NIST is an agency of the US Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration, and has an operating budget of about $786m (FY 1998). NISTS’s primary mission is to promote US economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards.

NIST has approximately 3,300 scientists, engineers, technicians, business specialists, and personnel. In addition, there are about 1,550 guest researchers who stay for 1-2 years. Around 600 of these guests are from abroad, with the rest from companies. They are supported by living allowances (to a maximum of $2800 per month), which are partially paid by their home institution, or fully paid by NIST. In addition, NIST has partnerships with about 2,000 manufacturing specialists and staff at affiliated centres around the US, and has five standards representatives overseas. A number of US academics take sabbaticals at NIST.

It was the need for measurements which were the main reason for starting the organisation 100 years ago. They now develop and apply measurements and standards, and run other programmes. NIST carries out its mission through a portfolio of four major programmes:

• the maintenance of measurement and standards laboratories which provide technical leadership for vital components of the nation’s technology infrastructure needed by US industry to continually improve its products and services. The estimated spend in 1998 was $269m.
• a rigorously competitive Advanced Technology Programme (ATP) which provides cost-shared awards to industry for development of high-risk, enabling technologies, with broad economic potential. The estimated spend in 1998 was $193m.
• a grassroots Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) with a network of local centres offering technical and business assistance to smaller manufacturers. The estimated spend in 1998 was $114m.
• a highly visible outreach programme associated with the ‘Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award’. This recognises business-performance excellence, and quality achievement by American manufacturers, service companies, educational organisations, and health care providers. The estimated spend in 1998 was $3m.

There are seven measurement and standards laboratories at the NIST site, the first of which is of greatest importance to chemical engineering:

• Chemical Science and Technology
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Physics

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Building and Fire Research
• Information Technology

This laboratory performs cutting-edge research in measurement science. The main aims are to develop and maintain measurement methods, standards and reference data; and to develop models for chemical, biochemical and physical properties and processes. The range of process measurements and physical properties is immense, and the reader is directed to the internet pages.

The laboratory is split into divisions: analytical chemistry, biotechnology, process measurements, surface and microanalytical science, and physical and chemical properties.

The ATP programme works with industry to plan, execute, and co-fund high-risk development of high-value ‘enabling’ technologies which are at the pre-competitive stage. Grants are made to consortia and companies, which are on a cost-shared basis (with a minimum of 50% from the company). These grants are expected to bring large and/or strategic, long-term, broad-based economic benefits to the US, and be beyond the direct benefits to the ATP awardee.

The ATP awards are given strictly on the basis of rigorous peer-reviewed competitions. The competition is designed to select the proposals which were the best qualified in terms of technological ideas, the potential economic benefits to the nation (not just the applicant), and the strength of the plan for eventual commercialisation of the results. The ATP does not fund product development, only the so-called ‘enabling’ technologies. The projects run from two to five years, and commercialisation costs together with the company, must pay for the product development costs.

In 1998, the competitions were: catalysis and biocatalysis, photonics manufacturing, premium power, digital video information networks, microelectronics manufacturing infrastructure, selective membrane platforms, tools for DNA diagnostics, and a catch-all call. Four of the seven specific calls involve chemical and biological processing.

The US has 600-800,000 small companies with less than 500 staff. Small companies don’t have experts or the availability to bring in technology. Big companies buy supplies from small companies, and were worried about them lagging behind. Modelled around the agricultural extension programme, MEP provides a service to small companies. It has 78 centres around the US, each with 50% funding from government for three years. After three years their funding is gradually ramped down to 40%, and then 30%. Return on this investment is reportedly eight dollars for every one dollar spent.

Claire Saundry and Bill Koch (Deputy Director) of the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory; and Lura Powell (Director) and her team, of the Advanced Technology Programme.

The NIST website address is: