An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories Fiscal Year 2003 (2003) / Chapter Skim
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1 The State of the Laboratories
1 The State of the Laboratories
Pages 5-12
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From page 5... ...
in the development and transition of new technologies supporting national interests and also by the level of quality with which they carry out this work. The laboratories establish and maintain highly accurate, dependable measurement standards that are fundamental to sustaining commercial infrastructures and to the process of scientific discovery.
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organization, but the overall technical quality of the programs is not a concern. The Board identified a number of technical programs that stand out as exemplars of NIST's best work: · In the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (FEEL)
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From page 7... ...
This base of expertise and experience includes the following: · Expertise in the analysis of DNA fragments, which became a crucial technology for identifying victims of the World Trade Center disaster; · Capabilities for the evaluation of building structural weaknesses, which positioned NIST to undertake a major analysis of the causes of failure of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center; · Imaging technologies that could be readily adapted for noninvasive imaging of weapons; · Communications expertise that enabled NIST to begin addressing how to overcome equipment mismatches that plagued first-responders at the World Trade Center site; · Understanding of dosimetry of importance for treating mail that might carry bioterrorism agents; and · Expertise in flow models for ventilation, which allowed NIST to quickly develop a plan for decontaminating the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., after the anthrax attack of 2001. Although the Board cannot predict which current projects are prescient about future needs, it was impressed by an ITL project that uses statistical methods for the analysis of variations in metrology among worldwide standards of importance to trade.
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From page 8... ...
The Physics Laboratory's Time and Frequency Division has two new laboratories that provide excellent environmental controls, other parts of PL are slated for partial equipment upgrades, and the laboratory facilities of some groups within KEEL have seen improvements. Additionally, there have been commendable safety upgrades at the Boulder campus.
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From page 9... ...
The working environment at NIST encourages a high rate of employee retention. With respect to Herman resources NEST sho~lcl continue its attention to maintaining balance in the - -or following areas: · Between regular and temporary employees, to ensure the continuance of key organizational knowledge; · Between service and research activities, to ensure faithfulness to NIST's standards mission while keeping NIST at the forefront of the research that will enable and support future standards activities (see the next section, "Balance of Service and Research"~; · Between administrative support staff and technical staff, to maximize technical productivity; and · Between professional staff and laboratory technicians, to allow the best and most cost-effective distribution of assignments.
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From page 10... ...
Expertise developed over years of work created a foundation in DNA analysis, radiation dosimetry, structural analysis, fire research, communications technologies, and other areas that could be quickly retargeted to address particular questions of importance to homeland security. By maintaining a broad research base, sometimes in areas that are neglected by other research institutions, NIST has the capability of responding rapidly to unforeseen national needs as they occur.
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From page 11... ...
· The Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory is investigating fundamentals of materials failure mechanisms associated with the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. · The Building and Fire Research Laboratory has undertaken a major study to discover lessons to be learned from the Twin Towers' fires and collapse at the World Trade Center, and it is continuing relevant work to understand how fires spread within buildings and how contaminants disperse through ventilation systems.
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From page 12... ...
The use of a Web site for providing time stamps, noted above, is a natural and invaluable extension of NIST's traditional dissemination of the official time by radio. Making compilations of information for example, the updated Handbook of Special Functions, the Guide to Available Mathematical Software, and the Mass Spectral Database available in digital form not only improves the ease of use of such compilations but also allows for the incorporation of additional useful tools, such as computational and graphical support.
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