Released 10.07.07

Under the agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology reached in 2007, the NRC’s review of NIST now focuses on a selected set of its measurement and standards laboratories (MSL).  The assessments cover the technical quality and merit, effectiveness, and the adequacy of resources of the MSL under review.  The assessments also examine the relevance of the programs of each MSL to the NIST mission and how its laboratory facilities, equipment, and personnel are able to fulfill each MSL mission. Each MSL assessment also included a look at the labs’ programs funded under the America Competes Act.  The following are the MSLs reviewed by the NRC for 2008. Each is a separate report:

An Assessment of the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)

The report on the NCNR presents a general review of the Lab, and specific assessments of its science and technology, its facilities and personnel, and its role as a user facility.  The report also provides recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of NCNR programs.  

An Assessment of the NIST Physics Lab

The report on the Physics lab provides an assessment of each of the lab’s six divisions—atomic physics, electron and optical physics, ionizing radiation, optical technology, quantum physics, and time and frequency.  The report also offers recommendations about facilities and equipment, coordination with other NIST divisions, and reduction of administrative burdens among other areas.

Assessment of the NIST Building and Fire Research Lab (BFRL)

The report on the BFRL provides assessments of measurement science for building energy technology, construction productivity, and lifecycle performance of nanocomposite infrastructure materials; and of disaster resilient structures and communities for hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires.  It also offers recommendations about staffing, project management, program enhancement, and of fire research at the wildlife-urban interface among other areas.

Assessment of the NIST Manufacturing and Engineering Lab (MEL)

The report on the MEL provides assessments of the labs several divisions—intelligent systems, manufacturing metrology, manufacturing integration, and precision engineering.  It also offers recommendations about examination of program priorities, the need for staff expansion and succession planning; expansion of the definition of manufacturing to non-traditional areas, and the cost structure of the precision engineering division among other areas.

Assessment of the NIST Materials Science and Engineering Lab (MSEL)

The report on the MSEL provides assessments of the labs several divisions—ceramics, materials reliability, metallurgy, and polymers.  It also offers recommendations about succession planning, equipment and facility upgrades, and greater use of modeling and simulation among other areas.