VCAT Meeting – October 28-29, 2008 

Boulder, Colorado 

Update and Priorities Update and Priorities

Patrick D. Gallagher Patrick D. GallagherDeputy Director Deputy Director


 


 
Outline Outline

 Changes At NIST Changes At NIST NIST Staff NIST Staff Recognition Recognition Update on FY 2009 Budget Update on FY 2009 Budget Priorities Priorities What you will see today What you will see today
NIST Leadership NIST Leadership

 Department of Commerce Made a Change in Leade

Department of Commerce Made a Change in Leade

•Jim Turner accepted position at NOAA Jim Turner accepted position at NOAA

•Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs

•Pat Gallagher Pat Gallagher

•New Deputy New Deputy Director Director

•Carrying out the responsibilities Carrying out the responsibilitiesof the Dir of the Director u

ctor u

Director is appointed by the next President Director is appointed by the next President
Awards and External Reco Awards and External Recognition of NIST Staff gnition of NIST Staff
 

NIST Physicist David J. NIST Physicist David J. Wineland 

2007 National Medal of Scienc 2007 National Medal of Science 

 Presented September 29 by

President George W. Bush 


 

 The nation’s highest honor for 

researchers, inventors and innovators

For “outstanding leadership in developing the science of laser cooling and manipulation of ions, with applications in extremely precise measurements and standards, quantum computing, and fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, and for his major impacton the international scientific community through training scientists and outstanding publications.” 

. 
FY 2009 Budget
 

 Continuing Resolution through March 6, 2009 

 Limits spending to FY 2008 levels  Gives employees a 3.9% pay increase  Things are tight – we need to hold down spending 

during this period 

 Working with OUs and Chiefs to determine specific 

impacts across the agency 

 Work with the next Administration and Congress to supp

NIST as full-year funding is finalized 

 High likelihood could have a Continuing Resolution for th
Priorities Priorities

1)Leadership Leadership - To improve our management systems

To improve our management systems

operations, and leadership to allow the organization 

operations, and leadership to allow the organization 

effective and efficient as possible. effective and efficient as possible.

2)Safety- To strengthen our safety program and to ac

To strengthen our safety program and to ac

foster a culture where safety is expected to be an in

foster a culture where safety is expected to be an in

part of our work. part of our work.

3)Positioning NIST Positioning NIST - To ensure that NIST is on key po

To ensure that NIST is on key p

makers’radar screens in discussions about and act

radar screens in discussions about and act

address the nation address the nation’s innovation and competitivenes

s innovation and competitivenes
Leadership Leadership

 Clear lines of responsibility Clear lines of responsibility Improve decision Improve decision-making, communication and execu

making, communication and execu

 Minimize number of ad hoc committees Minimize number of ad hoc committees Increase focus on operations Increase focus on operations
CNST 

CHCO 

CFMO 

CIO 

CFO 

ITL 

BFRL 

MEP TS 

CSTL 

MSE

N

BNQP 

TIP 

PL 

Director 

Deputy 

Previous reporting lines at NIST (omitting staff positions and Boulder) 
Director (vacant) 

Deputy Director 

Chief Scientist Chief of Operations 

Laboratory 

OU Directors (10) 

PL, CSTL, BFRL, ITL, 

EEEL,MEL, MSEL, TS, 

CNST, NCNR 

Chief 

dCFO, C

CHC

External Program OU 

Directors (3) 

TIP, MEP, BNQP 

Staff Offices: Program Office Congressional and Legal Affairs Public and Business Affairs Executive Office 

NIST DiverInternAcad
Improving Leadership in Boulder Improving Leadership in Boulder

Any solution must Any solution must ...

	 Provide the responsibility and accountability for Bou

Provide the responsibility and accountability for Bou

manage its laboratory operations; manage its laboratory operations;

	 Include site specific support operations and address 

Include site specific support operations and address 

agency aspect of this site; agency aspect of this site;

	 Not foster an isolation of Boulder from the rest of NIS

Not foster an isolation of Boulder from the rest of NIS

Action: Action:

 Moved EEEL OU Director position to Boulder, CO Moved EEEL OU Director position to Boulder, CO Assigned Kent Rochford (EEEL) as acting EEEL Dir

Assigned Kent Rochford (EEEL) as acting EEEL Dir

 Establishing a Boulder site manager position Establishing a Boulder site manager position
Safety At NIST Safety At NIST
 

Status of Plutonium Incident Status of Plutonium Incident

•Multiple Investigations Multiple Investigations•Program stand Program stand-down•Decontamination Decontamination•Corrective actions Corrective actions

Blue Ribbon Commission Blue Ribbon Commission

•Focused on examining NIST as a whole and on how saf

Focused on examining NIST as a whole and on how saf

is managed and implemented Institute is managed and implemented Institute-wide

•Two meetings held Two meetings held•Issued high Issued high-level findings to Secretary of Commerce level findings to Secretary of Commerce
Safety Philosophy Safety Philosophy

 Safety foundations: Safety foundations:

•Leadership Leadership•Safety program Safety program• 

• Participation Participation

 Path forward: Path forward:

•Build a world class safety office Build a world class safety office•Integrate safety into our work Integrate safety into our work•Phased approach Phased approach
Positioning NIST Positioning NIST

	 America Competes framework is a unique opportuni

America Competes framework is a unique opportuni

NIST

	 NIST mission is to promote innovation and competiti

NIST mission is to promote innovation and competiti

through measurement science, standards, and techn

through measurement science, standards, and techn

perfect match to this environment perfect match to this environment

	 We must define our role and communicate the possi

We must define our role and communicate the possi

• Commerce Transition Team Commerce Transition Team•

	 

Next Administration (OMB, OSTP) Next Administration (OMB, OSTP)

•

	 	 Congress Congress
Positioning NIST Positioning NIST –VCAT’s Role

 Created as a high Created as a high-impact entity impact entity

•Powerful ally in giving high Powerful ally in giving high-level advice on how N

level advice on how N

addresses national priorities addresses national priorities

 Agenda: Direction of agency Agenda: Direction of agency

•NIST to share NIST to share “early thoughts early thoughts”

 VCAT provides critical critiq VCAT provides critical critique of that direction and 

ue of that direction and 

 VCAT is uniquely positioned to talk to VCAT is uniquely positioned to talk to

•Commerce, Administration, Congress Commerce, Administration, Congress
What you will see today What you will see today

	 Chip-scale Atomic Clocks, Magnetometers and Gyroscopes agnetometers and Gyroscopes

Dr.

J J

ohn Kit

ching and Dr hing and Dr.Eliz Elizabeth Donley h Donley, 

Time & Frequency D

• ivision, Physi on, Physics Laboratory cs Laboratory

• NIST’s pioneering development of a chip pioneering development of a chip-scale atomi e atomi

ccl clock and new spin ock and new spin-off 

off 

	 Quantum Computing with Superconducting Ar Quantum Computing with Superconducting Artificial Atoms tificial Atoms 

Dr. Katari Dr. Katari

na Cicakand Dr. Robert and Dr. Robert Schwall Schwall

Quantum Electrical Metrology Div ectrical Metrology Division, Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory g Laboratory

•	 NIST’s progress toward harnessing the unusu progress toward harnessing the unusual rules of al rules of quantum mechani quantum mechanics 

cs 

com

puti

ng 

	 How Symmetric is the El w Symmetric is the Electron? ectron?The EDM Project and More The EDM Project and More Dr. Eric Cornell Dr. Eric Cornell

Quantum P

hysics Divi

•

ysics Divi

sion, JILA-University of Colorado

• NIST’s stat

e-of-the-art precision measureme art precision measurement of the electron's nt of the electron's electri

cdi 	 dipol

e

	 Ultracold Ultracold Gasof Polar Molecules of Polar Molecules

Dr. Debbie Jin Dr. Debbie JinQuantum P

hysics Divi ysics Divi

sion, JILA-University of Colorado

•	 NIST’s recent creation of an recent creation of an ultracol ultracold gas of polar molecules gas of polar molecules

	 Frequency Comb Frequency Comb “Breathalyzer Breathalyzer” 

”

Dr. Jun Ye Dr. Jun YeQuantum P

hysics Divi ysics Divi

sion, JILA-University of Colorado

•	 NIST’s demonstration of a practical hea demonstration of a practical health application for optical fre lth application for optical frequency co

quency co