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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
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An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories

FISCAL YEAR 2002

Board on Assessment of NIST Programs

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the Board and panels responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract No. SB1341-02-C-0004 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Additional copies of this report are available from:

Board on Assessment of NIST Programs

National Research Council

2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20418

Internet, http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2002 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

BOARD ON ASSESSMENT OF NIST PROGRAMS

LINDA CAPUANO,

Honeywell,

Chair

ROBERT M. NOWAK,

Michigan Molecular Institute,

Vice Chair

DAVID C. BONNER,

Cabot Corporation

ROSS B. COROTIS,

University of Colorado at Boulder

HERWIG KOGELNIK,

Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies

THOMAS A. SAPONAS,

Agilent Technologies

SYED Z. SHARIQ,

Stanford University

Ex Officio Members

ROBERT A. ALTENKIRCH,

New Jersey Institute of Technology

JANET S. BAUM,

Health, Education & Research Associates, Inc.

ALAN CAMPION,

University of Texas, Austin

CONSTANCE J. CHANG-HASNAIN,

University of California, Berkeley

RICHARD A. CURLESS,

Cincinnati Machine, a UNOVA Company

MARVIN F. DeVRIES,

University of Wisconsin-Madison

JAMES ECONOMY,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

ALBERT M. ERISMAN,

Institute for Business, Technology, and Ethics

JANET S. FENDER,

Air Force Research Laboratory

DAVID W. JOHNSON, JR.,

Agere Systems (retired)

KENNETH O. MacFADDEN,

Honeywell, Inc.

DUNCAN T. MOORE,

University of Rochester

LORI S. NYE,

Silicon Genesis, Inc.

TONY SCOTT,

General Motors Corporation

JAMES W. SERUM,

SciTek Ventures

Board Staff

DOROTHY ZOLANDZ, Director

ELIZABETH L. GROSSMAN, Senior Program Officer

BARBARA JONES, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

Preface

This assessment of the technical quality and relevance of the programs of the Measurement and Standards Laboratories of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the work of the 165members of the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Board on Assessment of NIST Programs and its panels. These individuals were chosen by the NRC for their technical expertise, their practical experience in running research programs, and their knowledge of industry’s needs in basic measurements and standards. Each has given of his or her time without remuneration to participate in this assessment process.

I am continually impressed with the amount of time and energy that these review participants are willing to give to this assessment process. These individuals have taken fully six to seven days away from their jobs, on average, to participate in this assessment. Their willingness to do so speaks to the importance they attach to the NIST mission and to their commitment to the idea of striving for improved performance through performance measurement. I wish to thank the expert members of the Board and panels for their participation in and dedication to this process. Without their willingness to contribute their time and expertise, NIST would be deprived of a valuable management tool.

I am also impressed with the responsiveness of NIST to the findings of the Board and its panels. Most NIST managers and scientists have treated the assessment process as an opportunity to gain fresh insight into their programs and customers and have modified their plans and programs according to these insights. It is reassuring to see a federal agency so committed to program excellence and responsiveness to customer needs. The success of this assessment is dependent upon NIST cooperation and receptiveness to the inquiries and activities of the Board and panels. We thank NIST staff for the time spent in meeting with Board and panel members, as well as the time spent in preparing background information for them.

In carrying out this assessment, the Board and panels sought to meet the specific charge given by NIST and reproduced in Appendix A. Briefly, this charge calls for the Board and panels to address:

  • The technical merit of the laboratory programs relative to the state of the art worldwide;

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
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  • The effectiveness with which the laboratory programs are carried out and the results disseminated to their customers;

  • The relevance of the laboratory programs to the needs of their customers; and

  • The ability of the laboratories’ facilities, equipment, and human resources to enable the laboratories to fulfill their mission and meet their customers’ needs.

I hope that the readers of this report find it to be fully responsive to the charge and that those with responsibility for oversight of NIST programs will regard this report as a useful tool in efforts to continually improve the programs of that respected institution.

Linda Capuano, Chair

Board on Assessment of NIST Programs

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s 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:

Marylyn Bennett, International SEMATECH and Texas Instruments,

Eric F. Burnett, Pennsylvania State University,

Radford Byerly, Jr., Boulder, Colorado,

Francois J. Castaing, Castaing & Associates,

Josephine Cheng, IBM Santa Teresa Laboratory,

Gregory R. Choppin, Florida State University,

Uma Chowdhry, DuPont Company,

Marc D. Donohue, Johns Hopkins University,

David A. Dornfeld, University of California, Berkeley,

William Eddy, Carnegie Mellon University,

Richard J. Farris, University of Massachusetts,

Placid M. Ferreira, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

John Fishell, U.S. Navy,

John W. Fisher, Lehigh University,

David W. Green, Albion College,

James C. Holste, Texas A&M University,

Larry J. Howell, General Motors (retired),

James U. Lemke, Recording Physics, Inc.,

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

J. David Litster, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Robert Mazur, Solid State Measurements, Inc.,

John F. O’Hanlon, University of Arizona,

C. Kumar N. Patel, Pranalytica, Inc.,

Alton D. Patton, Associated Power Analysts, Inc.,

Rose A. Ryntz, Visteon Automotive Systems,

Kozo Saito, University of Kentucky,

Arthur W. Sleight, Oregon State University,

Rao R. Tummala, Georgia Institute of Technology,

James Waldo, Sun Microsystems,

Ronald L. Walsworth, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and

Julia R. Weertman, Northwestern University.

Although the individuals 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 Norman Hackerman, the Robert A. Welch Foundation. Appointed by the National Research Council, he 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 committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
×

4

 

Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory

 

85

   

Laboratory-Level Review,

 

87

   

Major Observations,

 

91

   

Divisional Reviews,

 

91

   

Biotechnology Division,

 

91

   

Process Measurements Division,

 

97

   

Surface and Microanalysis Science Division,

 

101

   

Physical and Chemical Properties Division,

 

110

   

Analytical Chemistry Division,

 

116

5

 

Physics Laboratory

 

127

   

Laboratory-Level Review,

 

129

   

Major Observations,

 

133

   

Divisional Reviews,

 

134

   

Electron and Optical Physics Division,

 

134

   

Atomic Physics Division,

 

138

   

Optical Technology Division,

 

142

   

Ionizing Radiation Division,

 

146

   

Time and Frequency Division,

 

156

   

Review of JILA,

 

161

6

 

Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory

 

179

   

Laboratory-Level Review,

 

181

   

Major Observations,

 

185

   

Divisional Reviews,

 

185

   

Ceramics Division,

 

185

   

Materials Reliability Division,

 

189

   

Polymers Division,

 

192

   

Metallurgy Division,

 

197

   

Review of the NIST Center for Neutron Research,

 

200

7

 

Building and Fire Research Laboratory

 

215

   

Laboratory-Level Review,

 

217

   

Major Observations,

 

226

   

Divisional Reviews,

 

227

   

Structures Division,

 

227

   

Building Materials Division,

 

233

   

Building Environment Division,

 

241

   

Fire Research Division,

 

251

   

Codes and Standards,

 

256

   

Office of Applied Economics,

 

258

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2002. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories: Fiscal Year 2002. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10510.
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This assessment of the technical quality and relevance of the programs of the Measurement and Standards Laboratories of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is the work of the 165 members of the National Research Council's (NRC's) Board on Assessment of NIST Programs and its panels. These individuals were chosen by the NRC for their technical expertise, their practical experience in running research programs, and their knowledge of industry's needs in basic measurements and standards.

This assessment addresses the following:

  • The technical merit of the laboratory programs relative to the state of the art worldwide;
  • The effectiveness with which the laboratory programs are carried out and the results disseminated to their customers;
  • The relevance of the laboratory programs to the needs of their customers; and
  • The ability of the laboratories' facilities, equipment, and human resources to enable the laboratories to fulfill their mission and meet their customers' needs.
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