February 8, 2023

NIST Visiting Committee 

on Advanced Technology (VCAT)

Dr. Laurie Locascio 

Under Secretary of Commerce 

for Standards and Technology 

and Director of NIST
Meeting Agenda

2

Session I: Programmatic & Operational 

Updates 

Session II: NIST Safety Committee Update

Session III: Findings of the National 

Academies of Science, Engineering and 

Medicine Assessment of NIST Facilities

Session IV: CHIPS Updates 

Session V: NIST Community Building Efforts 

Session VI: Subcommittee 

Recommendations

February 8, 2023

Session VII: VCAT Annual Report Drafting 

Session 

February 9, 2023
I. Programmatic Updates –

continued progress 

on our priorities 
Dr. Robert M. Dimeo 

Director, NIST Center for 

Neutron Research

Departing NIST March 2023

Grateful Recognition

4

Credit: NIST

Dr. James M. Adams

Special Advisor for Nuclear 

Operations (detailed)

Acting NCNR Director 

(transition in March)

Credit: NIST
Dr. James Olthoff

NIST Chief Metrologist

Director’s Office

NIST Leadership Changes

Image Credit: Department of Commerce Credit: Image Credit: NIST NIST

5
Dr. Charles H. Romine

Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs 

(transition in late Feb)

NIST Leadership Changes

6

Credit: NIST

Mr. James A. St Pierre

Acting Director, Information 

Technology Laboratory 

(transition in late Feb)

Credit: NIST
NIST Leadership Changes

7

Credit: NIST Credit: NIST

Mr. Dereck Orr

Acting Director, 

Communications Technology 

Laboratory

(transition soon)

Dr. Marla L. Dowell

Metrology Program Director, 

CHIPS R&D 

Boulder Site Director

(transition soon)

Credit: NIST Credit: NIST
NIST Director's Priorities

8

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Update

3rd U.S./EU Trade & Technology 

Council (TTC) ministerial at 

Univ. of Maryland College Park

Joint Roadmap on Evaluation

and Measurement Tools

for Trustworthy AI

and Risk Management

December 5, 2022 10

Rollout of the NIST AI Risk 

Management Framework (AI 

RMF) 1.0 & AI RMF Playbook 1.0

January 26, 2023

Credit: science.house.gov Credit: @SecRaimondo

In-person launch with Deputy 

Secretary Graves and Federal, 

industry leaders 

Working on the 

global scale to 

promote 

trustworthy AI
Cybersecurity & Privacy Update

11

NIST CSF 2.0 Concept Paper: Potential 

Significant Updates to the Cybersecurity 

Framework 

• Released for public comment, 1/19/22 

• Public workshops on 2/15/23 (virtual) 

and 2/22-23/23 (in-person) 

• Comments due by 3/3/23

Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Creating the tools for the 

world to use to promote 

secure and trusted digital 

access
Advanced Communications Update

12

• AIM Photonics focus on manufacturing photonic chips

• NIST will design “calibration structures” to measure and 

test the performance of photonic chips at speed of up 

to 110 GHz

Advancing the next 

generation of 

wireless technologies

Global consortium of carriers, 

vendors, and research institutions 

working to standardize the parts of 

the RAN and the interfaces that 

connect them

NIST Joins O-RAN Alliance (Nov. 2022)

Collaboration Between NIST & AIM Photonics (Dec. 2022)
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Nature Communications, Dec 2022

Phys. Rev. D Dec 2022

Quantum Information Sciences Update

Shaping the 

quantum future

Superconducting 

nanowire single 

photon detector for 

dark matter

Photonic integrated 

circuit for quantum 

computing
NIST and Post-Quantum Cryptography

4th NIST PQC 

Standardization 

Conference 

November 29 - December 1, 2022 

• Introduced technical specifics for 

upcoming standards and received 

feedback from stakeholders

• Drafts of standards anticipated in 

summer 2023 

Credit: Sungmin Kim/NIST
Promoting innovation in 

biomanufacturing and accuracy and 

precision in biological measurements 

Credit: NIST

Biotechnology

15

Credit: NIST

Credit: NIIMBL/BTEC @ North Carolina State University
Energy, Climate, Environment

Credit: NIST

FY2023 Appropriations (+$11.5M)

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• Climate and Energy Measurement, Tools, and 

Testbeds

• Direct Air Capture and Carbon Dioxide 

Removal and Sequestration

• Center of Excellence in Climate Change 

Measurement

• Forward-Looking Building Standards

• GHG-Urban Dome

July 2022 launch of novel NASA • Wildfires and the Wildland-Urban Interface

instrument sets sights on 

Earth-bound solar radiation
Technology Transfer Activities

FY22

Invention Disclosure 69

Provisional Applications 59

Non-Provisional 

Applications 27

Patents Issued 25

New Licenses 12

Active Licenses 63

Exclusive License to Wavsens

• US Patent Application 16/418,202, “Mapping probe for real-time signal 

sampling and recovery from engineering electromagnetic interference” 

• Mapping probe can create a map of a structural entity, e.g., a threedimensional (3D) environment such as a room, a building, a city, etc.

• The final product will function like a camera that can see through walls.

USG Standards Leadership

• NIST is working closely with 

the administration on 

developing a strategic 

approach to publicprivate cooperation in U.S. 

international standards 

development activity

• NIST will lead the 

interagency 

implementation plan

• Stakeholder “listening 

sessions” to be 

announced soon 19

“To ensure these investments 

support positive technological 

outcomes, we will partner with 

industry and governments in 

shaping technological 

standards that ensure quality, 

consumer safety, and global 

interoperability, and to 

advance the open and 

transparent standards process 

that has enabled innovation, 

growth, and interconnectivity 

for decades.”
International Engagement in Standards

20

U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council

U.S. ● European Commission

Quad

U.S. ● Australia ● India ● Japan

Ottawa 5

U.S. ● Australia ● Canada

New Zealand ● UK

OECD

U.S. ● Australia ● Austria Canada Denmark ● Finland

France ● Germany Hungary ● Japan ● Korea ● Mexico 

Netherlands ● New Zealand ● Poland Russia ● Singapore 

Slovak Republic Slovenia ● Sweden Switzerland ● Turkey 

UAE ● UK ● European Commission

IPEF

U.S. ● Australia ● Brunei ● India ● Indonesia ● Japan

Korea ● Malaysia New Zealand ● Philippines ● Singapore 

Thailand ● Vietnam

Credit: @SecRaimondo

Credit: White House Photo by A. Schultz

Credit: ODNI

Credit: USTR

U.S.-UK Comprehensive Dialogue on 

Technology and Data 

U.S. ● UK

Credit: @StateDept

Manufacturing Program Updates

MEP Updates

• $175M (+$17M over FY2022)

• Additional $13M in funding as part of 

the Disaster Supplemental “to help 

implement the Research and 

Development, Competition, and 

Innovation Act.”

Manufacturing USA Updates 

• NIST asked for public input on 

development of up to three new 

institutes focused on semiconductor 

manufacturing 

• Public report expected in March

Credit: NIST
CHIPS Update

More to come in this 

afternoon's session

• Full funding announcement for 

Manufacturing Incentives 

coming in February 2023

• White Paper on the National 

Semiconductor Technology 

Center coming soon 

• Rapidly hiring team members 

• Industrial Advisory Committee 

met yesterday, February 7 

NIST Disaster Investigations

Credit: NIST

Hurricane Fiona 

• Understand impacts of power and water infrastructure 

damage to mitigation activities

• Examine compounding effects of Hurricane Maria on 

recovery of schools, hospitals, businesses, supply chains

Hurricane Ian 

• Investigate storm surge damage to improve building 

codes and standards

• Study emergency communications and evacuation 

actions to improve emergency preparedness and 

response practices

Champlain Towers South

• Secure primary evidence warehouse 

• Draft final report with recommendations for changes to 

codes, standards, and practices

25
NCNR Update

• NRC has completed the Technical Evaluation Report (TER)and is now 

in concurrence at NRC

• NRC will hold public meeting this month to inform public of basis for 

restart decision

• NRC then to issue TER report to NIST with restart authorization decision

Reactor Operational Readiness

• Dr. Rob Dimeo departing NIST in March

• NCNR Director vacancy to be posted

• Dr. Jim Adams will become Acting NCNR Director in interim

NCNR Leadership

Reactor Upgrades

• Operate for 4-5 cycles (~1 year) then shut down for upgrades

o Double the data rates in the cold neutron guide hall

o Additional 2 to 9 times gain for other instrumentation
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Expanding Our Reach (Visibility)

How to measure the 

tiniest forces in the 

universe: 3.5M views

Veritasium Segments on You Tube 

The world depends on 

a collection of strange 

items: 6.3M views
DEI Strategic Plan Return to Campus
DEIA Strategic Plan 

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Supporting a place where 

everyone is welcome and 

included
Return to Campus Update

Rebuilding our on 

campus community with 

intention
Discussion