VISITING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY 

National Institute of Standards and Technology

2010 Annual Report 

  

Visiting Committee on Advanced 

Technology  

of the 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

March 2, 2011 
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Preface

The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) was established in its present form by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and updated by

the America COMPETES Act. The VCAT charter includes reviewing and making recommendations regarding general

policy for NIST, its organization, budget and programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set

forth by the president and the Congress. In addition, the America COMPETES Act calls for the VCAT to comment on

NIST’s three‐year programmatic plan in its annual report to Congress  This 2010 annual report covers June 2010

through the February 2011 meeting.  

The Committee reviews the Institute’s strategic direction, performance and policies, and provides the Secretary of

Commerce, Congress, and other stakeholders with information on the value and relevance of NIST to the U.S.

science and technology base and to the economy. Over the past year, the Committee has been active in assessing

NIST’s progress in the following areas:  

• Management and Operational Challenges

• The NIST Realignment and Reorganization

• The Development and Delivery of Measurement Services

• Strategic Planning and Performance  

The Committee reviews a significant portion of NIST programs through direct discussion with NIST leaders,

scientists, and engineers. Reactions and observations are presented candidly to the NIST senior management and

other attendees at each meeting. This feedback encourages continuous improvement in key areas in the overall

operation. The Committee also visits various NIST laboratories and satellite facilities to discuss the research

projects directly with the technical staff. These laboratory tours help the committee assess the impact of NIST

research, determine their progress towards meeting the goals of the strategic plan, quality of the staff, and the

efficacy of the facility infrastructure.  

The charter of the Committee provides that the Director of NIST shall appoint the members of the Committee.

Members shall be selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce

guidance. Members shall be selected solely on the basis of established records of distinguished service; shall

provide representation of a cross‐section of traditional and emerging United States industries; and shall be

eminent in fields such as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education,

management consulting, environment, and international relations. No employee of the Federal Government shall

serve as a member of the Committee.  Members are appointed for staggered three‐year terms.

Four new members were appointed during the period covered by this report: Dr. Sujeet Chand (Rockwell

Automation), Dr. Uma Chowdhry (DuPont), Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir (then at Verizon Communications) and Dr.

Michael McRobbie (Indiana University).

This report highlights the Committee’s observations, findings and recommendations. Detailed meeting minutes

and presentation materials are available on the NIST web site at www.nist.gov/director/vcat.  
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VCAT Members during the Period Covered by this Report

Dr. Vinton G. Cerf, Chair  

Google

Dr. Alan I. Taub, Vice Chair

General Motors  

Dr. Thomas M. Baer  

Stanford University

Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy

University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Sujeet Chand

Rockwell Automation

Dr. Uma Chowdhry

DuPont  

Dr. Paul A. Fleury  

Yale University

Dr. Peter Green

University of Michigan

Dr. Tony Haymet

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD

Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir

Verizon Communications (2010)

Barclays Bank  (2011)

Dr. Pradeep Khosla  

Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Michael A. McRobbie

Indiana University

Dr. Alton (Al) D. Romig, Jr.

Sandia National Laboratories (2010)

Lockheed Martin (2011)

Dr. Darlene J.S. Solomon  

Agilent Technologies

Table of Contents

Preface ...............................................................................................................................................................ii

VCAT Members during the Period Covered by this Report ..................................................................................iii

VCAT Focus in 2010  ............................................................................................................................................1

NIST Management and Operational Challenges...................................................................................................1

     Safety at NIST..................................................................................................................................................1

     Foreign National Guest Researchers.................................................................................................................2

NIST Role in Measurement Services  ....................................................................................................................2

NIST Realignment and Reorganization.................................................................................................................4

NIST Role in Forensic Science  ..............................................................................................................................5

NIST Strategic Planning and Performance............................................................................................................6

     NIST External Peer Review ...............................................................................................................................7

     NIST Three‐Year Programmatic Plan.................................................................................................................7

NIST Budget........................................................................................................................................................8     
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VCAT Focus in 2010

In 2008 and 2009, the VCAT explored in depth specific areas of NIST’s mission including the role that the NIST

laboratory and extramural programs play in stimulating innovation and competitiveness, and the role of NIST in

the development and implementation of documentary standards.  In 2010, the VCAT continued the in depth

examination of NIST mission areas, this time focusing on the unique NIST role in the development and delivery of

measurement services to support industrial competitiveness and innovation.  The VCAT was asked to consider:

• How well does NIST identify its current customers and new customers and their needs, and define its role

and approach in addressing those needs?

• How well does NIST position its long‐term research portfolio to continuously evolve its capabilities to

address changing measurement service needs?

• How well does NIST assess that the services it currently provides are best meeting the customer needs?

• How well does NIST assess the overall quality and relevance of its measurement service programs?

To address these questions, the VCAT received an overview of NIST measurement service programs, heard

briefings from customers of NIST measurement services, and met with staff and leaders from three programs

across the NIST laboratories in the areas of ionizing radiation, mechanical metrology, and analytical chemistry in

order to understand how measurement service activities are currently managed and prioritized across NIST.  

Our 2010 VCAT Annual Report addresses our observations, findings and recommendations relevant to NIST’s

measurement service activities as well as our comments and recommendations about the NIST realignment  and

reorganization, the NIST budget, NIST role in the Administration’s innovation strategy, NIST role in forensic science,

as well as management and operational challenges affecting NIST.

NIST Management and Operational Challenges  

This past year the VCAT has worked with NIST on a number of operational and management challenges. Two of the

highest‐priority issues have been Safety at NIST and the Department of Commerce (DOC) policies affecting the

access of foreign national guest researchers to NIST facilities.

Safety at NIST  

Since the Safety Incident at the NIST Boulder laboratories in June of 2008, NIST has taken a number of concrete

steps to strengthen and improve its safety practices, and is making progress as it works to develop a

comprehensive and well integrated safety program and culture integral to everyday NIST operations. One of the

major efforts undertaken by NIST this year was a complete reassessment of NIST’s safety programs and culture by

the same Blue Ribbon Commission (NIST Blue Ribbon Commission on Management and Safety II ‐ BRCII) that

provided the initial assessment of NIST’s safety culture in order to benchmark progress to date. The VCAT followed

the NIST Director’s efforts to lead a “transformational safety initiative” at NIST, and has received updates from the

Director and NIST staff throughout the year.  

RECOMMENDATION:

3⁄4 The recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission II Report should be implemented.
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Foreign National Guest Researchers 

   

The Committee recognizes the remarkable value to NIST and to the U.S. interests in having highly qualified foreign

nationals working side‐by‐side with their American counterparts.  American industry is increasingly globalized with

many prominent members of its research community being foreign nationals.  NIST is unique in that it engages

with the private sector to collaborate on measurement methods and materials standards in support of American

industry.  The scientists and engineers who participate in these cooperative arrangements are literally among the

best in the world and the beneficial transfer of technology and methods from NIST into the American private

sector inescapably involves the participation of these valued participants.  These efforts enhance the

competitiveness of American industry and represent an important contribution by NIST in the fulfillment of the

Department’s goals.   

In the face of potential changes to DOC policies that could affect the access of foreign nationals to NIST, the VCAT

engaged DOC leadership to express its concerns. At issue is NIST’s ability to take advantage of skilled foreign

nationals and their expertise in the conduct of NIST’s mission. The VCAT Chair sincerely appreciated the

opportunity to learn more about this policy and discuss the Committee’s concerns.  We are pleased to learn that

the Department is re‐examining its policies and taking our concerns seriously.   We commend DOC for engaging

with the Bureaus and encourage the Department to finalize the revision as quickly as possible.  The VCAT believes

that any changes to security practices at NIST should be adopted in the context of the NIST mission and the

realities of today’s private sector workforce. American enterprise has become a globalized activity and NIST

standards, measurements and materials as well as research results should be broadly accessible.

RECOMMENDATIONS:   

3⁄4 VCAT strongly endorses efforts by NIST management to take advantage of the expertise of foreign visitors

for the benefit of NIST programs.

3⁄4 VCAT recognizes the need for special procedures for security sensitive activities, but strongly believes that

the bulk of the activities undertaken in NIST laboratories can be conducted in an open manner.

NIST Role in Measurement Services

The NIST mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science,

standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. A primary

mechanism by which NIST fulfills this mission is through the development and delivery of measurement services.  

These measurement services include:  

• The development and dissemination of validated measurement methods and protocols;  

• The development and dissemination of new measurement instruments;

• The provision of Standard Reference Data, Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), and calibration services

to ensure that industry‐performed measurements are traceable to NIST standards; and

• The development of testing protocols and the support of laboratory accreditation programs that enable

the NIST Laboratories to directly support U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness.  

NIST’s ability to successfully deliver high‐quality measurement services to the nation is fundamentally grounded in

NIST’s world‐class measurement science expertise. The foundational core of basic scientific research at NIST in

areas from DNA metrology to atomic, molecular, and optical physics is a fundamental component that NIST must  
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continue to support and encourage in order to ensure that it can continue to address the future needs of U.S.

industry.  

Impact of NIST Measurement Services

For over a century, the measurement services programs of NIST have ensured the accuracy and reliability of nearly

all measurements in the United States.  NIST measurement services directly impact U.S. industry.  NIST distributes

over 1200 different Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) that assure the accuracy of millions of measurements

made daily in medical clinics, manufacturing plants and industrial labs throughout the United States.  For example,

NIST SRMs for sulfur in fossil fuels enable fuel producers to more efficiently formulate products that meet the

varying regulatory requirements of different markets.  NIST measurement programs provide critical federal

agencies such as the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Aviation

Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA, with the measurement support necessary to

carry out their respective missions.  For example, in 2009 NIST performed 203 calibrations for DOE that supported

over 70,000 subsequent calibrations in support of the reliability and performance of the entire U.S. nuclear

arsenal.  NIST calibrations are also critical for all state weights and measures agencies.  In 2006 and 2007, 16 NIST

calibrations for mass, volume, temperature, and length underpinned more than 360,000 calibrations done by state

laboratories.  Some examples that illustrate the importance of NIST measurement services include:

• For electric power measurements, NIST‐traceable1 calibrations ensure the accuracy of over 100 million

electric power meters in the United States that measure the cost of over $300 billion worth of electricity

annually.  Electric utilities are totally dependent upon NIST calibration services to prove the accuracy of all

of these transactions.

• The pharmaceutical industry relies on NIST‐traceable mass measurements to ensure accurate dosing of

medicines at the sub‐milligram level.

• For temperature, instrument vendors, as well as pharmaceutical, chemical, aerospace, microelectronic,

and petroleum industries rely on NIST’s thermometry and humidity measurement services to establish

accuracy needed to enable the manufacturing and sale of their products in national and international

markets.

• Basic length and weight measurement standards and tracing serve as the fundamental basis by which

products can be used efficiently and often with greater interoperability throughout the entire supply

chain to final Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) product in almost every U.S. industry.

Findings and Observations

Discussions with NIST staff responsible for measurement services development and delivery from across NIST

revealed a number of common issues and challenges stemming from the current NIST management approach to its

measurement services that if addressed could improve the efficacy and efficiency of NIST measurement service

delivery.  Key challenges identified include:  

• Analysis and planning practices tend to be driven, currently, less by high level strategy than from

bottom‐up initiatives, leading to inconsistencies among various service groups:

o Inconsistent level of analysis of how NIST programs can best fit into the measurement system;   

                                                      

1 “traceable” means that a calibration can be traced back to standards maintained by NIST in the form of

measurements or standard reference materials
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o The methodology for pricing of NIST measurement services is inconsistently applied and can lead

to unpredictable pricing and standards “shopping” by industry and government users;  

o Lack of a comprehensive cross group staffing plan has led to a deteriorated staffing of critical

measurement service programs and is jeopardizing NIST service delivery capabilities; in some

cases key technical expertise is one‐person deep;

• Current NIST research performance metrics do not address the linkage of NIST R&D efforts to the

objectives of the measurement service programs; and

• The National Research Council (NRC)/ National Academy of Sciences (NAS) assessment process by itself

is insufficient to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the NIST measurement services for lack of customer

input.  

The Committee recognizes a strong and vital link between NIST basic and applied measurement research and its

ability to meet anticipated and unanticipated demands for new measurement services, materials and methods.

NIST’s research program is not only essential to its mission but also a major draw to attract and keep top‐level

talent working in this vital area of NIST responsibility.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

3⁄4 NIST management should analyze current and anticipated measurement requirements against currently

available technology to determine new technology development needs as part of a strategic planning

effort. This will allow NIST to concentrate its resources on developing new tools and providing unique

measurement services.

3⁄4 NIST management should assess its measurement services and ensure that they optimize the integrity and

traceability of the measurement system while promoting maximum third‐party participation.

3⁄4 NIST management should ensure that staffing levels are sufficient to create bench depth in critical

measurement programs.

3⁄4 Pricing for NIST measurement services should be rationalized; does the cost of billing and collection exceed

revenue production?

3⁄4 NIST management should expand assessment programs to include customers of NIST measurement

services.  

NIST Realignment and Reorganization

As of October 1, 2010, NIST underwent its first major reorganization in over two decades.  The primary objective of

the reorganization was to sharpen the focus of the NIST’s programs on their respective missions and optimize their

ability to deliver both cutting‐edge research and the related services needed by manufacturers and other

customers critical to the U.S. economy.

The VCAT considers the elevation of the NIST Director position to Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and

Technology as positive reinforcement of the role that NIST plays in the Department of Commerce. We are also

strongly supportive of the new mission‐oriented reorganization within NIST.  An important component of the

reorganization is the new management structure which establishes three new Associate Director positions. These

positions are responsible for the three primary functional divisions of NIST ‐‐ one for its laboratories, one for

external industry services (including the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the Technology Investment

Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership), and another for management and administrative support.   
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We believe that this new management structure will help normalize management responsibilities and oversight

and accountability of the NIST programs, and will put in place the senior career management structure needed to  

ensure that the agency stays on course. Earlier structures, especially during political transitions, have presented a

significant challenge for the organization’s continuity and effectiveness.

The most obvious impact of the NIST reorganization is on the NIST laboratory programs.  The reorganization shifts

the NIST laboratories from activity/discipline‐based organizations to mission and outcome‐oriented organizations.  

The reorganization reduced the number of NIST laboratories from ten to six while aligning the NIST laboratories

with the distinct NIST mission lines of metrology, technology, and the provision of unique national user facilities.  

The VCAT feels strongly that the new mission oriented focus of the NIST laboratories directly enables a more

robust approach to addressing a number of the challenges identified earlier in this report regarding the

development and delivery of measurement services.  Specifically, the new mission oriented structure will improve

accountability and strengthen the ability of the NIST laboratories to integrate cutting‐edge measurement with the

delivery of timely and high‐impact services to industry.  However, the VCAT also recognizes that the organizational

restructuring at NIST represents a significant culture change that, like NIST’s recent efforts to strengthen its safety

practices and policies, will require continued review and assessment to ensure a successful transition.  With that in

mind, the VCAT makes the following recommendations regarding the NIST Realignment and Reorganization:

RECOMMENDATIONS:

3⁄4 NIST management should continue timely assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the

organization. In the near term, this should include assessing improvements stemming from the recent

reorganization.

3⁄4 NIST management should continue to seek input from stakeholders and customers of its services to assess

and possibly quantify the value and utility of these services.

NIST Role in Forensic Science

There has been considerable interest on the issue of forensic science in the United States over the past year and a

half since the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released a study which was quite critical of the state of forensic

science and its impact on the criminal justice system.  NIST was directly cited in the NAS report, along with the

Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an agency that needs to be involved in

addressing the challenges highlighted in the report.

NIST’s involvement in forensic science can be traced back to 1932 during the Charles Lindbergh baby kidnapping

when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sought help from the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) due to its

excellence in metrology, objective science, and integrity.   Today NIST research programs continue to make

significant contributions to the improvement and integrity of forensic science, touching on multiple forensic

science disciplines including:  computer forensics, fire investigations, drug detection, biometrics,

firearms/ballistics, and genetics (DNA).  With a number of the issues plaguing forensic science today revolving

around testing, accreditation, and standards, the VCAT feels strongly that not only can NIST play a significant

leadership role in strengthening the scientific underpinnings for forensic science, but it can also ensure the

credibility of the field which is necessary for effective criminal justice.
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RECOMMENDATIONS:

3⁄4 NIST management should incorporate forensic measurement and R&D into the NIST three‐year

programmatic plan for technology and service development, taking into account inputs from law

enforcement agencies and other users of forensic technologies.

3⁄4 NIST management should hold needs assessment workshops on forensic methods and technology, both to

acquaint the user community with NIST capacity and  to further refine and plan new capabilities.

NIST Strategic Planning and Performance

NIST continues to improve its programmatic planning efforts, building on progress it has made over the last two

years when it laid the framework by identifying a series of strategic priorities and investment priority areas against

which future planning would be conducted.   

As with last year, the programmatic planning efforts are directed toward a series of six investment priority areas

(IPAs): Physical Infrastructure, Energy, Environment & Consumer Safety, Healthcare, Information Technology &

Cybersecurity, and Manufacturing. These IPAs were selected by senior NIST management and technical staff, along

with inputs from other stakeholders, based on the following criteria:

• Clearly matches NIST’s mission and goals;

• Addresses urgent national needs and priorities, including Administration and Congressional priorities;

• Addresses a compelling innovation or competitiveness issue in areas of strategic importance to the nation

(e.g., manufacturing, alternate energy, safety and security); and

• Represents previously identified NIST priorities that remain important.

The programmatic planning process is moving the agency away from single year initiative‐based planning, and

toward the creation of culture and infrastructure that enable the development and maintenance of multi‐year

program plans with discrete goals, objectives, and performance measures.  Because strategic planning is a process

and not a product, it needs to become a part of the normal management activity at NIST.

Another positive step was the creation of an external needs assessment workshop series.  Initiated last year, the

workshop series is intended to solicit stakeholder input on key trends, drivers, and opportunities across a broad

array of technology focused topics. The output of the workshops will inform NIST’s strategic decision making and

programmatic planning activities. The VCAT received positive feedback from some attendees of the initial

workshops conducted over the course of 2010 which addressed the following topics:  

• Advanced Solar Energy Technologies ‐‐ http://events.energetics.com/NISTGrandChallenges2010/

• Climate Change ‐‐  http://events.energetics.com/NISTScripps2010/

• Advanced Battery Manufacturing ‐‐http://events.energetics.com/NISTAdvancedBatteries/

RECOMMENDATIONS:  

3⁄4 NIST management should focus strategic planning on maintaining existing and building new capabilities

(i.e., equipment, staff, and expertise) in key priority areas.   
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3⁄4 NIST management should carry out Operating Unit level exercises to identify strategic targets for research,

development and measurement service evolution. It is especially important to identify entirely new areas

of work such as has been done with bio‐effects of nanomaterials.

3⁄4 NIST should institute a strategic planning process from which programmatic planning can be derived.  

NIST External Peer Review 

An essential element to any planning process is continual assessment, not only against identified milestones and

metrics, but also independent assessment by one’s peers.  For decades, NIST has relied upon the National

Research Council (NRC) to provide panels of experts to independently review the health and quality of the NIST

laboratories.  While of considerable value, the current NRC review process alone is not sufficient to provide a

meaningful assessment of the overall value of the organization, especially as these reviews have not always had

the requisite expertise to effectively and thoroughly evaluate the health and quality of the NIST measurement

services programs.  In order to obtain the most relevant external reviews possible, the Operating Units (OU)

responsible for measurement services need to establish new targeted assessment processes that provide a

tailored peer‐evaluation of specific measurement service programs.  Key to the success of these efforts will be

ensuring that NIST maintains the input necessary to populate the review committees with the individuals having

the most relevant expertise and professional backgrounds to conduct an in‐depth and thorough assessment of the

program in question.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• NIST management should use workshops and customer surveys to assess the effectiveness of NIST

measurement and materials services, in addition to NRC panel reports.  

• Following the reorganization of NIST into mission‐focused laboratories, NIST should develop a

comprehensive assessment program that includes effective peer review of scientific quality, customer

satisfaction for measurement services and for effectiveness in meeting the needs of the particular

measurement program. NIST should develop this assessment program before continuing with the existing

Panel of Assessment program with the NRC.  

NIST Three‐Year Programmatic Plan 

The Committee has read and reviewed the latest draft NIST three‐year programmatic plan as of February, 2011

and commends NIST management for its preparation and believes that it accurately portrays the near‐term path of

activity and development at NIST. While the Committee does not have specific recommendations stemming from

the three‐year programmatic plan, it does urge NIST management to develop a longer‐term strategic perspective

of evolving agency needs and challenges from which the programmatic plan may be derived.
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NIST Budget  

NIST Budget (Dollars in Millions)

FY 2009

Enacted

FY 2010  

Enacted

FY 2011  

Request

FY 2011

Change

Scientific and Technical Research and Services

(STRS) $472.0 $515.0 $584.5 $69.5

Industrial Technology Services (ITS) $175.0 $194.6 $209.6 $15.0

Technology Innovation Program       65.0         69.9        79.9       10.0  

Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership      110.0       124.7      129.7         5.0  

Construction of Research Facilities (CRF) $172.0 $147.0 $124.8 $(22.2)

NIST Construction & Major Renovations       29.7        22.0        52.3        30.3  

Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major Repairs       68.3        58.0        72.5        14.5  

Competitive Construction Grants Program       30.0        20.0          0.0      (20.0)

Congressionally Designated Projects       44.0        47.0          0.0      (47.0)

Total NIST $819.0 $856.6 $918.9 $62.3

NIST remains well positioned in regards to Administration priorities and the President’s Strategy for American

Innovation.  NIST efforts from fundamental research to laboratory accreditation programs are critical to the

success of all three levels of the President’s Innovation strategy [see Figure 1].  
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Figure 1:  

It is because of this central role that NIST plays in the nation’s innovation enterprise that the Administration

remains committed to the doubling of NIST’s budget for its laboratory programs.   

As part of this doubling effort, the Administration’s FY 2011 budget request contained a significant increase ($69.4

million) for the NIST Laboratory programs.  With these funds, NIST plans to continue to expand investments in the

following National Priorities:

• Competitive Manufacturing and Construction In a Clean‐Energy Economy (+$20million)

o Green Manufacturing and Construction

o Innovations for 21st Century U.S. Manufacturing

• Standards and Conformity Assessment for Interoperability in Emerging Technologies ($10 million)

• Scalable Cybersecurity for Emerging Technologies and Threats ($10 million)

• Innovations in Healthcare – Measurement Science and Standards to Support Manufacturing and

Regulatory Approval of Biologic Drugs ($10 million)

• Sustainable Energy Sources and Nanomaterials ($9 million)

o Advanced Solar Technologies – 3rd Generation Photovoltaics

o Nanomaterial Environmental, Health, and Safety

• Disaster Resilient Buildings and Infrastructure ($5 million)

• Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education ($3.4 million)

o NIST NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships

• Strategic and Emerging Research Initiatives ($2 million)

    
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The FY 2011 request for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program builds upon the foundation

established by the America COMPETES Act. The proposed budget of $129.7 million represents an increase of $5

million over FY 2010 levels to support the Administration’s policy initiatives for reinventing domestic

manufacturing. In addition, the President’s FY 2011 budget request recognizes the potential impact of the

Technology Innovation Program (TIP), especially in the area of advanced manufacturing, and includes an increase

of $10 million for the program for a total of $79.9 million. The request, if enacted, will expand the program to

motivate and expedite high‐risk, high‐reward research focused on the development of advanced, disruptive

technologies that enable accelerated development of next‐generation, high‐performance processes and materials

in areas such as nanomanufacturing.

The VCAT strongly supports the Administration’s commitment and planned efforts to double funding for the NIST

laboratories budget (see Figure 2).  However, looking at past funding data the VCAT is concerned that

appropriations have not kept up with the projected needs.

Figure 2:

These trends, combined with the tightening fiscal situation, multiple continuing resolutions, and the increasing

demand for NIST programs to address challenges in everything from cloud computing to bio‐specimen quality

cause the VCAT serious concern that NIST may not be able to meet future demand for its services.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:   

3⁄4 VCAT strongly endorses the Administration’s commitment to double the budget of the NIST laboratories.  

3⁄4 Manufacturing must be a key focus at NIST (and other government agencies) as part of the renovation of

the American job market. Manufacturing is an essential element of a healthy American economy.