June 14, 2022

Planning Session

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology 

Dr. Jason Boehm

Director, NIST Program Coordination Office
Session Structure

Advancing NIST’s Mission and Improving Visibility 

and Awareness of NIST

NIST’s Role in Workforce Development

Alignment of NIST Labs, Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (MEP), and Manufacturing USA

Session outcome: A list of possible topics/actions that 

VCAT will focus on this year. 

1

2

3
Part I

Advancing NIST’s Mission, 

Improving Visibility & 

Awareness of NIST
Advancing Mission & Improving Visibility

End Goal:

NIST engages with Congress, key policy makers, and the 

general public to ensure support and adequate funding 

for NIST's impactful mission in economic competitiveness.
Improving Visibility: Current Approach

Supports NIST's mission and 

staff through original 

articles about NIST's 

research and internal news 

for NIST staff; social media 

management of NIST’s 

Facebook, Twitter, 

LinkedIn, and Instagram 

accounts and the Taking 

Measure blog; and media 

relations

Decentralized 

communications and 

external engagement

activities on individual 

operating unit level

Coordinates and advises 

on congressional

legislation, maintains 

liaison between NIST and 

congressional committees, 

handles congressional 

correspondence & 

inquiries, and provides NIST 

staff with current status on 

pending legislation

Public Affairs Congressional and 

Legislative Affairs Labs
NIST Visibility: Challenges & Solutions 

Challenges:

• Department of Commerce 

doesn’t have a clear 

understanding of and message 

about NIST

• Hill sees NIST as MEP and 

cybersecurity shop

• Example: NCNR not 

communicated to Hill in timely 

manner

• Lack of resources

Possible Solutions:

• Understand the holistic stakeholder 

environment

• Develop a plan to vastly increase 

engagement with stakeholders and then hire 

required staff

• Position NIST staff in key locations and 

positions (e.g., National Security Council, key 

congressional committees, and Department 

of Commerce)

• Agree on communications pieces/pitches 

that capture what makes NIST unique

• Properly resource Public Affairs and 

Congressional and Legislative Affairs
NIST Visibility: Discussion

What approaches can NIST 

take to strengthen and 

streamline its messaging?

What new approaches to 

mission delivery NIST should 

consider that would increase 

awareness and stakeholder 

support?
Part II

NIST’s Role in Workforce 

Development
Workforce Programs

End Goal:

NIST is better aligned with Department 

of Commerce and Administration 

priorities to:

• Create a more equitable 

employee engagement 

experience and promote DEIA 

(PMA)

• Build sustainable, employer-driven 

career pathways to meet 

employers’ need for talent and to 

connect Americans to quality jobs 

(Commerce Strategic Plan)
Workforce Programs: Current State

NIST NRC Postdoctoral 

Research Associateships 

Program

NIST Diversity, Equity, and 

Inclusivity Office
Workforce: Challenges & Solutions

Challenges:

• Competition in federal space 

for cyber workforce leadership

• Workforce development is not 

primary NIST mission, but 

increasing attention is paid by 

DOC and Administration

• NIST is at risk of not being able 

to compete for the best talent

Possible Solutions:

• Deploy and recruit NIST staff 

in locales where there are 

core concentrations of 

industry activity

• Grow postdoctoral 

fellowship program

• Implement NIST DEIA 

Strategic Plan
Workforce: Discussion

What role should NIST play in the 

broader workforce ecosystem?

Should NIST focus on workforce 

development in a specific 

industry?

How can NIST improve the 

accessibility and equity of any 

workforce development 

programs?
Part III

Alignment of NIST Labs, 

Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (MEP), and 

Manufacturing USA
NIST’s Innovation Continuum

Manufacturing 

USA Institutes

Laboratory MEP

Programs

End Goal:

NIST’s programs are better 

integrated and aligned to 

effectively span the innovation 

continuum and effectively deliver 

solutions to enable industry to 

accelerate their competitiveness 

and impact.
Mfg. Alignment: Current Efforts

Field 

Staff

Company 

POC

MATTR Program

Personnel

NIST Scientist 

or Engineer

Institutes were created to bridge the gap 

from discovery to production & help 

ensure that inventions get out of the labs 

and turned into products manufactured in 

the U.S. – instead of other countries
Mfg. Alignment: Challenges & Solutions

Challenges:

• Lack of dedicated resources 

to develop better connections 

between output of labs and 

extramural programs

• Lack of awareness across staff 

and Labs about what NIST has 

to offer

Possible Solutions:

• Compile inventory of 

services/tools/resources that NIST 

provides

• Develop more co-located 

testbeds in support of industry

• CHIPS Act presents an 

opportunity to develop an 

integrated plan that aligns NIST 

measurement research, Mfg. 

USA institutes, and MEP 

community 
Manufacturing Alignment: Discussion

How can NIST more 

effectively bridge the gap 

between lab research and 

manufacturers’ needs?