AN ASSESSMENT OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS
AND TECHNOLOGY
PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT LABORATORY
FISCAL YEAR 2015
Panel on Review of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Committee on NIST Technical Programs
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This study was supported by Contract No. SB1341-12-CQ-0036/15-034 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-43936-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-43936-1
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/23448
Copies of this report are available from
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 928
Washington, DC 20001
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2016 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Physical Measurement Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2015. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/23448.
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.national-academies.org.
This page intentionally left blank.
PANEL ON REVIEW OF THE PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT LABORATORY AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
ROBERT H. AUSTIN, Princeton University, Chair
SHELLEY L. ANNA, Carnegie Mellon University
GORDON D. CATES, Jr., University of Virginia
DONALD M. ENGELMAN, Yale University
MICHAEL ETTENBERG, Dolce Technologies
STEPHEN R. FORREST, University of Michigan
ROBERT P. FRUEHOLZ, The Aerospace Corporation
JAMES S. HARRIS, Stanford University
ALAN JOHNSTON, Measurement Canada
MLADEN KEZUNOVIC, Texas A&M University
STEVEN M. LARSON, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
JAMES E. LAWLER, University of Wisconsin, Madison
ATHANASIOS P. (SAKIS) MELIOPOULOS, Georgia Institute of Technology
PIERRE MEYSTRE, University of Arizona
C. KUMAR N. PATEL, Pranalytica, Incorporated
MARK G. RAIZEN, The University of Texas, Austin
R.G. HAMISH ROBERTSON, University of Washington
MARLAN O. SCULLY, Texas A&M University
ROBERT M. SHELBY, IBM Almaden Research Center
RICHARD SHIPMAN, Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Incorporated
JOHN C. SOMMERER, Talitha Ventures
MICHAEL G. SPENCER, Cornell University
DAVID A. THOMPSON, IBM Almaden Research Center
ANDREW M. WEINER, Purdue University
DAVID A. WEITZ, Harvard University
H. KUMAR WICKRAMASINGHE, University of California, Irvine
X. GEORGE XU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. MCGEE, Director
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant (until December 24, 2015)
COMMITTEE ON NIST TECHNICAL PROGRAMS
ELSA REICHMANIS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Chair
LEWIS BRANSCOMB, University of California, San Diego
WILLIAM C. GEAR, NEC Research Institute, Inc. (retired)
JENNIE S. HWANG, H-Technologies Group
KANTI JAIN, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
C. KUMAR PATEL, Pranalytica, Incorporated
ALICE WHITE, Boston University
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. MCGEE, Director
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant (until December 24, 2015)
LABORATORY ASSESSMENTS BOARD
JOHN W. LYONS, National Defense University, Chair
ROSS B. COROTIS, University of Colorado, Boulder
PAUL A. FLEURY, Yale University
C. WILLIAM GEAR, Princeton University
WESLEY L. HARRIS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JENNIE S. HWANG, H-Technologies Group
W. CARL LINE BERGER, University of Colorado, Boulder
C. KUMAR N. PATEL, Pranalytica, Incorporated
ELSA REICHMANIS, Georgia Institute of Technology
LYLE H. SCHWARTZ, U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (retired)
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. McGEE, Director
ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant (until December 24, 2015)
This page intentionally left blank.
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Steven M. Girvin, Yale University,
Arthur C. Gossard, University of California, Santa Barbara,
Jerome Hastings, Stanford University,
Max G. Lagally, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Dan M. Stamper-Kurn, University of California, Berkeley,
Thomas P. Russell, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and
Stephen R. Leone, University of California, Berkeley.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Elsa Reichmanis, Georgia Institute of Technology, who was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring board and the institution.
This page intentionally left blank.
This page intentionally left blank.