Virtual Meeting

October 20, 2020

NIST Update

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology 

Walter G. Copan

Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology

and NIST Director 
2

Meeting Agenda

Session I: NIST Update

Session II: Setting the Stage – The Role of NIST in America’s Evolving 

Innovation Ecosystem 

Session III: Steps Taken and Future Opportunities 

Session IV: Discussion with VCAT
3

Session I: NIST Update

• Thank You and farewell to two VCAT Members

• NIST leadership changes

• Budget update

• Laboratories programmatic update

• Discussion
4

Thank You

CTO Microsoft M365 Security & 

Compliance
5

President and CEO

M-7 Technologies

Thank You
6

NIST Leadership Changes: Retirement

Director 

Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Standards and Technology 

Chief of Staff

Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs / 

Principal Deputy

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

Communications Technology 

Laboratory

Physical Measurement 

Laboratory

Engineering Laboratory

Information Technology 

Laboratory

NIST Center for Neutron 

Research

Associate Director for 

Management Resources

Office of Advanced 

Manufacturing

Baldrige Performance 

Excellence Program

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership

Technology Partnerships 

Office

Director, Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership (MEP)

• Retiring in December 2020

• Nearly 18 years at NIST as Senior 

Program Office Analyst, 

Commerce/Science Fellow, Partnership 

Catalyst and MEP Director

• More than 30 years of entrepreneurial 

and small business development 

experience

• Served as Acting Associate Director of 

Innovation and Industry Services 

(ADIIS)

• Provided senior leadership for the NIST 

Office of Advanced Manufacturing, 

Baldrige Performance Excellence 

Program and the Technology 

Partnerships Office

Carroll Thomas

Office of Acquisition and 

Agreements Management

Office of Safety, Health and 

Environment

Office of Financial Resource 

Management

Office of Human Resources 

Management

Office of Information Systems 

Management

Office of Facilities and 

Property Management

Associate Director for 

Innovation and Industry 

Services
7

NIST Leadership Changes: Retirement

Director 

Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Standards and Technology 

Chief of Staff

Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs / 

Principal Deputy

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

Communications Technology 

Laboratory

Physical Measurement 

Laboratory

Engineering Laboratory

Information Technology 

Laboratory

NIST Center for Neutron 

Research

Associate Director for 

Management Resources

Office of Advanced 

Manufacturing

Baldrige Performance 

Excellence Program

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership

Technology Partnerships 

Office

Director, Public Affairs Office

• Retired September 2020 after 

33 years at NIST

• Leadership in programs for 

media relations, 

Web content development 

and production, social media, 

video production, internal 

communications, general 

publications, conference and 

audiovisual services, and 

public inquiries

• Led PAO team to four Emmy 

awards in 2020! Total five 

Emmys received by NIST staff 

since 2018

Gail Porter

Office of Acquisition and 

Agreements Management

Office of Safety, Health and 

Environment

Office of Financial Resource 

Management

Office of Human Resources 

Management

Office of Information Systems 

Management

Office of Facilities and 

Property Management

Associate Director for 

Innovation and Industry 

Services
NIST Leadership Changes

Jennifer Huergo

Acting Director, 

Public Affairs Office

8

Rob Ivester

Acting Director, Hollings 

Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (MEP)
9

NIST Leadership Changes: Welcome

Director 

Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Standards and Technology 

Chief of Staff

Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs / 

Principal Deputy

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

Communications Technology 

Laboratory

Physical Measurement 

Laboratory

Engineering Laboratory

Information Technology 

Laboratory

NIST Center for Neutron 

Research

Associate Director for 

Management Resources

Office of Advanced 

Manufacturing

Baldrige Performance 

Excellence Program

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership

Technology Partnerships 

Office

Director, Office of Acquisition 

and Agreements Management

• Previously served as Senior 

Vice President and Public 

Sector Contracts Leader with 

global PR firm 

FleishmanHillard. 

• Senior Manager and Chief 

Contracts Strategist with 

Deloitte and Director of 

Capture Strategy with Red 

Team Consulting.

• Has held senior acquisition 

and contracting leadership 

positions at HHS, HUD, USDA, 

DHS, and DoD, and served as 

source selection authority for 

over $10 B of contracts.

Stephen Yuter

Office of Acquisition and 

Agreements Management

Office of Safety, Health and 

Environment

Office of Financial Resource 

Management

Office of Human Resources 

Management

Office of Information Systems 

Management

Office of Facilities and 

Property Management

Associate Director for 

Innovation and Industry 

Services
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NIST Budget

NIST is operating under, 

planning for, and developing 

budgets for three fiscal years

FY21 Continuing Resolution

FY22 In Development 

FY23 Early Stages

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11

NIST Budget

FY 2020 FY 2021

FY 2020 CARES Act FY 2021 House

Enacted P.L. 116-136 Request Mark

STRS $754.0 $6.0 $652.0 $789.0

Laboratory Programs 655.8 6.0 591.3 TBD

Corporate Services 17.3 0.0 12.0 TBD

Stds Coord & Special Pgms * 80.9 0.0 48.7 TBD

ITS $162.0 $60.0 $25.3 $170.0

Hollings Mfg Ext Partnership 146.0 50.0 0.0 153.0

Manufacturing USA 16.0 10.0 25.3 17.0

CRF $118.0 $0.0 $60.2 $85.0

 Construc & Major Renovations 43.0 0.0 19.6 10.0

Saf, Cap, Maint & Maj Repairs 75.0 0.0 40.6 75.0

Total, NIST Discretionary 1,034.0 66.0 737.5 1,044.0

* Includes $2.2M Baldrige Performance Excellence Program funding.
Updates on Inclusivity

• Film Screening of Picture a Scientist and discussion 

sessions hosted by WiSTEM with NIST Ombuds

• Ongoing COACh study of inequity in promotion – focus groups this month and next 

• Conclusion of two staff detail assignments looking at 

inclusivity at NIST

• NIST Colloquium featuring Prof. Stefanie K. Johnson 

on the ABCs of Breaking Bias 

• National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with 

Dr. Ellen Ochoa 

• Inclusivity in Standards NIST Workshop 

• Inclusivity Showcase featuring NIST groups and 

efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (Oct 27)

• Creation of new NIST-wide position: Director of 

Diversity and Inclusion (in progress) 

Image credit: NASA

Image credit: inclusifybook.com

Image credit: Picture a Scientist

Image credit: NSB
Privacy Framework

“Growing a Workforce for Managing Privacy 

Risk” Workshop was hosted by International 

Association of Privacy Professionals on Sept. 

22-24, 2020

GDPR Crosswalk by Enterprivacy Consulting 

Group

ISO/IEC 27701 Crosswalk by Microsoft

Credit: Shutterstock
Updates on NIST Work in Encryption

Post Quantum Cryptography 

Round Three Selections completed

Lightweight Encryption

The Fourth Lightweight Cryptography 

Workshop (virtual) on October 19-21, 

2020

Credit: E. Edwards/JQI
Cybersecurity and Privacy Noteworthy Releases

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Began validating cryptographic 

modules to FIPS 140-3, Security 

Requirements for Cryptographic 

Modules

SP 800-53 Rev 5

Security and Privacy Controls 

for Information Systems and 

Organizations

SP 800-211 

Cybersecurity Program Annual 

Report

SP 800-207 

Zero Trust Architectures 

Draft Workforce Framework 

for Cybersecurity (NICE 

Framework)

Cybersecurity Telework 

Resource Page
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Responsible Use of Positioning, Navigation, and 

Timing Services (PNT)

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-strengtheningnational-resilience-responsible-use-positioning-navigation-timing-services/

The Executive Order directs the Department of 

Commerce and other agencies to work with the 

private sector to identify and promote 

responsible methods of using PNT services that 

appropriately manage risks. 

The Department of Commerce is also charged 

with making a global navigation satellite system 

(GNSS)-independent source of Coordinated 

Universal Time to enhance the resilience of and 

support the needs of critical infrastructure
Cybersecurity Profile for the Responsible Use of PNT

Draft annotated outline issued 

on August 31, 2020

Workshop on Sept 15-16, 2020

Draft Profile for public comment 

expected October-November 2020

Using an open and collaborative 

process, NIST will develop a 

foundational PNT profile to help 

organizations make deliberate, riskinformed decisions on their use of 

PNT services and will offer a time 

service over optical fiber lines as an 

alternate source of precision time.

https://www.nist.gov/itl/pnt
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PNT: Precision Time Updates

Time distribution over optical fiber 

• Fiber installation completed from 

NIST Gaithersburg to a customer 

facility in VA

• Achieved uncertainty of 50 ns, 

smashed the original 1 μs

performance goal

Optical Clock Development – NIST 

continues development of 

transportable optical clocks based on 

ytterbium atoms and is progressing 

with its new program for an optical 

clock based on a single strontium ion.

Credit: NIST

Ytterbium lattice clock
Trustworthy AI

NIST is developing the 

vocabulary and measurements 

needed for technical 

requirements of trustworthy AI 

Bias in AI: workshop on 

August 18, 2020

“Four Principles of Explainable AI,” 

draft posted for public comment 

August 17-October 15, 2020

“Secure AI: Terminology and 

Taxonomy” Final draft expected in 

Fall 2020
Novel computational paradigms for AI

Establishing metrics and benchmarks 

for AI hardware

Foundational analysis of the 

computational capacity of a physical 

system

Analysis and development of 

algorithms for spike-based 

computation

Schneider, M.L., Donnelly, C.A., Haygood, I.W. et al. Synaptic weighting in single flux quantum 

neuromorphic computing. Sci Rep 10, 934 (2020)

A chip where NIST tested the synaptic weighting functions 

that NIST has been simulating; researchers found 

agreement between simulations and the tested hardware 

within the fabrication tolerances. 
Use-inspired AI

Ran an internal funding competition to identify 

new use-inspired research topics to accelerate 

the deployment of AI to advance NIST programs

Three projects (MML, PML, and CTL) 

selected for a total investment of $3.57 M in 

FY 2021

NIST is contributing to the 

research, standards, and data 

required to realize the promise 

of AI as an enabler of American 

innovation across private and 

public sectors
Federal Government AI standards Coordinator

Outreach to connect all federal efforts relating 

to AI standards development and use, with the 

goal of the community leveraging and learning 

from each others’ successes

In collaboration with OSTP and the NSTC MLAI 

Subcommittee NIST will plan and execute an 

international campaign coordinating efforts in 

AI standards development
The Phish Scale

NIST developed a new method called the Phish Scale that could help 

organizations better train their employees to avoid a particularly dangerous 

form of cyberattack known as phishing

Credit: NIST
Effect of Masks on Face Recognition Accuracy

NISTIR 8311 - Face recognition accuracy 

with face masks using pre-COVID-19 

algorithms

The next report will document accuracy 

values for more recent algorithms, 

some developed with capabilities for 

recognition of masked faces

Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST
Quantum Economic Development Consortium 

(QED-C)

Participation agreements signed by Steering 

Committee and more than 95 other entities, 

including over 80 companies

The 180+ potential members of the 

consortium will convert to members only in 

early November

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Plenary meeting held in September 2020; 

first R&D project in support of cryogenic 

technology being rolled out to members

Credit: https://quantumconsortium.org/

QED-C formally established its Steering 

Committee in September 2020

Goal: lay the groundwork for a new commercial industry 

based on quantum information science and technologies, as 

well as the supply chain to support it
National Quantum Initiative (NQI): New Activities

Initiated first R&D project 

within the QED-C: began the 

process of building the supply 

chain for quantum 2.0 industry 

Initiated an effort to 

demonstrate a compact optical 

clock that could provide a 

backup to GPS

Initiated a project to 

demonstrate a potentially 

compact scalable quantum 

repeater, one of two roadblocks 

to quantum networks

Credit: https://quantumconsortium.org/
Quantum: Materials Measurement

New article details ‘Swiss Army Knife’ method/ 

instrumentation that can precisely make three 

simultaneous atom-scale measurements to 

gain new knowledge of special materials

Method connects unusual properties in 

materials that could be invaluable with their 

atomic origins & developed new microscope 

with optimized resolution

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Applicable for development of next 

generation of quantum computers, 

communications, and beyond

Credit: NIST

Photo of a sample inside the scanning probe

Atomic force image of an aluminum sample showing the 

arrangement of atoms measured at 0.01 Kelvin
28

NIST-on-a-Chip Update

Growing Community of Support

• DARPA announced 2 new quantum sensing 

programs based on NOAC

• NRO invited 4 NOAC proposals for Directors 

Innovation Initiative

• NOAA, NIST, and DOD working on 

atmospheric sensing

• Airforce has identified 7 NOAC priorities for 

outyear investments NOAC nanophotonic astrocomb

5nm

Recent patents

• Rydberg atom mixer and phase determination

• Photonic calorimeter

• Photonic dosimetry
29

Advanced Communications: 5G Advances

SAMURAI

Highly accurate 5G measurements in a 

field scale device

Credit: M. Hammer/NIST

5G Frequency Sharing

Developed a formula that allows for efficient 

frequency sharing

Credit: NIST
Advanced Communications: Public Safety

Oct 2020: Launched the Differential Privacy Temporal Map 

Challenge with $276,000 in prizes for breakthroughs in 

algorithms for data privacy over three sprints through June 2021 

Credit: NIST

July 2020: Public Safety Annual Stakeholder meeting had 

more than 1,000 participants and over 100 hours of content

Credit: NIST
Community Resilience: Wildfire Studies

Chimney Tops 2 Fire (Tennessee, 2016)

Assessed factors that impact evacuation 

Camp Fire (California, 2018)

Released Preliminary Reconnaissance Report

Forthcoming reports on: Fire and Response Data, Fire Timeline

Effort will provide new technical insight to inform best practices for mitigating risks from WUI fires

Credit : National Park Service Credit : National Park Service Credit : M. Hoehler/NIST
ICAMS 

Interagency Council for Advancing 

Meteorological Services

Aspirational Goal: “The United States will lead 

the world in meteorological services via an 

Earth system approach, providing societal 

benefits with information spanning local 

weather to global climate.” 

Credit : Felix Mittermeier from Pixabay

NIST is proposed to co-chair 

Committee on Facilities, Cyber, and 

Infrastructure

Kicked off by OSTP in August

NIST providing expertise in 

metrology, cybersecurity, and 

resilience

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Signed-ICAMS-Charter.pdf
Manufacturing USA CARES Act Grants Awarded

Apply COBOT technology to COVID-19 test processing

9 projects such as rapid testing + domestic PPE production 

Expand production using additive and digital manufacturing

Advanced manufacturing skills training

Technology roadmap for pandemic response and recovery
NIIMBL Third Year Accomplishments

Biopharmaceutical manufacturing 

ecosystem of 155 members

⚙65 industry partners 

⚙62 academic institutions

⚙31 non-profits

⚙35% increase in membership over prior 

year

Technology and Workforce project 

portfolio of $53M includes

⚙3:1 co-investment of non-federal to NIST 

funds

⚙9 high-impact pandemic response 

projects sponsored by NIST through 

CARES Act Funding

⚙Project Call 4.1 includes funding for 

global health projects in partnership with 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Assistance has included assessments, webinars, 

townhalls, virtual trainings, connecting SMMs to 

local and national resources, return to work plans, 

supplier capabilities database, re-tooling

Completed award of $50M in emergency 

funding to support manufacturers in their 

response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Awards to MEP Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Provides services to manufacturers to help increase production of 

PPE, to reach new suppliers or markets, and to achieve greater 

resilience.

As of September, MEP Centers have:

• Contacted over 71,000 mfrs

• Completed 5,333 projects

• Conducted 3,829 supplier searches

• Initiated 2,858 supplier matches

Credit: NIST
10/21/2020 36

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

• Key themes of interest: 

• Adv. Manufacturing 

Technologies Services 

(AMTS) /Industry 4.0

• Supply chain

• Workforce, Business 

services

• 32 active projects involving 

over 40 MEP Centers

Strategic Competition 

Program (CAP)

• Special focus on Defense 

Manufacturers 

• >1,000 defense 

contractors working with 

~30 MEP Centers and 2 

NIST labs (EL and ITL).

Cybersecurity Guidance

MEP-Assisted Technology 

and Technical Resource 

(MATTR)

• 23 offers of assistance to 

MEPNN from 5 NIST labs in 

2020 

• 2 CRADAs between MEP 

Center clients and NIST Labs

Purpose: Build network 

capabilities and solve new or 

emerging manufacturing problems 

Assisting all 51 MEP Centers Connecting Center clients with 

NIST lab expertise and resources 
Manufacturing: 3D Printing of Soft Materials

Developed new method of 3-D 

printing gels and other soft 

materials

Work could lead to production 

of tiny medical devices

New approach using shorter 

wavelengths and electrons can 

produce gels with finer detail

Illustration of a prospective biocompatible interface shows that hydrogels (green tubing), which 

can be generated by an electron or X-ray beam 3D printing process, act as artificial synapses or 

junctions, connecting neurons (brown) to electrodes (yellow). Credit: A. Strelcov/NIST
38

Smart Manufacturing Guidelines 

Published a series of guidelines on 

deploying smart manufacturing 

systems using open, standards-based 

approaches

• Collecting, Curating, and Re-using 

manufacturing data

• Traceability and Trustworthiness of 

Manufacturing Data

• Industrial Wireless Deployments

• Demonstration Cases

Credit: Earl Zubkoff
Rapid Microbial Testing Method Consortium

Will address shared needs such as 

measurements for microbial testing in 

regenerative medicine products

Will design interlaboratory studies to 

support best practices and standard 

methods

39

Credit: Pixabay

Launched with virtual workshop Sept 17, 

2020, potential members invited to sign 

Letter of Intent 

https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/nist-rapid-microbial-testing-methods-consortium
COVID-19 Measurements Update 

SARS-CoV-2 Synthetic RNA Fragments 

Reference Grade Test Material

NIST has shipped over 125 units of RGTM to 

customers in U.S. and abroad and collecting 

feedback from users 

Initial user input shows material is stable and 

customer measurements in line with NIST’s

CCQM Working Group on Nucleic Acid Analysis 

fast-tracked inter-laboratory study for SARS-CoV2 measurement coordinated by NIST, LGC (UK), 

NIBSC (UK), and NIM China
41

Assays to Support COVID-19 Response: Serology 

10 June 20

NIST holds 

initial call with 

NCI and FDA 

on serology

17 June 20

NIST presents 

capability and 

project plans to 

NIH/NCI

1 July 20

NIST starts 

reagent 

procurement

21 Aug. 20

NIST completes 

assay development

14 Sep. 20

NIST completes 

testing of blinded 

DARPA samples

1 Oct. 20

NIST 

presents 

assay to 

interagency 

partners 

(NIH, CDC, 

FDA)

5 Oct. 20

NIST completes 

serology and 

neutralization testing 

of candidate WHO 

reference materials

15 Oct. 20

NIST to 

participate as 

an Ancillary 

Partner to the 

National 

SeroNet

NIST joining efforts with NIH, CDC, and FDA to study the immune response to COVID-19
ROI Initiative Progress Year 1.5

April 24, 2020 – one-year 

anniversary of release of NIST 

Special Publication 1234

Lab-to-Market NSTC 

Subcommittee and CAP Goal 

continue to provide direction on 

implementation of findings 

Nearing milestone completion 

for initial legislative and 

regulatory proposals!

42
43

ROI Progress: Stevenson-Wydler

Finding 4 Copyright of Government Software 

Finding 5 Proprietary Information

Finding 6 Strengthen Technology Transfer at Federal Labs

Presumption of Government Rights to Employee Finding 7 Inventions

Finding 8 Streamlined Partnership Mechanisms

Finding 9 Expanded Partnership Mechanisms

Access to Federal Technologies, Knowledge, and Finding 14 Capabilities

Finding 15 Benchmarking and Metrics

Green Paper Findings Addressed in Proposed Legislation:

Current Status:

Finalizing LRM process with 

OMB.

Delivery to Congressional 

Committees expected 

October 2020.
44

ROI Progress: Bayh-Dole

Government Use Rights Finding 1

March-In Rights Finding 2

Streamlined Partnership Mechanisms Finding 8

Federal IP Data and Reporting Systems Finding 13

Benchmarking and Metrics Finding 15

Green Paper Findings Addressed in Proposed Regulation:

Current Status:

Responses to formal 

agency comments 

submitted to Office of 

Information and Regulatory 

Affairs

Notice of Proposed Rule 

Making expected to be 

published November 2020.
45

ROI Progress: Other Areas

NIST scoping MEP/Laboratory tech collaboratives project; L2M 

inclusive innovation ecosystem prize competition launched in 

collaboration with SBA

Interagency Edison system rebuild progressing on schedule 

(expected to launch in FY22); System tours for extramural 

users planned and user testing will begin shortly

T2 metrics definitions published for Federal Agencies; Model 

Data Listing for available federal technologies in development; 

National Academies study on data and digital products 

winding down (Feb ‘21 report)
46

Recent International Engagements

NIST is engaging with international metrology 

partners discussing the impact of the pandemic

• NIST provide its first online “hands on” lab 

training to over 30 SIM partners on Radiation 

thermometry

The BIRD Board of Governors met on October 13 to 

discuss the future of the foundation to ensure it 

continues to be a vibrant mechanism for U.S.-Israel 

cooperation on innovation.

NIST is working with UK Research and Innovation 

(UKRI) to finalize an MOU focused on Innovation and 

Commercialization Practices and other areas of 

mutual interest

The US-Australia JCM was held in August

• NIST’s long history of cooperation with the 

Australian NMI was highlighted.

• Potential future exchanges and collaborations 

around QIS and AI were discussed.
47

Recent Awards

NIST scientists and staff 

continue to be recognized for 

their outstanding contributions

A full celebration of all NIST 

staff achievements will take 

place at the 2020 NIST Awards 

Ceremony 

Donna Dodson -- Service to 

America Medal Winner

NIST Team wins Local 

Emmy for 

“Rethinking 

Manufacturing” video

Winnie Wong-Ng – Inducted into 

LSU Hall of Distinction
DISCUSSION
49

Meeting Agenda

Session I: NIST Update

Session II: Setting the Stage – The Role of NIST in America’s Evolving 

Innovation Ecosystem 

Session III: Steps Taken and Future Opportunities 

Session IV: Discussion with VCAT