National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) is the agency of the United States Department of Commerce. The NIST was formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS); the name change occurred in January 1989.

The NBS was established by Congress in 1901 as the central measurement laboratory of the federal government. The institute is the focal point in the United States for assuring maximum application of the physical and engineering sciences to the development of technology in industry and commerce. It comprises the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering, and the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology. The NIST promotes the use of precision technology by conducting research and providing centralized services in four broad program areas: basic measurements and standards, materials measurements and standards, technological measurements and standards, and transfer of technical information.

The NIST provides facilities necessary for a complete and consistent system of basic physical and chemical measurements and standards in the United States, and it furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform measurements throughout the scientific community, industry, and commerce. In 1972, for example, agency scientists developed a helium-neon gas-laser technique that for the first time gave the precise measurement of the speed of light as 299,792.45 km/sec (186,282.396 mi/sec).

The NIST also cooperates with public and private organizations to develop technological standards and test methodologies by conducting research on the properties of materials that are needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and government. This research leads to improved methods of standardizing measurements and collecting data. One of the agency's activities is to relate the physical and chemical properties of materials to their behavior and their interaction with their environments; major contributions have been made in fire and motor-vehicle safety. In the 1970s the agency became involved in conserving energy in the home, office, and industry; measuring environmental pollution; and investigating the hazards of many consumer products.

Another major activity of the NIST is developing technical services to promote the use of available technology that will facilitate innovation and precision in industry and governmental institutions.

Finally, at federal, state, and local government levels, the NIST provides advisory and research services to all agencies by developing, producing, and distributing standard reference materials. It promotes optimum dissemination and accessibility of scientific information generated within the NIST and other agencies of the federal government. In this, the institute is assisted by its National Standard Reference Data System and by a system of information analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the national measurement system. Because of its unique data-gathering functions, the NIST is the principal agent for the development of federal standards for automatic data processing techniques, for computer equipment, and for computer languages. After the name change in 1989, the agency announced that it would soon establish regional manufacturing technology centers to speed the spread of new technology.