As industry’s national laboratory, NIST is dedicated to supporting U.S. competitiveness in areas of national importance from communications technology and cybersecurity to advanced manufacturing and disaster resilience. Below is a sampling of ways NIST's work in the areas of measurement science, standards and technology is helping to enhance economic security and improve quality of life.
The next generation of wireless communications technology will allow many more devices to send information much faster, making possible everything from virtual reality to driverless cars. NIST works with industry and academia to understand how those technologies behave, so next generation wireless networks can be deployed sooner and with a better user experience.
Automotive companies are increasingly using lightweight materials to improve vehicle fuel economy. However, incorporating those materials into new vehicles is time-consuming and costly. NIST data and models are helping automakers understand and predict how materials behave in the harsh conditions inherent to manufacturing.
Protein-based biologic drugs, which are increasingly used to treat cancers, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases, are hard to produce, store and deliver reliably. Better measurement tools developed by NIST drive innovation and lower costs associated with these drugs.
In the past decade, hundreds of thousands of patients were affected by two major recalls of electrical leads used in cardiac pacemakers and implanted defibrillators due to early failures. Today, NIST’s reliability tests are helping manufacturers ensure their cardiac devices last for the length of time promised to patients.
Chemical plants need access to consistent, reliable data to design their products and assess the safety, quality and efficiency of their manufacturing processes. NIST’s ThermoData Engine Standard Reference Database provides the data that enables chemical companies to save valuable time and expense by using simulations rather than running full-scale experiments.
Commercial buildings are over-engineered for fire protection, leading to billions of dollars in waste with little benefit to occupant safety. NIST leads research about how fires burn in buildings and develops tools so architects can confidently identify ways to cut costs without undermining safety.
Hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires can’t be prevented, but informed community planning could reduce the impact of these hazards. NIST brought together state and local governments, first responders and businesses across the country to develop tools that will improve planning and help communities recover more quickly from disasters.
Cyber attacks cost businesses an estimated $400B per year globally from direct damage and post-attack operation disruption. To give companies a way to evaluate and address their cyber risks in this quickly evolving technology age, NIST developed the Cybersecurity Framework.
While the advantages of more energy-efficient lighting are clear, early replacements for traditional incandescent lamps didn’t meet customer expectations or manufacturer claims. NIST worked with industry partners to develop new measurement techniques so next-generation lighting could meet customer needs.
First responders must be able to communicate during an emergency. Too often in critical situations, communications among public safety agencies are hampered by interoperability problems. NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program is helping technology vendors determine how they can best meet the unique needs of the public safety community.
Athletes, warfighters and even children riding their bikes all can benefit from better protective gear to prevent head injuries. The Head Health Challenge launched by the NFL, Under Armour, GE and NIST is inspiring new advanced materials that could provide solutions to this problem.
High-efficiency heat pumps can save consumers money on heating and cooling homes and businesses—which often account for more than a quarter of their electricity bill. NIST research is helping industry improve the design and installation of heat pumps for increased efficiency and performance.
The use of robots in factories is limited by the robots’ ability to safely collaborate with one another and with human workers. NIST’s technical leadership provides industry with the assurance they need to use collaborative robots in manufacturing environments.
When a patient goes to a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic to get an MRI scan, he or she trusts that the medical imaging technologies are working properly. NIST and its partners developed tools to benchmark those tests, to support medical decisions and ensure patient trust.
Despite the threats of cyberattack on computer-controlled industrial systems, utilities and other users of these systems can be hesitant to adopt common security technologies out of concern for their impact on system performance. NIST developed a guide to help industry understand and implement cybersecurity approaches to protect them from these threats.
Manufacturers of magnetic data storage are continually developing higher density devices to meet the demand for faster, longer-lasting and lower-energy IT systems. NIST’s nanotechnology user facility provides researchers and manufacturers a unique ability to visualize and understand magnetic devices and materials on ever-shrinking scales.
Measuring large forces, such as the thrust of a rocket engine or the deflection of an aircraft wing, requires well-calibrated force sensors. NIST’s unique Million Pound Deadweight Machine provides these necessary calibrations for aerospace and other industries that need to measure huge forces.
The accuracy of flow meters measuring natural gas has enormous commercial importance. NIST is developing a new technique to calibrate large flows at high pressures, like natural gas flowing inside interstate pipelines, replacing today’s expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive approach.
Accurate navigation requires precision timing synchronization to about 1 billionth of a second per day. New applications require timing mechanisms that can operate without satellites and in harsh environments. NIST developed a chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) that is smaller, energy-efficient and more accurate.
Mobile computing, e-commerce and the proliferation of connected devices bring unprecedented benefits to our lives. But to protect individuals, businesses and the government from the risks they bring, we need strong encryption. NIST provides trusted tools and guidance to increase the use of encryption.
To evaluate the accuracy of emerging fast and affordable genetic testing technologies that will enable medical treatments tailored to individual patients, scientists need a known DNA sequence. NIST’s reference materials provide benchmark genomes to ensure the accuracy of new, high-throughput DNA tests.
Semiconductors are the foundation of information technology, making possible the internet, online businesses and social media. Semiconductors are also one of the U.S.’s top exports, with $42B in exports in 2015. NIST is working with the semiconductor industry to overcome quickly approaching physical limitations to chip improvement.
In our increasingly connected modern economy, the IT services we rely on are built on the synchronization of clocks. For many functions, devices must agree on when information was sent and received down to a tenth of a second. NIST’s Internet Time Service makes this possible by giving computers the time of day.
As much as 35 percent of vaccines shipped worldwide is wasted because it is transported or stored at temperatures too high or too low. NIST’s research is helping the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend effective ways for vaccine providers to protect their vaccines and reduce waste.
Fires within communities surrounded by natural areas are the most dangerous and costliest fires in North America. Growing at a staggering 4,000 acres per day, these Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) communities are rapidly becoming the nation’s single largest fire concern. NIST-led research and post-fire investigations are providing the scientific basis for reducing a WUI community’s fire risk.
