1

NIST Update and Agenda Review

VCAT: October 6, 2015

Willie E. May, NIST Director and

Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
2

Welcome to New VCAT Member

Tod Sizer

 Vice President of the Wireless Research Program in Bell Labs, 

Alcatel-Lucent. 

• Leads teams in six worldwide locations that are providing 

innovations in all aspects of wireless systems, technology and 

software

• Provides significant impact as a key proponent and inventor of the 

lightRadioTM and small cell technology and systems leading to 

Alcatel-Lucent’s product line solution to address the current 

Wireless Data explosion.

• Named a Bell Labs Fellow “For sustained creative contributions to 

wireless systems, particularly in the convergence of packet and 

wireless technologies”
3

Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
4

Safety Update

Goal = Zero

Recordable case (RC)

To a first approximation, 

an injury that required 

medical treatment beyond 

first aid

DART case

An OSHA recordable that 

resulted in employee Days 

Away, Restricted duty, or 

job Transfer
5

Building 236 Incident
6

Building 236 Incident

 ~7:00 pm Saturday, July 18, an explosion occurred in 

a laboratory room in Bldg. 236. 

• A member of the NIST security force assigned to 

the Gaithersburg campus suffered non-life 

threatening injuries, was treated at a local trauma 

center, and was subsequently released. 

• The NIST Police and Fire Departments responded 

to the incident and due to the presence of what 

appeared to be meth manufacturing evidence 

requested the assistance of the Montgomery 

County Police and Fire Departments. 

• The officer resigned from Federal Service, effective 

July 19. 

• Former Officer pleaded guilty on Aug. 21, 2015 to 

attempting to manufacture amphetamine in a NIST 

laboratory

• Sentencing scheduled for November 19, 2015.

Special Projects Bldg. 236

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended 

the FBI, DEA and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and 

praised NIST for their assistance in the investigation. 
7

Building 236 Incident: NIST Actions in Response

• Immediately following the incident, open NIST Staff access to Building 236 was restricted 

until further notice. 

– No critical research activities were taking place in the building.

– It was largely unoccupied and is located in a remote area of the campus.

• We are reviewing NIST security patrol procedures, including required check-in times, and 

strengthening our internal controls related to afterhours access and patrols of the NIST 

Gaithersburg and Boulder campuses. 

• We are investigating the installation of individual electronic locks on doors for individual 

labs to improve access control and accountability.

– Access then could be limited on an individual basis, as approved by laboratory management. 

• We have extended invitations to 4 external security experts with specific experience in 

protecting a research campus to conduct independent reviews of NIST’s current security 

posture (both campuses).
8

NIST Response – cont’d: Security Committee of Experts

To conduct independent reviews of NIST’s current security posture (both campuses), 

including staffing, processes, policies and procedures. 

 Committee of Experts (CoE)

̶ Boeing Senior VP for Security

̶ NIH Associate Director for Security & Emergency Response

̶ Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Security Specialist 

̶ Department of Commerce Assistant Director for Security and Emergency Management

 Each external security expert, depending upon his/her expertise, will be asked to provide 

an independent review, assessment and evaluation to determine whether current

̶ security/law enforcement measures and protocols

̶ physical security systems and safeguards 

̶ risk management principles

̶ security, law enforcement and contract security staffing, and 

̶ the security/law enforcement management structure 

at NIST are consistent with government or industry best practices, and appropriate to 

ensure the continued security and safety of NIST personnel, program activities and 

resources. 
9

Additional Allegation Last Week:

Officer Who Cooked Meth In Gov't Lab Also Had Sex While On Duty and Was Engaged In 

Attendance Fraud 

On Wednesday, Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the [House committee that oversees] NIST, 

sent a letter to NIST Director Willie May demanding more information about the incident.

The Libertarian Republic

We were recently informed that the DHS Federal Protective Service is planning to 

conduct a delegation oversight audit of our Gaithersburg site in the next 30 – 75 days. 
10

Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
11

My Priorities 

• Fill key leadership vacancies (e.g., Directors of PML, EL, MEP, SCO and my replacement as ADLP) 

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team in: 

– Continuing to strengthen the NIST Safety Culture 

– Completing the successful implementation of programs that NIST has initiated in response to 

pressing national needs 

– Enhancing current and developing new capabilities needed to enhance mission delivery

– Addressing long-term sustainability of the Baldrige Program

– Strengthening the MEP Program

– Supporting the Secretary in the execution of the Department’s Strategic Plan

– Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our internal operations 

o becoming an organization known and looked up to for our “Operational Excellence” 

– Increasing staff engagement in the direction and implementation of NIST programs and 

priorities
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Priorities: Filling key leadership vacancies

 Previously filled: PML Director, James Olthoff;

EL Director, Howard Harary; 

MEP Director, Carroll Thomas

Standards Coordination Office Director, Gordon Gillerman

Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office Director, Mike Molnar 

 Pending: Associate Director for Laboratory Programs

– 86 people applied for vacancy that closed on June 26th. 

o 46 from government

o 13 from academia

o 27 from industry

– Selection Imminent 
13

My Priorities 

• Fill key leadership vacancies (e.g., Directors of PML, EL, MEP, SCO and my replacement as ADLP) 

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team in: 

– Continuing to strengthen the NIST Safety Culture 

– Completing the successful implementation of programs that NIST has initiated in response to 

pressing national needs 

– Enhancing current and developing new capabilities needed to enhance mission delivery

– Addressing long-term sustainability of the Baldrige Program

– Strengthening the MEP Program

– Supporting the Secretary in the execution of the Department’s Strategic Plan

– Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our internal operations 

o becoming an organization known and looked up to for our “Operational Excellence” 

– Increasing staff engagement in the direction and implementation of NIST programs and 

priorities
14

Priority: Employee Engagement and Satisfaction

Selected data from 2014 OPM Employee Viewpoint Survey

HR selected 11 questions from the survey related to 

employment engagement and job satisfaction. 

NIST Administrative Support Staff

Selected data from 2015 OPM Employee Viewpoint Survey

71.0

76.3

75.6

65.6

15.2

14.0

14.0

16.4

13.8

9.7

10.4

18.1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

NIST

ADIS

ADLP

ADMR
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Director’s Recognition for Excellence in Mission Support

Established to recognize staff within the Management Resources Directorate whose 

commitment to and excellence in service delivery has stood out among their customers 

 Nominations from the Lab and IIS Directorates

 Three Selections made since program was initiated in May 2015

 For each winner, the Contribution and its Impact is publicized to NIST Staff via an email from the NIST 

Director

Keith Bubar

Acquis. Mgmt. Div.

“for his work as the Contract 

Specialist whose work helped 

establish the FFRDC to support 

NIST’s NCCoE”

“for her exceptional, dedicated customer 

service in overseeing the construction of a 

new Intelligent Building Agents Laboratory 

(IBAL) facility” 

“for her exceptional customer service in 

negotiations and procurements of 

critical components for “Re-Inventing 

the Realization and Dissemination of 

Pressure, Temperature, and Length.” 

Lynda Roark

Acquis. Mgmt. Div.

Cynthia Hudson

Design and Constr. Div.

Those recognized so far:
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Priorities: Increasing Technical Staff Engagement 

in the direction and implementation of NIST programs and priorities

 “NIST Innovations in Measurement Science (IMS) Program” Started in 1979

̶ to fund high risk and potentially high payoff fundamental research that would provide new 

competences to help NIST in carrying out its mission and address future measurement and 

standards needs.

̶ Projects selected via a management-filtered “bottoms-up” process

̶ Since its inception the IMS Program has funded over 100 research projects that have formed the 

cutting edge of research programs and/or evolved into core competences/capabilities within the 

NIST Laboratory Program

̶ led to development of a cold-neutron small-angle scattering facility that led to the NIST Center for 

Neutron Research (NCNR)

̶ supported growth of our NIST program in biology

̶ addressed fundamental problems in metrology, such as the links between electrical and 

mechanical SI units 

 New “Colleague’s Choice Innovations in Measurement Science (C2IMS) Program” Initiated in 

2015

̶ Topic to be funded is Peer-Selected; Peer-Selected Solution Team provided with IMS-level 

funding for 3 years (up to $1 M/yr)

̶ First Competition was launched in May and Winner announced in September 2015
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Winning Team

Anita Vanek (OISM) and her team

• Greg Strouse (PML)

• Michelle Stephens (PML)

• Dan Sawyer (PML)

Crowd-sourced . . . 

– a true 

bottoms-up 

process 

C2IMS – First Winner

“Transforming Calibration Services Across the Spectrum 

with New Technologies, Automation and eAccess”
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2015 OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey

In my organization, 

Leaders generate high levels of motivation 

and commitment in the workforce.

42.9%

40.8%

37.5%

39.0%

48.0%

48.5%

45.4%

42.7%

47.2%

46.3%

48.7%

46.1%

35.0% 40.0% 45.0% 50.0%

2012

2013

2014

2015

Q 53

NIST DOC Govt-Wide

Employment Engagement 

Index
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Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
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Status of NIST FY16 Budget Request

(Dollars in millions)

FY 2016 FY2016 House Mark FY2016 Senate Mark

FY 2015 President's House +/(-) Over Senate +/(-) Over

Enacted Request CJS Mark FY 16 Request CJS Mark FY 16 Request

STRS $675.5 $754.7 $675.0 ($79.7) $684.7 ($70.0)

Laboratory Programs 591.3 661.6 TBD N/A TBD N/A 

Corporate Services 17.3 16.9 TBD N/A TBD N/A 

Stds Coord & Special Pgms 66.9 76.2 TBD N/A TBD N/A 

ITS $138.1 $306.0 $130.0 ($176.0) $145.0 ($161.0)

Advanced Mfg Tech Consortia 8.1 15.0 0.0 (15.0) 15.0 0.0

Hollings Mfg Ext Partnership 130.0 141.0 130.0 (11.0) 130.0 (11.0)

Nat'l Network for Mfg Innovation 0.0 150.0 0.0 (150.0) 0.0 (150.0)

CRF $50.3 $59.0 $50.0 ($9.0) $63.3 $4.3

Total, NIST Discretionary 863.9 1,119.7 855.0 (264.7) 893.0 (226.7)

1/ National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is a newly proposed program in FY 2016.

Current Status:

• FY2016: Continuing Resolution passed to fund until December 11, 2015 at 

FY2015 levels

• FY2017: In Progress; difficult since FY17 builds on FY16
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Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
22

NIST Staff honored at 67th Annual DoC Awards Ceremony, 

Sept 29, 2015

Gold Medal

“for establishing the National Cybersecurity 

Center of Excellence (NCCoE) to accelerate 

adoption of cybersecurity standards and best 

practices. With industry partnerships, the NCCoE 

builds practical security reference designs that can 

be rapidly applied to the real challenges that 

businesses face today. This achievement includes 

the Department’s first Federally Funded Research 

and Development Center (FFRDC) and the 

Nation’s first FFRDC devoted wholly to 

cybersecurity.”

Leah Kauffman

Nathan Lesser

Gavin O’Brien

Timothy McBride 

N. Lucy Salah

Murugiah Souppaya

Karen Waltermire

Information Technology 

Laboratory

Keith Bubar

Office of Acquisition and 

Agreements Management

Kevin Kimball

Office of the Director

Lauren Didiuk

Office of the General 

Counsel
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Gold Medal

“for designing, constructing, operating, 

and continually improving the world’s 

most accurate official time and 

frequency standards (atomic clock), the 

NIST-F2 laser-cooled cesium fountain 

primary frequency standard. NIST-F2 is the 

U.S. national standard for the second, is 

one of the most visible and widely used 

assets of the Department of Commerce, 

substantially outperforms past atomic 

clocks, and is demonstrably the most 

accurate primary standard in the world.”

Steven Jefferts

Thomas Heavner

Physical Measurement Laboratory
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Silver Medal

David A. Wollman

Martin J. Burns

John A. Teeter

Engineering 

Laboratory

“for leadership in the White House “Green 

Button” initiative, giving consumers the vital 

information they need to manage their own 

energy usage. Working closely with industry 

and other agencies, the team led the 

development of technology foundation for Green 

Button, including standards, testing, and 

technical support for implementers. With 

voluntary adoption by many utilities nationwide, 

more than 59 million U.S. customers now have 

Green Button data access to help them reduce 

their costs and promote a more sustainable 

environment.”
25

Silver Medal

Joseph Curtis

NIST Center for Neutron Research

“for conceiving, developing, and bringing to 

the public domain via a dedicated website, 

the SASSIE software and tutorial suite that 

has revolutionized the analysis of neutron 

and x-ray small-angle-scattering data from 

complex biological systems. SASSIE 

models biomolecules composed of thousands 

of atoms with such speed that all atoms can 

be included, thus avoiding the huge 

information loss of current coarse-grained 

methods. SASSIE’s impact is such that an 

internationally funded consortium was 

created to extend it to the cloud and ensure 

its continued development.”
26

Silver Medal

Joe Hodges

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

“for his global leadership in the development, 

application, and dissemination of cavityenhanced laser spectroscopy methods and 

high-accuracy spectroscopic data for 

quantitative analysis of greenhouse gases 

such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, 

and oxygen. This work played a key role in 

enabling both space and ground-based 

remote-sensing measurements of atmospheric 

carbon and other species that are required for 

robust, long-term investigations of climate 

change and air-quality monitoring.”
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Silver Medal

Marc Salit

Jennifer McDaniel

Sarah Munro

Material Measurement 

Laboratory

“for improving confidence in genome-scale 

measurements so that they can be used to 

reliably diagnose disease and develop 

treatments. Since microarray measurements 

were initially unreliable, the team formed a 100-

member consortium to assist in developing new 

types of reference materials and software for 

determining microarray data quality. Due to the 

team’s efforts, genomic data reliability can be 

assured, leading to the use of genome-scale 

measurements in disease diagnosis, in 

assessing the accuracy of gene sequencing and 

in tracking the origin of Ebola in West Africa.”
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Examples of Additional Recent Staff Recognitions

Washington Academy of Science Award, Marc Cicerone, MML

In recognition of “groundbreaking and high-impact optical measurement methods for quantifying 

biological systems, and exemplifying the type of innovation in the physical sciences needed to 

make breakthrough advances in biology.”

Arthur S. Flemming Award - Dean DeLongchamp, MML

for “outstanding federal service as a chemical engineer in the initiation, growth, and development of a 

flexible electronics research program” with a “lasting impact on organic electronics and photovoltaics 

research in the United States and around the world.”

2015 American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) ASHRAE 

Exceptional Service Award - Steve Emmerich, EL

in recognition of service with distinction on committees and of time and talent freely given on behalf of 

the Society. This award is bestowed on a select few who have a large number of contributions to the 

society over many years and through multiple avenues.

2015 AACC Conference Awardee, Ashley Beasley-Green, MML

for her Urine Abumin Standardization presentations, received both the ‘Distinguished Abstract 

Award’ presented by the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and the ‘Mass Spectrometry 

and Separation Sciences Poster Recognition Award’.

NPSTC Leadership Award, Dereck Orr, CTL

For his work to advance the cause of public safety communications as PSCR Program 

Manager

IEEE Joseph F. Keithley Award in Instrumentation and Measurement, Sam Benz, PL

Given for outstanding contributions in electrical measurements. Full citation: “For creating and 

disseminating quantum-based superconducting voltage standards that form the basis for 

worldwide precision voltage measurements.”
29

Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
30

NIST – Who We Are and What We Do

NIST is a world class scientific and technical agency uniquely focused on driving 

innovation and economic competitiveness through: 

 a world-leading scientific research program -- measurement, technology, and 

standards solutions to our stakeholders

 a nation-wide network of centers -- focused on strengthening our nation’s small 

and medium manufacturers

 a program in performance excellence -- used to assess the nation’s companies 

and organizations which is recognized, utilized, and emulated around the world 

 an Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office -- facilitating expansion 

of a nation-wide network of Institutes for innovation in Manufacturing

We have a great and unique Mission and are:

 a key player on the Administration’s Innovation Team

 the nation’s go-to agency for measurements, standards, and technology 

 receiving bipartisan and bicameral support
31

ELEMENT 

THEE

Major Assets, Partnerships, People, Budget

2 Large 

Research 

Campuses

FY 2015 

Appropriations.

$864 Million

Partnerships

In Every State 

People:

Employees

& Associates

Gaithersburg, MD– 62 bldgs. 578 acres

Boulder, CO—26 bldgs., 208 acres 

NIST labs, $675.5 M

Industrial Technology Services, $138.1 M

Construction of Research Facilities, $50.3 M

~400 Manufacturing Extension Locations

10 joint institutes/Centers of Excellence

~3,000 Employees

~3,500 Guest Researchers & other NIST Associates 

~400 NIST Staff on ~ 1,000 standards committees

Additional Resources

~ $120 M from other government agencies

~ $50 M from reimbursable services

NIST At-a-Glance
32

66%

33%

More than doubling our research talent 

through on-campus research collaborations

Domestic

Associates

Foreign

Associates

Augmenting our Staff via Associates
33

NIST Centers of Excellence (green)

• Center for Hierachical Materials Design 

(advanced matls.)—IL

• Center of Excellence in Forensic Science 

–IA, PA, VA, CA

• Community Resilience Center of 

Excellence —CO, OK, TX, WA, AL, CA

Leveraging the nation’s best experts in a range of S&T fields

Joint Institutes/Centers (red)

• JILA –CO

• Institute for Bioscience and 

Biotechnology Research—MD

• Hollings Marine Laboratory—SC

• Joint Quantum Institute, Joint Center for 

Quantum Information and Computer 

Science—MD

• National Cybersecurity Center of 

Excellence—MD

• Joint Institute for Metrology in Biology—CA

Joint Institutes 

and Centers of 

Excellence
34

Levering Experts: Federal government use of Prize Competitions

0

50

100

150

FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

See Tremendous Growth in Prizes & 

Challenges Conducted by Federal 

Agencies

No. Prizes under

COMPETES

No. Prizes under all

th iti

Benefits

 Shine a spotlight on a problem or opportunity 

 Pay only for results 

 Target an ambitious goal without predicting which team 

or approach is most likely to succeed 

 Reach beyond usual suspects to tap top talent 

 Stimulate private sector investment many times greater 

than the prize purse 

 Bring out-of-discipline perspectives to bear 

 Inspire risk-taking by offering a level playing field 

 Establish clear target metrics and validation protocols 

“Each head of an agency, or the heads of multiple agencies 

in cooperation, may carry out a program to award prizes 

competitively to stimulate innovation that has the 

potential to advance the mission of the respective agency.” 

America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (2010)
35

Update: Head Health Challenge III - Advanced Materials for Impact Mitigation

• A Public-Private Challenge Prize to stimulate the 

development of advanced materials that exhibit 

excellent energy absorbing /dissipating 

properties

• Employs NIST expertise in materials testing and 

assessment

• Inspired by the National Materials Genome 

Initiative (MGI)

− January 29, 2015: NFL SuperBowl Press Conference

− February 2, 2015: Challenge III Opens

− March 2015: 125 Abstracts Received

− April 2015: 75 Winning Abstracts invited to submit full proposal and a material sample

o Summer 2015: NIST tested the submitted samples; met with judges and selected 5 

semifinalists

− October 2015: the 5 First Round Awardees receive $250,000 each; begin work to refine 

materials 

− September 2016: Grand Prize Winner awarded $500,000

NIST is leveraging Challenge III to 

expand MGI-related activities in 

advanced protection materials
36

We asked people to build an App using at least one of these NIST Datasets: 

1. CODATA Fundamental Physical Constants (SRD 121)

2. Ground Levels and Ionization Energies for the Neutral Atoms (SRD 111)

3. Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions (SRD 144)

4. Computational Chemistry Comparison and Benchmark Database (SRD 101)

5. NIST-JANAF Thermochemical Tables (SRD 13)

6. ITS-90 Thermocouple Database (SRD 60)

• The NIST Standard Reference Data collection contains some of the 

world’s most accurate and comprehensive datasets of physical, 

materials science, chemical, and biological data. 

• But is there a better way to share NIST SRD with the researchers 

who need it? 

Bibiana Campos-Seijo

Editor, C&E News

Vint Cerf

VP and Chief 

Internet 

Evangelist, Google

Stuart Chalk

Assc. Prof. of 

Chemistry (UNF)

Robert Hanisch

Director, NIST 

ODI

Ian Kalin

Chief Data 

Officer, DOC

Diana Ortiz-Montalvo 

NIST Research 

Chemist

Chris Sloop 

CTO, Earth 

Networks

The Judges: 

$45,000

In Prizes 

130+

Participants

26

Apps 

Submitted

About the 

Challenge

Nov. 

16th

Winners to 

be 

Announced

Reference Data Challenge
37

SHA-3 Competition 

 Develop a new cryptographic secure hash algorithm

 Multiple rounds of feedback and crypto community engagement

 Winner announced in Oct. 2012 – ending 5 year competition

 Aug 2015: NIST Released final version of SHA-3 Standard, FIPS PUB 202 

http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/hash/sha-3/index.html
38

Challenging teams of cities to work with innovators to develop, deploy, and 

evaluate standards-based Smart Cities technologies

• Facilitating partnerships among cities/communities and innovators 

• Show the impact of replicable and scalable Smart City projects

Global Cities Team Challenge 

 1st Global Cities Team Challenge Expo: 

• June 1, 2015 at the National Building Museum in Washington 

DC

– 64 teams exhibited and presented in partnership with 50+ 

municipal 

governments around the world

– 200+ organizations

– 1200+ attendees, 50+ world-wide media outlets 

 2nd Global Cities Team Challenge being launched

• FY2016 Global City Teams Challenge launch event to be held 

at NIST on 12-13 November 
39

NIST (NBS) established in 1901

House Committee on Coinage, 

Weights and Measures ... on the 

establishment of the National 

Bureau of Standards (now NIST)

May 3, 1900

Organic Act of 1901; Updated in 2008

Functions and activities of the Institute include:

• custody and dissemination of national standards

o comparison of US national standards with those of other nations

• determination of physical constants and the properties of materials, 

• solutions to measurement and standards problems of other government 

agencies

• providing (Innovation) assistance to industry

NMI’s Around the World are Working together 

to link our global measurement system to the fundamental constants of nature

Rigorous realization of these 

units has provided undeniable 

impact on trade, commerce, 

and quality of life
40

TIME

Record-setting Atomic Clock

NIST/JILA’s strontium lattice atomic clock, 

accurate to:

1 second in 15 billion years 

Why this level of Precision Matters:

Electric power grid requires:

synchronization to about 1 millionth of a 

second per day

Modern telecommunications and 

computer network systems require: 

synchronization to about 1 millionth of a 

second per day

GPS system requires: 

synchronization to about 1 billionth of a 

second per day. 

NIST official time is used to time-stamp 

hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. 

financial transactions each working day.

Leading the world in defining the international system of units
41

MASS

Physical kilogram artifact (1889)

Redefining mass from a physical 

artifact to a constant of nature by 

2018.

Working with other national metrology 

institutes around the world, NIST 

researchers are carefully measuring 

Planck’s constant so that it can be 

the cornerstone of a new, improved 

International System of Units. 

Electronic kilogram (2018)

Int. Avogadro Project

Leading the world in redefining the international system of units
42

Since our inception as NBS, in addition to maintaining the more traditional 

National Physical Measurement Standards, we have also focused a 

significant portion of our research and measurement services activities on 

addressing contemporary societal needs 

1901 2015

Interoperability of fire 

hose screw threads

Light bulb standards

Standards for Irons 

and Steels

Supporting the Industrial 

Revolution

Working with ICC to 

reduce railway 

accidents

Advanced communications

Advanced manufacturing

Advanced materials

Biosciences

Cyber-physical systems

Quantum science

Cybersecurity

Forensic science

Disaster resilience
43

Advanced Manufacturing

Building a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation

Today, I’m asking Congress to build on the bipartisan

support for this idea . . . creating a network of these hubs 

and guaranteeing that the next revolution in 

manufacturing is “Made in America.” --July 30, 2013

Current Institutes 

(Sponsored by DoD and DoE)

• America Makes (additive 

manufacturing) Youngstown, OH 

• Digital Manufacturing and Design 

Innovation Institute, Chicago, IL 

• Lightweight Innovations for 

Tomorrow, Detroit, MI 

• Power America (Wide Band Gap 

Semiconductors) Raleigh, N.C. 

• Institute for Advanced Composites 

Mfg. Innovation, Knoxville, TN 

• Integrated Photonics, New York 

• Flexible Hybrid Electronics 

Manufacturing Innovation Institute, 

San Jose, CA 

Coming Soon

• Clean Energy/Smart Manufacturing 

• Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles 

NIST Role in NNMI 

• Hosts the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office 

that:

- Convenes network for collaboration and support among 

Institutes 

- Provides annual reporting to Congress 

- Shares best practices among Institutes

- Establishes new Institutes that address private sector needs

• Providing $11 M split among three of the current institutes 

to support measurement science research

• NIST lab experts are heavily involved in advisory roles and 

collaborations with Institute researchers

• NIST MEP Network linked to NNMI Network via MOUs, to 

ensure institute results reach small and medium entities
44

MEP State Competitions Update

Round 1 Competition in 10 states (COMPLETED):

 Awards announced February 23, 2015; Start date July 1, 2015

– CO, CT, IN, MI, NC, NH, OR, TN, TX, VA

 Award Kick-Off Meeting – conducted late July 2015

Round 2 Competition in 12 states

 Competition announced March 2, 2015 

 Awards announced September 21, 2015; Start date January 

1, 2016

– AK, ID, IL, MN, NJ, NY,OK, WA, WV

– UT/WI Still under review/negotiations

 Award Kick-Off Meeting – scheduled for December 15-17th

Round 3 Competition in 11 States and Puerto Rico:

 Anticipated publication of FFO - Early January 2016. 

– AL, AR, CA GA, LA, MA, MO, MN, OH, PA, 

Puerto Rico and VT

 Anticipated Start Date of Awards – July 2016

Round 4 Competition for 11 States:

 Anticipated publication of FFO – July 2016. 

– DE, HI, IA, KS, ME, MT, NV, NM, ND, SC, and 

WY

 Anticipated Start Date of Awards – January 2017

In 2014, NIST initiated a carefully planned, systematic, multi-year recompetition of the national system of 

Centers.

̶ Objective: Optimize the impact of the Federal investment on U.S. manufacturing and to allocate 

additional funds to areas with higher concentrations of manufacturers.

̶ Goal: Complete competition of the entire 50 State (plus Puerto Rico) national network over three years 

(by end of 2017)
45

NIST Prorams

Advanced manufacturing research in 

NIST Labs

• Advanced Materials

• Smart manufacturing

• 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing

• Lightweighting 

• Nanomanufacturing

• Synthetic Biology/Biomanufacturing 

• Digital thread (many other fields)

Industry Services

• Hollings Manufacturing Ext. Partnership 

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology 

Consortia – grants to industry consortia to 

identify critical gaps in technology

NIST Programs for Manufacturing
46

Advanced Manufacturing

• Nanomanufacturing requires high precision 

milling and diagnostics on the nanoscale 

• CNST researchers developed new focused 

ion beam technology based on laser cooling 

with higher brightness, better resolution

• Technology patented by NIST, licensed to 

former CNST postdocs Adam Steele and 

Brenton Knuffman

Start-up company launched: 

September 2015: zeroK moved into their own space in 

Gaithersburg with significant funding from corporate sponsorship 

and NSF SBIR phase II 

Creating new businesses through technology transfer

Jobs created: Two founders and one PhD physicist hired (so far)
47

Nanofabricated quantum dot single photon sources

 Single photon source: quantum light 

source with applications in secure 

communications, metrology, and quantum 

computing

 Semiconductor quantum dots: promising 

solid-state single photon source in a 

platform compatible with integration and 

scaling

 Challenge: quantum dots have random 

spatial location; location information at 

100 nm level needed to use photonic 

elements to extract photons efficiently

 Solution: optical technique to locate 

single quantum dots with 10 nm 

uncertainty. Nanofabricate gratings for 

light extraction once quantum dot 

positions are known 

 Results: source efficiency of 48 % 

(theoretical limit of 50%); >99% pure 

single photon emission

Ref: L. Sapienza, M. Davanco, A. Badolato, K. Srinivasan, 

Nature Communications, 6:7833 (2015) (also see Tech Beat

article)

(a) Circular ‘bullseye’ grating geometry for efficient light extraction;

(b) Single semiconductor quantum dot that has been optically located;

(c) Lithographically defined grating surrounding the located quantum dot;

(d) Completed single photon source
48

Example Cybersecurity Publications 

2011: Information Security Continuous Monitoring 

2012: Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

2013: Security and Privacy Controls 

2014: Guidelines on Mobile Device Forensics

2015: Guide to Industrial Control Systems Security

Supply Chain Risk Management Practices

Major NIST Cybersecurity Initiatives and Stakeholders 

22 Private 

sector 

partners
49

—

• Forensic science 

pioneer

• Helped establish 

FBI crime lab in 

1932

The CTL promotes the development and deployment of advanced communications 

technologies through the conduct of leading edge R&D on both the metrology and 

understanding of physical phenomena, materials capabilities, complex systems relevant to 

advanced communications; and through the conduct of research targeted at supporting a 

multi-level testbed facility.

Initial Areas of Focus of CTL:

• Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) –Increase PSCR technical staff and 

enhance the LTE laboratory infrastructure to increase support for public safety 

communications.

• Spectrum Sharing – Develop spectrum sharing metrology, and work through the joint 

NTIA/NIST Center for Advanced Communications, and the National Advanced Spectrum and 

Communications Test Network, to create a trusted capability to facilitate spectrum sharing 

studies, optimize access to engineering capabilities, and engage spectrum users in 

collaborations.

• Develop R&D programs – Work with stakeholders to develop an aggressive R&D program to 

address longer-term needs, e.g., leading U.S. Government efforts in 5G.

− The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an 

independent entity within the Department of Commerce to provide emergency responders with the first U.S. nationwide, highspeed, broadband network dedicated to public safety.

− NIST CTL gets $300M to provide the R&D and testing support for FirstNet; $100M now in house

Advanced Communications

Established NIST Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) 
50

NIST Develops First Roadmap for Public Safety Communications Research

In May, NIST published a public safety communications 

research Roadmap, which identifies long-term research 

topics that support the development of location-based 

services, which enhance situational awareness for first 

responders (location of first responders, location of victims, 

etc.) 

The Location-Based Services R&D Roadmap:

• Is based on ideas generated at the 2013 Public Safety 

Broadband Roadmap Workshop involving 150 participants 

from the public and private sector

• Identifies critical research in areas such as software & 

applications, devices, and networks

• Informs how to allocate the $300 million apportioned to 

NIST from the recent AWS-3 spectrum auction that will 

support public safety communications research
51

NIST Establishes 5G Millimeter-Wave Channel Model Alliance

NIST has launched the 5G mmWave Channel Model 

Alliance to provide a forum for supporting the 

development of more accurate, consistent, and predictive 

channel models for millimeter-wave communication 

systems above 6 GHz.

• Development of channel models is needed before 

commercial wireless communication systems can be 

deployed.

• The Alliance is composed of over 50 representatives 

from industry, academia, and government 

organizations. 

• NIST convened the Alliance’s first meeting on July 

8-9, in Boulder, to discuss the present state of 

channel measurement and modeling and to 

develop plans for the Alliance’s organization and 

future activities.
52

“Doctors have always recognized that every patient is unique, and doctors have always 

tried to tailor their treatments as best they can to individuals. You can match a blood 

transfusion to a blood type — that was an important discovery. What if matching a 

cancer cure to our genetic code was just as easy, just as standard? What if figuring out 

the right dose of medicine was as simple as taking our temperature?”

President Obama, January 30, 2015

National Precision Medicine Initiative
53

What do we need to know to do to make personalized medicine a 

reality?

Linking outcome of genomics, 

proteomics, metabolomics, microbiome 

measurements to a specific disease 

state

Ability to put all of these sources together to 

determine what are most important factors or 

combination of factors that link to disease and 

predict outcome of therapies

Big data analytics, models

Providing Confidence in Genomics Measurements: Genome in a Bottle

NIST led consortium with more than 75 public, private, academic 

partners

• Developing whole genome reference materials and bioinformatics 

tools for quality assurance of whole genome sequencing 

technologies (next gen and next/next gen). 

• FDA used this to approve the first high-throughput DNA sequencer.

NY Times (5/14/15): “The federal government opened a new era 

of genetic medicine on Thursday by introducing a standard way 

to ensure the accuracy of DNA tests used to tailor treatments for 

individual patients.”
54

Problem: Accurate spectroscopic data is

required for the measurement of

greenhouse gas concentration, flux, and

modeling of radiative forcing in climate

models.

NIST Solutions:

• Accurate measurement of line-by-line parameters of

CO2, H2O, O2 ,CH4, N2O

• Measurements lead to 7-fold reduction in uncertainty

of O2 line intensities

• Most accurate (0.1% unc.) measurements of H2O and

CO2 intensities, used to benchmark theoretical calcs.

• Development of competitive technology for

deployable, stable, precise and accurate atmospheric

CO2 monitors

Significant need for SI-traceable and precise laserbased measurement techniques for GHGs as applied 

to remote sensing from satellites and aircraft, groundbased atmospheric observation networks, and mobile 

GHG monitoring systems.

Data to Support the Orbiting 

Carbon Observatory-2

Changing Climates: Green House Gas (GHG) Measurement Program
55

NIST Director and NIM Director Xiang Fang signed Statement of Intent 

in the presence of AQSIQ Minister Zhi Shuping

Signing Ceremony, DC on Sept. 22, 2015

NIST and NMI-China sign a Statement of Intent to Cooperate on 

Standards for Green House Gas Measurements and Precision 

Medicine
56

Strengthening Forensic Science in the U.S.
57

Cold neutron imaging instrument

Neutron microscope (NIST-IMS project) 

to be installed on cold neutron imaging 

instrument 

Microscope based on Wolter Optics (used on 

Chandra X-Ray telescope)

100× increase in time resolution at 10 μm 

enables

 2D imaging of transient processes

 Rapid 3D tomography

Radiograph with 1 μm resolution in 2-20 

minutes

Bragg edge imaging 

(e.g. strain mapping)

Higher sensitivity & better contrast than 

thermal neutron imaging
58

Quantum Teleportation over 100 km of Optical Fiber

 Quantum “teleportation” means faithfully 

recreating

a complex quantum-mechanical state at a 

distance

 Teleportation is potentially useful in both

quantum communications and quantum 

computing

– For unbreakable encryption and advanced

code-breaking, respectively

 NIST smashed record distance for teleportation

through an optical fiber: 4x, to 100 km

 Key enabling technology is new, novel photon 

detector

– Superconducting nanowires made of molybdenum 

silicide

– Patent prosecution in progress

Novel, Efficient, Polarization 

Independent, Single Photon Detector

Enabling technology for record quantum 

teleportation. Fast detector, able to count 

nearly a billion photons per second, with a 

low dark rate (false counts). 

U.S. Patent Application 20140087952A1.
59

“Molecules” Made of Light

 Forces between photons are extraordinarily weak

– Beams of light can intersect without affecting each other

 In 2013, researchers at Harvard and MIT 

(including current NIST researcher / JQI Fellow 

Alexey Gorshkov) realized an exception to this 

rule:

– Photons in a certain type of non-linear, quantum medium 

can act as if there is a force of attraction between them

 In a recent paper, these researchers further 

refined the theory:

– Photons can be made to travel side by side, a specific 

distance from each other, like atoms in a molecule

 Full implications of this not yet known

– Light with the ability to both communicate and control 

expands the toolbox for innovation in photonics

Researchers show that two photons, 

depicted in this artist’s conception as waves 

(left and right), can be locked together at a 

short distance. Under certain conditions, the 

photons can form a state resembling a twoatom molecule, represented as the blue 

dumbbell shape at center.
60

Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Discussion Topic: External NIST Reviews

• Agenda Review
61

External NIST Reviews

 NIST has three complementary methods for external 

review

– Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT) 

• What should NIST currently be doing in response to its Mission?

– National Research Council (NRC) Board on Assessment 

• What is the quality of the research being carried out in each Laboratory Organization 

in support of the NIST Mission

– International Peer Review of NIST Measurement Services

• Review by International Peers of the quality of the measurement services being 

delivered by NIST
62

Regarding NIST External Reviews

Discuss: 

Begin focusing a VCAT Meeting on Analysis of NRC Panel and International 

Measurement Services Feedback/Reports?

• Suggest beginning with the VCAT Fall Meeting of 2016 and every 4 years 

thereafter
63

Topics: NIST Update

• Safety and Site Security Update

• Update on Director’s Priorities

• NIST Budget Status 

• Selected Staff Awards/Achievements

• Strategic Research and Programmatic Updates

• Agenda Review
64

Further Questions/Discussion??
65

VCAT Webinar Meeting Agenda: October 6, 2015

Overview and Safety

9:30 am Call to Order, Roberto Padovani, VCAT Chair

9:40 am NIST Update and Agenda Review, Willie E. May, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director

11:00 am Safety Update, Richard Kayser, Chief Safety Officer

11:20 am Break

NIST Partnerships

11:30 am Context Setting and Follow-up on Bio and IT Research Portfolios

Willie E. May, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director

Laurie Locascio, Director, Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)

Jim St. Pierre, Deputy Director, Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)

12:00 pm Evolution of NIST Partnerships, Jason Boehm, Director, Program Coordination Office

12:15 pm Partnership Model: Joint Initiative for Metrology in Biology (JIMB),

Marc Salit, Leader, Genome-Scale measurements Group, MML 

Drew Endy, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford 

1:00 pm Lunch

1:30 pm Partnership Model: Centers of Excellence, Jason Boehm, Director, Program Coordination Office

Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMad), Eric Lin, Chief, Materials Science and Engineering Division, MML 

Peter Voorhees, Co-Director CHiMad

2:15 pm Partnership Model: NIST Labs working with the National Network of Manufacturing Institutes, Richard Cavanagh, Acting Associate Director for 

Laboratory Programs (ADLP)

3:00 pm Break

3:10 pm Partnership Models: JILA & Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), James Olthoff, Director, Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)

3:55 pm VCAT Administrative Business

4:15 pm Meeting Adjourn