An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Programs Fiscal Year 1997 (1997) / Chapter Skim
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1 The State of the Laboratories
1 The State of the Laboratories
Pages 1-12
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Chapter I The Slate of the Laboratories
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MERIT OF PROGRAMS In assessing the merit of NIST's programs, the Board considered the inherent technical merit of each program, its merit relative to other institutions worldwide, and its concordance with NIST's mission. The overall technical merit as assessed by the panel members was excellent; much of NIST's work is world class, and many of its research groups represent national resources.
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The recognition of their accomplishments NIST staff receive from their peers is demonstrated by the numerous scientific awards staff members have received, journal editorships and professional committee leadership positions they have held, and the thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles they have written. The usefulness of NIST programs is certified by high attendance at NIST-sponsored meetings and workshops and frequent downloading of information from NIST Web sites.
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This process ensures that the needs of industry are truly represented. Although this process helps assure the potential for economic impact of programs, successful impact depends on the ability of the NIST scientists, engineers, and management to execute the work in an efficient and timely manner in cooperation with anticipated customers.
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. Development of new primary standards to calibrate gas flow meters, and the capability to measure flow proficiently, enable manufacturers to control gas flow with much Greater ~1 ~· ~ ~1 · 1 , =, ..
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This process is key to advanced aircraft engine and gas turbine manufacturers, because methods for the accurate prediction and measurement of these microstructures can greatly improve engine performance. NIST has developed software packages that allow architects and engineers to factor sustainable development criteria into the designs of indoor air-handling systems.
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NIST's role as an unbiased assessor of interoperability of various parallel processing implementations makes cooperation among different computer systems simpler for single tasks. RESOURCES The Board considered the adequacy of NIST's resources, including facilities, equipment, and personnel, based on site reviews and panel reports.
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Facilities problems include inadequate basic building services, such as the need for uninterruptable building power, air temperature and humidity control, proper air filtration, and vibration isolation for sensitive measurement facilities. Some of these needs, such as eliminating frequent power outages, are immediate and cannot wait for a major facilities upgrade.
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Use of nonpermanent and supplemental personnel (such as postdoctoral fellows, term employees, and visiting guest researchers) assists with critical shortterm needs and helps identify talented new hires.
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The quality of the strategic and operational planning process is in some cases equal to or better than much industrial practice, and the Board is impressed by the substantial efforts spent on planning by NIST management. A worId-cIass technical organization would continue its attention to planning in these ways: · Bringing the planning process in all units up to a consistently high level by identifying and applying the organization's best planning practices; Aligning ongoing programs with the strategic plan more effectively; Reviewing and updating 5-year strategic plans annually; Aligning human resources planning, personnel career development, hiring, and training with the requirements of the strategic plans; Correlating facilities.and equipment development plans with the requirements identified in the strategic plan; Continuing to benchmark capabilities against similar scientific institutions, as a basis for developing best practices for strategic planning; Considering expected outcomes, products, and deliverables; impact assessment; time to completion; metrics for success assessment; and technology transfer and delivery systems at 11
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In some critical areas, NIST has not taken on the necessary leadership role in international standards activities. NIST's use of the World Wide Web to disseminate information and products is laudable and will almost surely increase the impact of its work.
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