Virtual Meeting

October 26, 2021

NIST Update

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology 

James K. Olthoff

Associate Director performing the Nonexclusive Duties of 

the NIST Director
Allen Adler (Chair)

Term ends January 24, 2022

Image Credit: NIST

VCAT Member Changes

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VCAT Member Changes

Waguih Ishak

Term ends January 24, 2022

Image Credit: NIST

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Anthony M. Johnson

Director of the Center for Advanced 

Studies in Photonics Research (CASPR)

University of Maryland Baltimore County 

(UMBC)

Welcome New VCAT Member

Image Credit: Optica 

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NIST Leadership Changes

Vice President for Research at the University of Maryland, 

College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore

At NIST:

• Acting Principal Deputy Director and Associate Director 

for Laboratory Programs (ADLP)

• Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) Director

Dr. Laurie Locascio

Nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Standards and Technology, NIST Director

Image Credit: UMD

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NIST Leadership Changes

Jennifer Huergo

Director, 

Public Affairs Office

Jeffrey DiVietro

Acting Director, Technology 

Partnerships Office (TPO)

Image Credit: NIST Image Credit: NIST

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NIST Leadership Changes

Ms. Pravina Raghavan

Director, 

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership (MEP)

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Image Credit: NIST

Image Credit: U.S. Dept. of Commerce
Meeting Agenda

Session I: NIST Update

Session II: Budget Update

Session III: NIST Climate In-Depth Discussion

Session IV: Cybersecurity In-Depth Discussion

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NIST Program Update –

continued progress on our priorities 
Session I: NIST Program Update

• NIST Update and Agenda Review

• Innovation and Industry Services Update

• Champlain Towers South Collapse Investigation Update

• NCNR Restart Update

• Safety Update

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Artificial Intelligence Updates 

National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC)

• Established launched call for nominations SEP

• To advise on AI topics including state of science 

and U.S. competitiveness, workforce issues

U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

• First meeting SEP 2021 had a focus on AI

• U.S. and EU to explore collaboration on 

privacy-preserving AI

• Fabricating, measuring brain-inspired circuits 

and architectures

• Intersection of AI and quantum 

electromagnetics, nanoscale devices, applied 

physics

Hardware for AI

Image Credit: NIST

• Request for information JUL – SEP

• First virtual public workshop 19 – 21 OCT

Image Credit: NIST

AI Risk Management Framework

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Quantum Information Sciences Updates

Recent

Workshops

19th International 

Workshop on Low 

Temperature Detectors

19-26 JUL

3rd Post-Quantum 

Cryptography 

Workshop

7-9 JUN

Recent Publications

High-fidelity laser-free 

universal control of 

trapped ion qubits

Nature

08 SEP

Topological frequency 

combs and nested 

temporal solitons

Nature Physics

05 AUG

Quantum-enhanced 

sensing of 

displacements and 

electric fields with twodimensional trappedion crystals

Science

05 AUG

Quantum Economic 

Development 

Consortium (QED-C)

QED-C Introduces a 

Novel Approach to 

Measuring 

Performance of 

Quantum Computers

12 OCT

White House Summit 

on Quantum Industry 

and Society

05 OCT

Quantum Marketplace 

Webinars: A new series 

of monthly webinars 

highlighting QED-C 

companies in the

quantum supply chain

26 AUG

Image Credit: D. Slichter/NIST

NIST physicists demonstrate high-fidelity laser-free universal control 

of two trapped-ion qubits by creating both symmetric and 

antisymmetric maximally entangled states. This could lead to new 

ways to make more powerful quantum computers based on ions 

(charged atoms). 

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“Two decades after the draft sequence of the human 

genome was unveiled to great fanfare, a team of 99 

scientists has finally deciphered the entire thing. 

They have filled in vast gaps and corrected a long list 

of errors in previous versions, giving us a new view 

of our DNA.” – The New York Times

https://sites.google.com/ucsc.edu/t2tworkinggroup

Image Credit: T2T

Engineering Biology Update

NIST co-led a team in the Telomere-toTelomere (T2T) Consortium, which 

completed the last 7 % of the human 

genome 

Benchmarking against the new NIST GIAB 

reference reduced errors up to 12-fold in 

269 challenging, medically-relevant genes 

Suite of high-profile preprints highlighted 

extensively in the media, including NY 

Times, The Atlantic, and New Scientist 

Image Credit: CDC
Advanced Communications Update

• Developing measurements

of signals radiated by user 

equipment (UE) that 

can discriminate between 

different UEs

• Engaging industry 

consortia to develop test 

use cases

• 2021 First Responder 

Unmanned Aircraft System 

Challenge

• 2021 Mobile Fingerprint 

Capture for First 

Responders Challenge

• CTL to collect data for the Defense 

Spectrum Organization (DSO)

• Assess effectiveness of spectrum 

sharing between CBRS, DoD

• New NSF grant program in 

partnership with NIST, DOD and 

industry partners including Apple, 

Ericsson, Google, IBM, Intel, 

Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm

• Goal is to accelerate research on 

RINGS

Resilient and Intelligent NextG Systems (RINGS)

Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) Sharing

Ecosystem

Securing the 5G Supply Chain through 

Measurements

PSCR Division Open Innovation Prize 

Challenges

• $40M over 3 years to multidisciplinary projects that have significant 

impact on emerging Next Generation (NextG) wireless 

communications

Image Credit: NIST

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Image Credit: NIST

Image Credit: Federated Wireless

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Standards Update: The Way Forward

Increased PRC investment in R&D and SDO participation 

targeting critical and emerging (CET) technology creates a 

strategic challenge for the U.S.

Instead of “packing the room”, the U.S. requires an agile and 

asymmetric approach built around:

1) A sustained investment in R&D – a critical component of 

successfully influencing international standards

2) Expanded collaborations between allied governments, 

industry, and academia

3) A commitment to industry-led standards development 

processes 

NIST and DOC efforts will ensure that the U.S. and its allies 

have a sustainable foundation for continued leadership in SDO 

activity for CET

Image Credit: Atlantic Council

Washington would do better to

support the U.S. technology sector

and ensure that new technologies

emerging from the United States

are of the highest quality, since

well-engineered products are the

most likely to be selected for global

use. 15
Standards Update: New International Engagement

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)

• First-ever Quad Leaders Summit held in SEP 2021

• Released a joint statement that included CET 

standards

• U.S. (NIST) chairs the CET WG Standards Subgroup

• NIST leading efforts to facilitate coordination on 

technology standards development, including public 

and private sectors

• Addressing risks to U.S. economic and national 

security during the global deployment of 5G

U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council

• Inaugural meeting “Pittsburgh Summit” in SEP 2021

• NIST and ITA Co-Chair Technical Standards Subgroup

• Identified AI as CET area of interest (advanced 

manufacturing and advanced communications TBD)

• Collaborating on a U.S.-EU system

• Identifying opportunities to engage the private 

sector

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Image credit: State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain Image credit: Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
Standards Update: New Tools

• Partnership between NIST, ITA, and DOS

• Managed by NIST Standards Coordination Office

• Notification service for U.S. Government staff

• 1140 USG subscribers (AUG 2021)

• Lists new international standards activities of 

potential interest to U.S. Government

• Increases awareness of PRC proposals while 

they are still potentially actionable

• Covers ISO and IEC activities but will expand to 

cover additional SDOs

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NIST Proposed Infrastructure Construction Program

Financial

• $4.2 billon program

• 80% of FY2020 deferred maintenance 

would be eliminated

Components

• Focuses on new construction and utility 

infrastructure

• 1 Mega Project for each campus

• Phasing, acquisition strategies, and 

prioritized project list developed

• Follow-on phases for remaining 

renovation

Laboratory Planning Approach

• Research Neighborhood concept aligns NIST research with Congressional priorities

Duration

• Gaithersburg: 12 years; Boulder: 5 years

NIST infrastructure master plan reviewed in 

the context of congressional infrastructure 

legislation 

Image Credit: NIST

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NIST Research Neighborhoods Concept

Image Credit: NIST

Highlights

• Address critical and emerging 

technologies 

• Each neighborhood will have 

laboratory space, computing 

resources, and collaboration 

spaces that encourage more 

diverse project teams, 

collaboration, and reduce 

redundancies

Concept Models

• Multiple OUs

• Synergistic areas

• 222 first and then all GPLs

Image Credit: NIST

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American COMPETE Act Studies

Studies on emerging technology areas to 

recommend policy and legislative proposals

• Established subject matter expert teams

• Contracted the Science and Technology Policy 

Institute (STPI) and Quantum Economic 

Development Consortium (QED-C) 

• Request for Information (RFI) under review

Final report due to Congress 31 DEC 2022

Image Credit: PopTika/Shutterstock

Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Technology

Internet of Things (IoT) IoT in Manufacturing

New & Advanced Materials Quantum Computing

3D Printing Unmanned Delivery Service

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DEIA at NIST | External Efforts

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• EO 13985 Advancing Racial Equity and 

Support of Underserved Communities 

Through the Federal Government 

• EO 14019 Promoting Access to Voting 

• EO 14020 Establishment of the White 

House Gender Policy Council

• EO 14035 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and 

Accessibility in the Federal Workforce

NIST is working with DOC in responding to 

several Executive Orders on Diversity, 

Equity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility (DEIA)

in the federal workforce
Grassroots efforts across NIST labs

• The Engineering Laboratory Diversity, Inclusion, and

Belonging Council transitioned leadership after its 

inaugural year

• The Material Measurement Laboratory formed four 

Equity & Inclusivity Working Groups on Data and Tools, 

Work Environment, Advancement, and Processes

• The Information Technology Laboratory Diversity 

Committee continues work to achieve the vision and goals 

of NIST on Diversity in ITL

Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Conducted DEIA Listening and Learning Tour (AUG)

NISTIR 8366

• Guidance for NIST Staff on Using Inclusive Language in 

Documentary Standards

DEIA at NIST | External Efforts

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Image Credit: Pexels
Manufacturing USA Program Update

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• Proposals to develop technology roadmaps for promising AM clusters with emphasis on areas of critical interest

• Establish new or strengthen existing manufacturing technology consortia

• $3M total. Anticipate funding 10 proposals ($300K each)

• Competition published in JUN 2021. Proposals due AUG 2021

• 51 applications under review. Anticipated award NOV/DEC 2021

Highlight: FY2021 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Roadmap Grants Program (MfgTech Roadmaps)

• Builds off successful FY2012-2013 AmTech

Program

• AmTech roadmap was leveraged for current 

Institutes

• In 2015, activities of AMTech were merged 

into MFG USA
MEP Update

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Publish a new MEP National NetworkTM

Strategic Plan for FY23-28

• Talent development

• Supply chain

• Technology demonstration

If $275M FY2022 appropriation occurs

• Onboard new MEP staff

• Increase MEP Center Base Award 

Cooperative Agreements by at least 

$40M

• Award at least $50M in new 

Competitive Awards to MEP Centers

Highlight: FY2022 Priorities
DOC Strategic Plan Update

Key Themes

• Innovation and Global Competitiveness

• Economic Development 

• Climate

• Equity (ethical and responsible data practices, making 

data more accessible)

• Customer Service

NIST’s Role

• Revitalize U.S. manufacturing and strengthen domestic 

supply chains

• Accelerate development, commercialization, and use of 

critical and emerging science and technologies 

• Improve the Nation's cybersecurity and protect Federal 

government networks 

Image Credit: DOC

Image Credit: DOC

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DISCUSSION