Balancing the NIST Core

Kent Rochford

Associate Director for Laboratory Programs

June 7, 2016
What is the NIST Core?

Measurement 

Science

Standards 

Development

Technology 

Transfer
What is the NIST Core?

• Foundation for everything we do

– Unique to the NIST mission

• Developed internally

– Intramural research focus

– Allows self direction

• Requires engagement with 

stakeholders to ascertain 

measurement needs

Measurement 

Science
What is the NIST Core?

• Measurement standards

– SRMs, SRD, calibrations

– Enable traceability

– International responsibilities

• Documentary standards

– NIST technical expertise and 

neutrality 

– Lends credibility and authority 

to SDOs

Standards 

Development
What is the NIST Core?

• Defined broadly

– SRMs, SRD, calibrations

– Publications, patents

– Workshops, conferences

– Consortia 

– Guest researchers

– Other agency work

• Requires active engagement

– No “throwing it over the fence”

– Participation informs planning

Technology 

Transfer
Attributes of the Core

• Long-term 

– Research can address hard 

problems with sustained focus

• Self-directed 

– Allows anticipation of needs

– Grows expertise over a broad 

mandate

• Intramural

– Captive expertise fulfills unique 

role in science/commerce

– Protects objectivity & neutrality

Long-term, 

self-directed, 

intramural 

research
Maintaining the Core

• Base funding provides stability

• New or high-priority ideas 

funded internally through 

– Innovations in Measurement 

Science (IMS)

– Strategic and Emerging Research 

Initiatives (SERI)

– Lab-level initiatives

– Base redirection

IMS: 5 year / $5M, highrisk, high-reward, peer 

reviewed, management 

selected

SERI: up to 3 year, size 

varies, leadership 

directed
Maintaining the Core

• Growth set by Administration, 

Congress, and NIST leadership

– Affects small portion of budget

– Focused on specific priorities

– May come with outsized 

obligations that pull from core

• NIST reputation is leading to 

repeated demands on the core

Long-term, 

self-directed, 

intramural 

research

Things that can overtake 

the core:

• Underfunded 

obligations

• Unfunded mandates

• Special administration 

initiatives

• Extramural convening
NIST’s Convening Role

• NIST is an attractive convener

– Technically competent

– Industry focus / contacts

– Non-regulatory 

– Neutral 

– Credible

• Technology topics often complex

– Deep technical issues

– Multi-stakeholder involvement

Frameworks

Consortia

Common Definitions

Challenges

Commissions
Necessary for Successful Convening

• Motivated stakeholders

• NIST expertise in subject area

• NIST relationship and credibility 

with stakeholders

• Commitment by NIST leadership

NIST has a long history of successful Global City Team Challenge Expo Peter Cutts/NIST

convening, but is the nature changing?

Measurement 

Science

Standards Tech 

Transfer
Legislated Mandates

• Voting standards (ITL)

• FISMA (ITL)

• Smart Grid (EL)

• National Construction Safety Team 

Act (EL)

• National Earthquake Hazards 

Reduction Program (EL)

• National Windstorm Impact 

Reduction Program (EL)

• Public Safety Communication 

Research (CTL)

Can be directed as:

Authorizing acts (unfunded)

Appropriations (funded)
Administration Mandates

• Cybersecurity Framework (ITL)

• Materials Genome (MML)

• Climate Action Plan (EL)

• Forensic Organization of Scientific 

Area Committees (SPO)

• Commission on Enhancing National 

Cybersecurity (ITL) NIST set up, staffed, and 

funded the Commission on 

Enhancing National 

Cybersecurity
Trend Towards Convening: Frameworks

Dec 2007

Legislation

Smart Grid

Feb 2013

Executive Order

Cybersecurity

June 2013

Climate Action Plan

Disaster Resilience

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Draft framework released, 

then “living documents” 

are revisited and revised.

Sometimes supported by 

NIST-sponsored 

stakeholder panel. 

June 2013

Big Data

June 2014

Cyber-Physical Systems
Trend Towards Convening: and More

Feb 2012 Legislation

PSCR FirstNet

2010

Cloud Computing

2011

Genome in a Bottle

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

2013

Smart America/Global Cities 2011, WH Initiative

Materials Genome Initiative

2016, EO

Cyber Commission

2014

Forensics Commission and OSAC

2015

5G Wireless

Convening builds on or 

formalizes existing work

Or convening is used to 

jump-start a new program.
Costs and Benefits of Convening

• Benefits

+ Increases visibility 

among stakeholders

+ Inputs guide internal 

research programs

+ Leverages others to 

expand competency

+ Reputation enhanced 

by successes

+ NIST is seen as the “go 

to” organization

• Costs

– Opportunity cost: pulls 

resources from the 

bench

– Depletes competence

– Inefficiencies of pace

– Hard to spin off or end

– May bias stakeholder 

perspective of NIST

– NIST is seen as the “go 

to” organization
Not the First Time...

• In 1970s, NIST was overleveraged

– Other agencies funded ~ 40% of lab 

programs

• Response was the Competence 

Program

– Aimed at 15% of lab budget

– Now known as Innovations in 

Measurement Science at ~3% of 

budget

IMS has evolved into a 

program that funds highrisk ideas to advance the 

measurement science core
NIST convening has produced many important outcomes, 

but this role has expanded

Charge to VCAT

• What is the proper balance between 

measurement science core and 

convening?

• How should we evaluate this balance?

• When should we say no?

• What are the risks?

Measurement 

Science

Standards Tech

Transfer
Agenda

• Bob Doering, Research Manager, Technology and Manufacturing Group, Texas Instruments

• Andy McMillan, President and Managing Director, BACnet International

• Roger Peniche, Director of Worldwide Engineering and Product Innovation, Fluke Calibration

• Gail Folena-Wasserman, Senior Vice President, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune

• Smart Grid – Dave Wollman, Deputy Director, Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical Systems Program 

Office, Engineering Laboratory

• Cyber Framework – Kevin Stine, Chief, Applied Cybersecurity Division, Information Technology 

Laboratory

• 5G Wireless – Nada Golmie, Chief, Wireless Networks Division, Communications Technology 

Laboratory

• Jim Olthoff, Director, Physical Measurement Laboratory

• Laurie Locascio, Director, Material Measurement Laboratory

• Howard Harary, Director, Engineering Laboratory

• Chuck Romine, Director, Information Technology Laboratory

Stakeholder 

Perspectives

Case Studies

Lab Director 

Perspectives