropriation

Budget 

hearings

Pre-decisional budget information is NOT releasable
Related Issues: Reform Plan

• Presidential Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the 

Executive Branch

‒ (Within 180 days) submit to the OMB Director a proposed plan to reorganize the agency...to 

improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of that agency.

• OMB Memorandum “Comprehensive Plan for Reforming the Federal Government 

and Reducing the Federal Civilian Workforce”

‒ Begin taking immediate actions to achieve near-term workforce reductions and cost savings...

‒ Develop a plan to maximize employee performance by June 30, 2017

‒ Submit an Agency Reform Plan to OMB in September 2017 as part of the FY19 Budget that 

includes long-term workforce reductions
Agenda

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Session I: NIST Update 

Discussion

Session II: NIST Laboratory Programs Strategic 

Planning

12:45 Laboratory Programs Strategic Planning 

Overview 

1:30 Update on NIST Bioscience Program 

2:30 Update on NIST Information Technology 

Research

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Session III: Safety Update

Session IV: Developing Organizational Flexibility

Session V: Next Steps and Adjourn
Key questions for VCAT

How should we think about allocating decreasing resources while 

trying to strengthen NIST for future industry needs? 

Are the strategic priorities NIST has identified the right ones?

How can NIST more effectively address:

Interdisciplinary technologies?

Cross-laboratory work?

Change and program flexibility?

????