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1
The State of the Laboratories
The Board on Assessment of NIST Programs continues to be impressed by the vital and unique
function served by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Measurement and Stan-
dards Laboratories (MSL) 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. No other laboratory in the country
has the mission or capabilities to provide the range of services supplied by NIST.
In this first chapter, which constitutes Part I of the report, the Board presents its overall fiscal year
(FY) 2003 assessment of the MSL, focusing on issues that affect the MSL as a whole. Chapters 2
through 8, which make up Part II, present analogous overview assessments for each of the component
laboratories. The focus in those chapters is on observations, conclusions, recommendations, and discus-
sions that should be of value to each laboratory's senior management. Part III consists of Chapters 9
through 15, which present detailed assessments of the technical programs within each of the laborato-
ries. Part III is based on some 38 site visits during FY 2003 by most members of the National Research
Council (NRC) panels involved in this assessment. The chapters in Part II represent the consensus views
of the panels and Board and are based on the detailed observations contained in Part III.
Each project reviewed was evaluated in the context of overall NIST objectives. The Board estimates
that a significant portion of the projects of the MSL were evaluated in the current cycle of site visits. The
Board believes that this is a sufficiently robust sample of MSL projects to support a high-quality
independent peer review.
QUALITY AND RELEVANCE
Technical Merit and Quality of Laboratory Programs
As has been the case consistently in recent years, the Board finds that the technical merit of the work
performed in the NIST MSL generally ranges from very good to excellent. The Board bases this
s
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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NIST MEASUREMENT AND STANDARDS LABORATORIES: FY 2003
judgment on such factors as the level of technical skill and knowledge required by the problems
addressed and the degree of excellence and creativity in the investigative approach. The Board believes
that there is still some room for technical improvement, as there is in any research and development
(R&D) 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), NIST scientists are applying
Josephson junction technology and knowledge of the fundamental constants of nature to develop an
"electronic kilogram," which will use the precision of voltage metrology to replace the standard mass
samples on which we currently rely. This electronic kilogram will ultimately provide a unit of mass that
is more uniform and replicable. Another example of KEEL's ongoing work in precision metrology is its
use of the quantum Hall effect to measure the ohm. In the area of innovative technology, KEEL has
developed a promising method for using high-frequency (terahertz) imaging as a way of looking through
paper or clothing. An impetus for this R&D is to develop the capability of searching noninvasively for
weapons, a homeland security application.
· The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) is delving generally into nanotechnology of
importance to future manufacturing. For instance, MEL is pursuing an integrated dimensional and
electrical metrology program that will lead to methods for the fabrication and characterization (dimen-
sional and electrical) of nanoelectronic (below 50 rim in scale) quantum devices. In addition, MEL's
ongoing work in the Microforce and the XCALIBIR (optical metrology) projects is now developing the
impressive capability of measuring tens of nanonewtons (a nanonewton is a billionth of a newton).
· The Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) has pursued research in microfluidics
that is now leading to dramatic improvements in concentrating and separating ions in microfluidic
streams. These developments open the path to new capabilities in microfluidics control and analysis,
which could be a key element of new biomedical techniques. Significant updates to CSTL's Mass
Spectral Database are also noteworthy. This database a long-standing technology that continues to
Provide a hi~h-aualitv and reliable resource is a "must-have" technology for many chemical laborato-
ries.
· Some of the most striking accomplishments within the Physics Laboratory (PL) relate to its
ongoing leadership in time and frequency technologies. For example, the extremely accurate time and
frequency standards and measurements kept at NIST allow the calibration, synchronization, and interac-
tion of various communications links. This capability is fundamental to the current revolution in the
dissemination and use of information. The Board was impressed by the Web-based service of NIST that
nrovideLs time and date LstamnLs. This kev service ills lured worldwide for a variety of Internet transactions
~ . ~ , . . . . . . .
and syncnromzatlons; It IS accessed a ollllon times a clay, the nighest hit rate tor any Nl~ l wen page. A
promising and innovative new technology development is the recent creation of optical clocks that are
based on self-referencing frequency combs. When coupled to NIST's emerging "atom on demand"
technology, this advance could enable a leap ahead to the next generation of high-precision clocks.
· Among the many excellent programs of the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
(MSEL), the advances in the lead-free solder program most impressed the Board. This program seeks to
ameliorate a worldwide problem the detrimental environmental effects of lead in discarded circuit
boards manufactured with current lead-solder technology. If MSEL is successful in creating and
transitioning lead-free soldering technology for the manufacture of circuit boards, it could provide the
United States with a significant competitive advantage while reducing an environmental risk at the
source and diminishing the need for downstream solutions.
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THE STATE OF THE LABORATORIES
7
· The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) continues to improve its Fire Dynamics
Simulator. This excellent scientific and engineering tool, which is based on scientific models and
verified through field experimentation, is available and used worldwide. It promises to be a significant
factor in the prevention and control of fires. BFRL responded to homeland security needs in the area of
bioterrorism concerns by applying expertise within its Building Environment Division to develop a
model for the spread of contaminants through buildings.
· One of the most impressive accomplishments this year by the Information Technology Labora-
tory (ITL) was the release of the updated Handbook of Special Functions, known to generations of users
by the names of its original (NIST employee) authors, Abramowitz and Stegun. In addition to updating
this classic, ITL will make it available online with computational and graphical support, making it even
more useful and user-friendly than its predecessor was. Another important example of ITL work is its
ongoing leadership in biometrics, which provides the foundation for a range of trustworthy security and
surveillance systems, both current and emerging.
Program Relevance and Effectiveness
The Board applauds the relevance and effectiveness of the work of NIST's Measurement and
Standards Laboratories. It evaluated relevance and effectiveness according to two overlapping dimen-
sions: (1) how well the programs have met current needs and appear to anticipate and to act flexibly in
meeting future needs of U.S. industry and commerce and (2) how well the programs are aligned with the
current "customer" base. Overall, the Board finds the programs of the MSL to be well aligned with
NIST's larger goals and mission in support of U.S. commerce.
The most striking evidence of NIST's flexibility in adapting to meet changing needs is its track
record in quickly applying its base of expertise and experience to homeland security challenges that
were unknown 2 years ago. 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. While not glamorous, such an analysis could have
very wide-ranging significance for U.S. industry in a globalized market. The lead-free solder program
mentioned above is another example of an activity that demonstrates foresight.
Regarding the second dimension of relevance how well programs align with the needs of the
currently identified customer base the Board notes the following positive practices:
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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NIST MEASUREMENT AND STANDARDS LABORATORIES: FY 2003
· All of the major MSL units measure customer satisfaction.
· It is common to find MSL units communicating proactively with customers through customer
surveys, workshops and technical meetings, and involvement in standards bodies.
· MSL units conduct economic impact analyses, where appropriate.
The number of "hits" on some NIST Web sites is an impressive indicator that NIST is reaching its
customers. Another customer-oriented innovation is the development in some units of guides to good
practice as a new service that complements the traditional standards.
The Board has one concern regarding relevance, which is that excellent customer relations can
sometimes inhibit the pursuit of important new areas when an organization's overall resources are flat
(as is the case with NIST). For instance, CSTL may have to phase out some of its analytical chemistry
services in order to satisfy growing demands in the life sciences, and ITL may have to do less work of
relevance to the FBI in order to serve other homeland security-related information technology needs.
RESOURCES
Facilities and Equipment
Some of NIST's laboratory facilities and equipment are excellent. CSTL, for example, is well
equipped to carry out its demanding work; the only major area for improvement identified by the
assessment panel for CSTL was a need to update the electronics in some existing microprobes. Within
MEL, the Manufacturing Metrology Division retains world-class capabilities and has state-of-the-art
facilities for a number of metrology services. The XCALIBIR and Microforce projects are excellent
examples of newly developed, world-class capabilities derived from technical projects. The Physics
Laboratory's Time and Frequency Division has two new laboratories that provide excellent environ-
mental 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.
The Board is pleased to hear that some funding has finally been slated to improve the Boulder
buildings, a move that is long overdue. As noted in Chapters 9 and 12, serious problems exist that
significantly threaten NIST's ability to conduct its work at Boulder, and the budget to correct these
problems is not within NIST's control. For instance, the country's primary atomic clock is located in a
building with a leaky roof, and some of KEEL' s work is threatened by serious electromagnetic interfer-
ence from nearby areas.
Some NIST units are experiencing space constraints that could ultimately inhibit their productivity
and/or quality of work. For instance, KEEL still needs facility upgrades in Boulder, and some divisions
are dispersed in different buildings, which limits their synergies. NIST's joint program with the Univer-
sity of Colorado, JILA (formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), still suffers from
insufficient laboratory space. Plans for the construction of a biological wet-lab at JILA have not been
completed; such a laboratory would facilitate the development of important new work. Overall, the
quality of some space on the Boulder campus is not consistent with the quality of the work being done
there. As another example, BFRL could be positioned to do high-quality, high-impact work in structural
fire testing, an important element of homeland security and an appropriate long-term programmatic
growth area for BFRL and its customers but this work will require the construction of a state-of-the-
art facility for the fire testing of structures under load, plus a commitment to sustain a structural fire
research program over the long term.
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THE STATE OF THE LABORATORIES
9
NIST faces a significant challenge in moving into the Advanced Measurement Laboratory (AML)
on the Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus because of budget shortfalls for moving and for facility opera-
tions once the move is completed. The AML represents the state of the art in a facility for physical
sciences research and metrology, with impressive specifications for temperature, humidity, vibration
control, and power. As such, it presents a tremendous opportunity for future efforts at NIST. But it is not
sensible, or in fact sometimes even possible, to have current equipment simply moved into the facility's
new buildings without significant interruptions of calibration services or substantial risk to precision
equipment. These challenges add to the normal complexity of moving, and they will require staff to
undertake additional planning in order to avoid degradation of performance during FY 2004.
Human Resources
The human resources at NIST remain very strong and constitute an extremely valuable resource for
the nation. According to an internal survey conducted during 2002, employee morale is generally high;
this conclusion comports with impressions gleaned by the Board's panels during their site visits in 2003.
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.
In addition, NIST should ensure that technical employees have access to mentors and training in
order to develop staff members for technical leadership positions. NIST also should develop plans that
anticipate the need to replace key technical skills as employees retire or move to other opportunities.
BALANCE OF SERVICE AND RESEARCH
The overriding mission of NIST is service to the nation through the development and dissemination
of advanced methods and standards that serve industry, commerce, and other national needs. However,
staying at the frontier (or pushing the frontier) of measurement science requires a sophisticated and
aggressive research program. The balance between research and services within NIST' s MSL is gener-
ally good.
The challenge of striking and maintaining the best balance can be illustrated by the program of the
Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory. Preparing for the next generation of manufacturing technology
requires attention to intellectual challenges that call for deep thought and long gestation periods. At the
same time, the U.S. manufacturing community is confronted by practical issues that require quick,
workable solutions that are rapidly available. Facing such varied demands is exemplified in the work of
MEL's Manufacturing Systems Integration Division (MISD). That division's main objective is to help
manage the ever-increasing complexity of the manufacturing environment, in which every year new
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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NIST MEASUREMENT AND STANDARDS LABORATORIES: FY 2003
systems make old ones obsolete, and technology performs new functions that may not previously have
been considered part of the manufacturing enterprise. New technologies might stem from and/or incor-
porate new computer languages, software, operating systems, hardware and software platforms, com-
munications protocols, and so on. Overlying such technical factors are broader considerations: compe-
tition is fierce and cost-consciousness is becoming more prevalent.
To help manage these complexities, MSID is heavily engaged in work on interoperability issues-
the issues related to how these various parts of the manufacturing enterprise work together, and how
interoperation can be automated, since the complexity of the systems has moved beyond the capabilities
of manual controls. Because the rapidity of change is also increasing, manufacturing engineers rely on
MSID, which fills a niche in the manufacturing environment not addressed by programs at universities
or other federal laboratories, or by vendors. The complexity of the issues calls for time lines and a depth
of understanding akin to what would otherwise be addressed in academic research. However, the
ultimate industrialization of new technologies must also be considered; they must be timely, reliable,
and suitable for real-world use.
A different aspect of service is seen when one NIST unit provides expertise to support the work of
another for example, when ITL expertise contributes to the goals of MSID. Such internal consulting is
one of the roles of ITL. Its knowledge base in information technology (IT) is an important resource for
most other NIST laboratories, because most rely on advanced IT in some way for their instrumentation
and technologies or for the dissemination of their results. Two of ITL's divisions consult internally and
provide in-house training; other NIST divisions also provide occasional in-house training courses. NIST
must ensure that such supporting activities are appropriately recognized and valued as true collabora-
tions.
Recent homeland security work at NIST illustrates another consideration in gauging the right
balance between service and research: that is, the research directions at NIST today are what will
position it to provide services to address future needs. 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 impor-
tance 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.
HOMELAND SECURITY ACTIVITIES
As a special focus in 2003, the Board investigated how NIST's intramural programs were being
affected by the new emphasis on homeland security work. Overall, NIST has responded very well, and
the redirection or expansion of some efforts into important homeland security work has been very
positive. The demands of homeland security have illustrated the value to the nation of NIST's broad
range of expertise. Existing capabilities have enabled every in-house laboratory at NIST to respond
quickly and authoritatively to important homeland security needs. For example:
· The Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory is developing technologies for non-
invasive, in situ detection of weapons, lethal gases, and explosives.
· The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory has contributed to increasing the cybersecurity of
industrial control systems.
· The Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory has created tools for identifying individuals
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THE STATE OF THE LABORATORIES
on the basis of fragments of DNA.
an. . . . . .
11
· 'l'he Physics Laboratory Is Improving methods for sanitizing mail and inspecting cargo with high-
energy X rays.
· 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.
· The Information Technology Laboratory is studying how to improve communications among
first-responder emergency teams that rely on various types of equipment, and it is also building on its
earlier work on biometrics for security systems.
There are many more opportunities for measurement and standards work to contribute in important
ways to homeland security, and the Board encourages NIST to undertake more work related to this area,
especially when it leverages and complements other important NIST activities. It recommends that
NIST continue to focus, define, and coordinate NIST expertise in relevant areas and demonstrate NIST
capabilities to the entire homeland security community.
OTHER ISSUES
The flat budgets that NIST has experienced in recent years are a fact of life for now, and they will
necessitate difficult choices in the pursuit of technical advancement. In order to maintain overall techni-
cal quality and productivity, NIST managers should continue to increase emphasis on systematic plan-
ning and priority setting with the understanding that some popular and successful programs at the
bottom of the priority list will have to be eliminated, so that those with higher priorities can prosper. The
Board has noted some resistance to systematic planning; for instance, Chapter 5 notes that the Physics
Laboratory has made little response to the calls in the Board's 2001 and 2002 reports for that laboratory
to develop more useful planning guidance for decision making in technical programs. Most parts of the
MSL have been stretched thin in recent years because of very lean budgets. Unless that trend is reversed
or the MSL make strategic decisions to eliminate low-priority programs, the quality of the work will
begin to suffer.
Even in a time of flat budgets, the NIST Strategic Focus Areas (SFAs) and similar initiatives yet to
be defined do offer opportunities for growth. NIST has had good success in moving into homeland
security work, as noted above, and staff could be even more aggressive about bringing their capabilities
to communities targeted by the SFAs.
There is still work to be done to break down barriers to collaboration within NIST in order to make
it easier to apply the best mix of expertise to technical problems. The Board saw many good examples
of cross-laboratory collaborations at the bench level and concludes that the research staff is not con-
strained by organizational barriers. However, the Board saw little evidence of collaboration at higher
levels for example, joint programs or collaborative planning.
Because the Board's charge calls for it to assess the relevance and effectiveness of NIST's technical
intramural work and because relevance and effectiveness must be measured against NIST's mission and
goals, the Board relies on receiving a clear picture of the organization's high-level objectives. The
Board is gratified to see good progress across MSL units in specifying missions and goals. The overall
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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NIST MEASUREMENT AND STANDARDS LABORATORIES: FY 2003
NIST strategic plan (the NIST 2010 plants gives useful guidance. In addition, the Strategic Focus Areas
have been very effective at clarifying major directions and coordinating efforts in the NIST program.
These strategic plans are now influencing programmatic decisions in a healthy way, and there seems to
be a broad understanding throughout NIST of what is in the overall plan.
Within some laboratories the Board sees useful operating plans that are based on the strategic plan;
in other laboratories the operating plans are still emerging. The Board believes that insightful, internally
generated operating plans are essential for making optimal technical management choices, especially
during periods of flat budgets such as the present.
The effectiveness and value of some NIST programs have increased greatly in recent years owing to
the availability of results in digital form. 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 addi-
tional useful tools, such as computational and graphical support. Clearly, providing digitized informa-
tion is a key way for the Measurement and Standards Laboratories to maximize their value to the nation.
The amount of digitized information disseminated by NIST now necessitates general policies to
ensure the efficient use of resources (human and other) and to maintain the traditional quality associated
with NIST products and services. In 2004, the Board will examine how NIST is addressing this chal-
lenge.
1U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Preeminent Performance The NIST2010
Strategic Plan, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., August 2002. Draft for public review and
comment available online at .
Representative terms from entire chapter:
engineering laboratory
