June 10, 2015

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Charles Romine 

ITL Director
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Strategic Drivers

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Vision and Mission

Value to Stakeholders

Relevance to Industry

Relevance to National Priorities

Technology Environment
Value to Stakeholders

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Globally Recognized and Trusted 

Source of Information

Reliable, Best-in-Class Expertise

Innovation Accelerator

Agile in Addressing National 

Priorities
Technology Environment

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IT Advances Quickly 

IT is Intrinsically Complex 

IT is Pervasive 

Demand for IT in Measurement Science is Increasing 

Measurement Science for IT is Still in Its Infancy 
Strategic Implications

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Agile, adaptive, 

and 

anticipatory

NIST 

must be

Focused on 

solutions that 

are “as simple 

as possible but 

no simpler” 

An active 

partner in the 

metrology 

community

Responsive to 

all areas of 

science, 

engineering 

and commerce

A leader in 

forging the 

foundations of 

measurement 

science for IT

Operational 

Excellence
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Science and Engineering Strategy 

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Fundamental 

research in 

mathematics, 

statistics, and IT 

Standards 

development 

and 

technology 

transfer

Applied IT 

research and 

development
Fundamental Research

 Develop the Foundations of Measurement Science 

for IT

 Develop the Foundations of IT for Measurement 

Science

Strategic Goal: Develop the essential foundations of computer science, 

mathematics, statistics, and physical science that contribute to NIST’s 

role in IT and measurement science. 

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Applied Research

 Overcome Technical Barriers to IT Innovation

 Drive Progress on National Priorities

 Advance the NIST Mission

Strategic Goal: Accelerate IT innovation through the development and 

application of measurements and related technology and tools. 

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©Nick Macintosh
Standards Development & 

Technology Transfer

 Catalyze the Development of IT Standards

 Build Communities of Interest

 Outreach and Open Data Access

Strategic Goal: Ensure the products of our research are available to 

all to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness, enhance 

economic security, and improve our quality of life. 

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Partnerships Across Industry, State/ 

Local Governments and Academia

 National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence

 Identity Ecosystem Steering Group 

 Joint Center for Quantum Information and 

Computer Science (QuICS)

 Big Data Public Working Group

 Cyber-Physical Systems Public Working Group

 Standards Developing Organizations

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Key External Stakeholders

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International collaborations

Joint Committee 

for Guides in 

Metrology

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Priorities for Growth

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Software 

Defined 

Networks

Cryptography Big Data

Privacy Software 

Assurance

Metrology for 

Scientific 

Computing

Fundamental

Applied Standards

Discussed by Upcoming Internal Panel

Fundamental Research 

Quantum Information Science

QIS can, in theory, enable phenomenal 

increases in computing capability and 

provably secure communication channels

Established the 

Center for Quantum 

Information and 

Computer Science 

(QuICS), a joint 

venture of NIST, 

UMD, and the NSA

Improve 

understanding of 

the potential of QIS 

to revolutionize IT

Enable mitigation 

of the threat posed 

to public key 

crypto-systems

Develop 

measurement 

infrastructure for 

future IT products 

based on quantum 

technologies

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Fundamental Research

Spintronics for biologically inspired computing

Use spintronics devices to perform biologically-inspired 

computing, such as reservoir computing or associative 

memories

Bio-inspired 

computing takes 

inspiration from the 

processes the brain 

uses to design 

processors that 

accomplish similar 

tasks with much lower 

power. 

Spintronic devices operating at low power can capture 

many of the behaviors of neurons and synapses offering 

one path to such computational engines

Carried out preliminary calculations testing the 

suitability of spin-torque nano-oscillators to serve as 

the active device in a reservoir computer

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Applied Research

Cyber-Physical Systems/Internet of Things

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Through new measurement science, advanced testbed capabilities, and 

community-based efforts, enable the scalable design and reproducible 

performance measurement of advanced Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems Public 

Working Group

5 subgroups in 

reference 

architectures, use 

cases, cybersecurity, 

timing, and data 

The first-ever CPS 

Framework is 

expected to be 

released for public 

comments in July

Global City Teams Challenge: 

enhance the livability, workability 

and sustainability of communities

Encourage cities, 

innovators, and 

researchers to deploy 

standards-based 

smart city solutions

24+ cities across the 

globe are 

collaborating with 

200+ companies and 

universities
Applied Research

Cybersecurity

Conduct research, development and outreach necessary and provide 

standards and guidelines, mechanisms, tools, metrics and practices 

to protect our nation’s information and information systems

Standards, 

Guidelines, 

Best Practices

Cybersecurity 

Framework 

(EO 13636)

Cryptography Risk 

Management

Cybersecurity 

for Smart 

Manufacturing 

Systems

Completed a 

major update 

of the Guide to 

Industrial 

Control System 

(ICS) Security

National 

Strategy for 

Trusted 

Identities in 

Cyberspace

New Pilot 

Program in 

Privacy

National 

Cybersecurity 

Center of 

Excellence

Established the 

Nation’s only 

FFRDC 

dedicated to 

cybersecurity

National 

Initiative for 

Cybersecurity 

Education

Developed 

Cybersecurity 

Workforce 

Framework

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Applied Research

Materials Genome Initiative

The interagency Materials Genome Initiative 

aims to reduce time & cost to discover, develop, 

manufacture, and deploy advanced materials

Develop methods 

and tools for the 

computer 

representation 

and interchange 

of materials data

Develop open 

software 

platforms for 

materials 

modeling

Develop methods 

for verification, 

validation and 

uncertainty 

quantification 

for materials 

models and 

simulations

Develop analyses 

of novel 

materials models

Released the 

Materials Data 

Curation System 

an extensible tool 

for managing 

materials 

measurement 

data

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Standards Development & Tech Transfer

Biometrics 

Develop measurement and evaluation methods and standards to 

advance the use of image-based biometric technologies

ANSI/NIST-ITL, Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, 

Facial & Other Biometric Information

Scar, Mark 

& Tattoo

Fingerprint, 

palm print, 

facial/ 

mugshot, 

iris

DNA and 

Footprints

Extended 

Feature Set

Geopositioning 

coordinates 

of biometric 

sample 

collection

Forensic & 

Investigatory

Voice

Dental 

Forensics

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Influencing a Multi-Trillion Dollar Industry

Biometrics

Cloud Computing

Cryptography

Digital Library of Mathematical Functions

Domain Name Security (Advanced Networking) 

Health IT

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Questions

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Panel of Internal Speakers

 Metrology for Scientific Computing – Andrew Dienstfrey

 Big Data and Data Science – Mark Przybocki

 Software Quality – Paul Black

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Specific Mandates (1 of 4)

• Biometrics

– USA PATRIOT Act

– Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act

– Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12: Policy for a 

Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and 

Contractors

– 10-Print Transition: mandated by Homeland Security Council Deputies Committee

– National Security Presidential Directive/Homeland Security 

Presidential Directive (NSPD-59/ HSPD-24), Biometrics for 

Identification and Screening to Enhance National Security

• Cloud Computing

– America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010

– Federal Cloud Computing Strategy (February 2011)

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Specific Mandates (2 of 4)

• DNSSEC

– OMB Memo M-08-23 

• Healthcare

– Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health 

(HITECH) Act

• Cybersecurity

– Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 (Public 

Law 113-283) supersedes Federal Information Security Management Act of 

2002 (Title III of the E-Government Act), including Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB) mandate amended

– Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-274) 

– Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (Executive Order 13636 , February 12, 2013) 

– National Security Presidential Directive 54 / Homeland Security 

Presidential Directive 23 (NSPD-54/HSPD-23): Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative

– National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education

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Specific Mandates (3 of 4)

• Cybersecurity, continued

– Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 

1996 (Public Law 104-106) [supersedes Computer Security Act of 1987 

(Public Law 100-235)]

– Computer Security Research and Development Act of 2002

– Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12

– Conference Report on House Resolution 5441, Department of Homeland 

Security Appropriations Act, 2007: Title V - General Provisions (WHTI 

Certification effort)

– OMB M04-04 E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies

– Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996, Public Law 

104-106

– OMB Circular A-130 and OMB Directive 05-24 

– National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (Public Law 112-55, 

Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012)

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Specific Mandates (4 of 4)

• Identity Management

– National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace

• Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)

– OMB Memo on Transition to IPv6 (September 28, 2010)

– OMB Memo M-05-22 on Transition Planning for IPv6 (August 2, 

2005) 

• Smart Grid

– Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 

– American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

• Voluntary Voting System Standards

– Help America Vote Act

– Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act of 2009

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