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An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Physics Laboratory Fiscal Year 2010 (2010) / Chapter Skim
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8 Overall Conclusions
Pages 61-64

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From page 61...
... The Adequacy of the Laboratory Budget, Facilities, Equipment, and Human Resources, As They Affect the Quality of the Laboratory's Technical Programs The budget for the Physics Laboratory has generally been maintained or increased in most areas in absolute dollars, although decreased budgets and/or decreases have been observed in some areas, with the standards and service areas appearing to be bearing a higher fraction of the burden. These reductions appear to result in part from three factors: increased operational costs, increased commitments for budget line items, and funding from external agencies for specific programs that represent a significant fraction of the increased funding.
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From page 62...
... Although the laboratory's strategic plan includes provisions for the increased support needed to maintain its new facilities and to upgrade and maintain the existing facilities, the inadequacy of past levels of funds for maintenance suggests that this matter deserves continued attention. The Degree to Which Laboratory Programs in Measurement Science, Standards, and Services Achieve Their Stated Objectives and Desired Impact Recent strategic plans at both the laboratory and division levels have succinctly enumerated objectives and, in turn, provide elucidation of the significance of the individual achievements and their contributions to these objectives.
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From page 63...
... Government Accountability Office audit of the NIST Working Capital Fund, attorneys from the Department of Commerce General Law Division questioned the terms of the agreements by which other federal agencies transfer funds to NIST. The panel understands that NIST may be required to implement alternative procedures for accepting funding from other federal agencies.
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Key Terms

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  • strategic plans

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  • line items
  • increased operational
  • discretionary funds
  • addressing physics

  • government accountability
  • services relevant
  • external agencies
  • alternative procedures
  • panel understands

  • budget line
  • existing policies
  • measurement services
  • talented staff
  • policies regarding

  • reductions appear
  • laboratory administrators
  • past decades
  • appropriate paths
  • continued attention

  • research addressing
  • accepting funding
  • division levels
  • transfer funds
  • specific programs


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