National Institute of Standards and Technology
Appearance
Industry: | Government |
Founded: | 1901 |
Headquarters: | Gaithersburg, Maryland |
Country: | USA |
Employees: | Approximately 3,400 (2021) |
Website: | https://www.nist.gov/ |
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a physical sciences laboratory and non-regulatory agency. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, its mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's laboratory programs include nanotechnology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, and physical measurement. The institute was founded on March 3, 1901, as the National Bureau of Standards, and it became NIST in 1988.