NIST Update

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology

February 8, 2017
Outline

Personnel changes – VCAT and NIST

Safety and security

Organization update and NIST values

Noteworthy events

Cool science

NIST reauthorization

Manufacturing USA (fka NNMI)

Presidential cyber commission

GPS coexistence

NIST values
Welcome to new VCAT Members

Gail Folena-Wasserman, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Biopharmaceutical Development, MedImmune

• Oversees all analytical, process, formulation and drug product development 

including delivery and devices; and clinical manufacturing and quality control for 

clinical products.

• Joined MedImmune in 1991 as director, development, and was promoted to vice 

president, development, in October 1995. In 2010, she was appointed head of 

vaccines and biologics development. 

• PharmaVOICE selected Dr. Folena-Wasserman as one of the 100 Most Inspiring 

People in 2011.

David Vasko

Director, Advanced Technology, Strategic Development, Rockwell Automation

• Responsible for applied R&D and Global Product Standards an Regulations within 

Rockwell. 

• Previously at Rockwell, he managed the Distributed Control Research lab and the 

Architecture Development group. 

• On the boards of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, the IoT Talent 

Consortium, and the Milwaukee Institute. 

Credit: MedImmune Credit: IoT Talent Consortium
Farewell to two VCAT Members

Dr. Karen E. Kerr

Senior Managing Director, Advanced 

Manufacturing

GE Ventures, General Electric

Term: June 1, 2011 - May 31, 2017

Dr. Roberto Padovani

Executive Vice President and Fellow

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Term: May 1, 2011 – April 30, 2017
NIST Management Changes

Director 

Under Secretary of Commerce for 

Standards and Technology 

Chief of Staff

Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs/ 

Principal Deputy

Associate Director for 

Innovation and Industry 

Services

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

Communications Technology 

Laboratory

Physical Measurement 

Laboratory

Engineering Laboratory

Information Technology 

Laboratory

Center for Nanoscale Science 

and Technology

NIST Center for Neutron 

Research

Associate Director for 

Management Resources

Baldrige Performance 

Excellence Program

Hollings Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership

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

Mike Fasolka,

Acting Director, Material 

Measurement Laboratory

Laurie Locascio

Acting Associate Director 

for Laboratory Programs

Skip Vaughn

Chief Facilities 

Management Officer

Del Brockett

Acting Associate Director 

for Management Resources
Public Area

Secure Lab 

Buildings

Safety Update: Controlling Access to Labs

Turnstiles 

activated

Review delivered and endorsed, 

Turnstiles deactivated

Recommendations 

authorized

Turnstiles 

reactivated

Review 

commissioned

March 

2016

July

2016

October

2016

January

2017

Turnstiles 

deactivated
Safety Update: Controlling Access to Labs

Recommendations implemented: 

• The turnstiles will allow one-way traffic only.

• Sensors engaged to prevent doors from closing on people.

• The turnstile doors are now smaller and lighter.

• Security guard posted at the turnstiles during business hours.

New fault mode discovered by 

Safety Office

• Turnstiles deactivated

• Study group reconvened

Lesson: Must learn to better balance safety and security
Security plan “sprint”

Numerous NIST actions since recent security failures

• Received advice from 3 independent experts

• Increase security staffing / improved procedures

• Addressed immediate access issues

• Several additional separate improvement activities underway

Next steps: Time for a holistic security plan

• See a clear analogy to safety at NIST – Rich Kayser to lead 30-day sprint

• Plan for security with the NIST mission– How to maintain a secure and 

collaborative research environment to most effectively innovate

• Broadly prioritize security threats to mission execution / prioritize 

corresponding countermeasures

• VCAT will be briefed on plan and activities
News: Science Breakthrough

NIST researchers cooled mechanical object below the 

“quantum limit” – colder than previously believed possible.

“The colder you can get the 

drum, the better it is for any 

application. Sensors would 

become more sensitive. You 

can store information longer. 

If you were using it in a 

quantum computer, then 

you would compute without 

distortion, and you would 

actually get the answer you 

want.”

- John Teufel, NIST physicist

J.B. Clark, F. Lecocq, R.W. Simmonds, J. Aumentado and J.D. Teufel. 2017. Sideband Cooling Beyond 

the Quantum Backaction Limit with Squeezed Light. January 12, 2017. Nature. 

DOI: 10.1038/nature20604
American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

• NIST Director the President’s principal advisor 

on standards policy

• Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 

Program cost share now 1:1 

• Requires NIST Strategic Plan that expands

– Interactions with academia, international 

researchers, and industry 

– Commercial and industrial applications

• Provides several limited process flexibilities, 

including for workshops and purchasing 

NIST 

Reauthorization

S. 3084 

• Sponsored by Sen 

Corey Gardner (R, CO)

• Passed Congress Dec. 

16, 2016

• Signed into law Jan. 06, 

2017
Manufacturing USA

First DoC institute announced Dec. 16

First institute with focus area proposed by industry

• National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing 

Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL)

– process innovations to enable “continuous 

manufacturing“ for existing biotherapeutics

– development of standards and analytics for 

manufacturing new cell-based treatments 

• 150 members over 25 states

• Funding over 5 years:

– $70M Federal

– $100M non-Fed

– $80M in-kind
Manufacturing USA

Wide Bandgap 

Semiconductors

Raleigh, NC

Smart Manufacturing 

Los Angeles, CA

Flexible Hybrid 

Electronics

San Jose, CA

AIM Photonics

Rochester, NY

Fibers and Textiles 

Cambridge, MA

Biopharmaceuticals

Newark, DE

Sustainable 

Manufacturing

Rochester, NY

Process Intensification

New York, NY

Tissue Biofabrication

Manchester, NH

Lightweight Metal 

Manufacturing

Detroit, MI

Digital Manufacturing 

& Design

Chicago, IL

Additive 

Manufacturing

Youngstown, OH

Fiber-Reinforced 

Polymer Composites

Knoxville, TN

Robotics

Pittsburgh, PA
Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity

Commissioners:

• Thomas Donilon (chair)

• Samuel Palmisano (Vice Chair)

• Keith Alexander

• Annie Anton

• Ajay Banga

• Steven Chabinsky

• Pat Gallagher

• Peter Lee

• Herbert Lin

• Heather Murren

• Joseph Sullivan

• Maggie Wilderotter

Established in response to Feb 2016 Executive 

Order 13718 

To enhance cybersecurity awareness and 

protections at all levels of Government, business, 

and society, to protect privacy, to ensure public 

safety and economic and national security, and to 

empower Americans to take better control of their 

digital security

• Convened five public meetings, opened input 

solicitations, hosted R&D working groups, 

developed working papers and drafts

• Report delivered by December due date
Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity

• Six Imperatives

– Protect, Defend, and Secure Today’s Information 

Infrastructure and Digital Networks

– Innovate and Accelerate Investment for the 

Security and Growth of Digital Networks and the 

Digital Economy

– Prepare Consumers to Thrive in a Digital Age

– Build Cybersecurity Workforce Capabilities

– Better Equip Government to Function Effectively 

and Securely in the Digital Age

– Ensure an Open, Fair, Competitive, and Secure 

Global Digital Economy

• Several requests of NIST

Report 

Delivered 

Dec. 1, 2016
National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network

Created to develop independent test 

methodologies and providing 

trusted test data for complex 

evaluations of spectrum-sharing 

technologies

• NASCTN led by a formal partnership with 

NTIA (Institute for Telecommunications 

Sciences) 

Est. March 2015
GPS Coexistence Project 

Ligado Networks approached NASCTN 

to investigate the effect of LTE signals 

on GPS receivers operating in an 

adjacent frequency band.

• CTL developed best practices in 

experimental design, data analysis 

and uncertainty analysis

• NIST methodology is already 

gaining acceptance by spectrum 

regulators.

In less than a year, NASTCN:

• developed a public test plan 

• performed complex radiated 

measurements - 1200 hours of data 

over 20 devices

• developed an uncertainty analysis, and 

• publishing report, raw measurement 

data, and analysis tools
NIST Values

NIST is an organization with strong values, reflected both in our history and our 

current work. NIST leadership and staff will uphold these values to ensure a 

high performing environment that is safe and respectful of all.

Perseverance 

We take the long view, planning the future with scientific knowledge and 

imagination to ensure continued impact and relevance for our stakeholders.

Integrity

We are ethical, honest, independent, and provide an objective perspective.

Inclusivity

We work collaboratively to harness the diversity of people and ideas, both 

inside and outside of NIST, to attain the best solutions to multidisciplinary 

challenges. 

Excellence

We apply rigor and critical thinking to achieve world-class results and 

continuous improvement in everything we do.
A humble request
Thank You

Measurement science

Standards 

Technology 

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