NIST

An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce

Founded in 1901, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a nonregulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. With headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, NIST’s mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Thu, 12/04/2025 - 12:20
How to Find MEP National Network Workforce Programs, Services, and Training NIST publishes new guide
Wed, 10/25/2023 - 11:59
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- It’s no longer news that many manufacturers find it difficult to attract and retain enough skilled employees. The nationwide manufacturing talent shortage and skills gap pose complex challenges that threaten individual…
New Spin-Squeezing Techniques Let Atoms Work Together Process for better quantum measurements
Mon, 10/09/2023 - 12:01
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Opening new possibilities for quantum sensors, atomic clocks, and tests of fundamental physics, JILA researchers have developed new ways of “entangling” or interlinking the properties of large numbers of particles. In the…
NIST Standards to Help Eliminate ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Firefighting Foams References to be made available for measurements
Tue, 10/03/2023 - 12:00
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- In movies, when we see fiery car crashes or flaming planes on runways, we know they aren’t real. But in the real world, fuel fires must be quenched with special kinds of chemicals, and the ones that have been most…
Manufacturing Day: Changing People’s Perceptions Don’t underestimate the power of telling your story
Thu, 09/28/2023 - 12:03
Manufacturing Day, or MFG Day, has grown to mean many things since it was officially proclaimed in 2012. Some celebrate on the first Friday in October with an event at a manufacturing facility or a school. Others participate in a regional…
New NIST Measurements Aim to Advance Portable MRI Technology Smaller, less expensive, and portable MRI systems promise to expand healthcare delivery
Thu, 08/31/2023 - 12:02
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines can clearly view non-bony parts of the body—soft tissue such as the brain, muscles, and ligaments—as well as detect tumors, making it possible to diagnose many diseases and other conditions. However, the…
NIST Demonstrates New ‘Primary Standard’ for Measuring Ultralow Pressures Chip manufacturing, gravitational wave detectors, and quantum computers could all benefit
Tue, 08/29/2023 - 12:02
A vacuum chamber is never perfectly empty. A small number of atoms or molecules always remains, and measuring the tiny pressures they exert is critical. For instance, semiconductor manufacturers create microchips in vacuum chambers that must be…
Measuring Up: Kibble Dynamic Force Reference A primary standard for testing structures and calibrating force sensor systems
Thu, 08/10/2023 - 12:03
Static force, such as the weight of a person standing motionless on a bathroom scale or the force that an office full of equipment exerts on a high-rise floor, can be easily determined using scales, balances, load cells, and the like because static…
Laser-Based Method Could Help Scientists Discover Puncture-Resistant Materials Tiny projectiles and troves of data bridge the gap between microscopic properties and real-world behavior

Mon, 07/17/2023 - 12:02
A bullet piercing the protective armor of a first responder, a jellyfish stinging a swimmer, micrometeorites striking a satellite—high-speed projectiles that puncture materials show up in many forms. Researchers constantly aim to identify new…
Tiny Atomic Beam Clock Could Bring Stable Timing to Places GPS Can’t Reach Current chip-scale beam device is a prototype for a miniature atomic beam clock
Wed, 07/12/2023 - 11:59
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) A new type of miniature atomic clock could provide better timing over the span of weeks and months compared with current systems. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration…
Manipulating Multiple Lasers on a Single Chip Paving the way for a new generation of quantum devices
Thu, 07/06/2023 - 12:02
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed chip-scale devices for simultaneously manipulating the color, focus, direction of travel, and polarization of multiple beams of laser light. The ability to…