AN ASSESSMENT OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
ENGINEERING LABORATORY
FISCAL YEAR 2014
Panel on Review of the Engineering Laboratory at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Committee on NIST Technical Programs
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW 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 authoring panel responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. S81341-12-CQ-0036 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-36735-6
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-36735-2
Copies of this report are available from
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
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. Ralph J. Cicerone 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. C. D. Mote, Jr., 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. Victor J. Dzau 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. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
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PANEL ON REVIEW OF THE ENGINEERING LABORATORY AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
JEREMY ISENBERG, Stanford University, Chair
DONALD B. BIVENS, Consultant
JOSEPH P. COLACO, CBM Engineers
MEREDITH (MED) B. COLKET III, United Technologies Research Center
CARLOS FERNANDEZ-PELLO, University of California, Berkeley
GERALD G. FULLER, Stanford University
ERIC GUILLAUME, Laboratoire National de Metrologie et d’Essais
TIMOTHY G. GUTOWSKI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MICHAEL R. JAHADI, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
AGNES CHAU KLUCHA, UTC Aerospace Systems
RICHARD G. LITTLE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
MICHAEL F. MCGRATH, McGrath Analytics, LLC
R. SHANKAR NAIR, Exp US Services, Inc.
NABIL NASR, Rochester Institute of Technology
SURENDRA P. SHAH, Northwestern University
E. SARAH SLAUGHTER, Built Environment Coalition
SUSAN SMYTH, General Motors Corporation
WILLIAM A. THORNTON, Cives Engineering Corporation
A. GALIP ULSOY, University of Michigan
BRUCE H. VARNER, Santa Rosa Fire Department
THERESA WESTON, DuPont Building Innovations
JIANSHUN (JENSEN) ZHANG, Syracuse University
STEVEN J. ZINKLE, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. MCGEE, Director
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant
COMMITTEE ON NIST TECHNICAL PROGRAMS
ELSA REICHMANIS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Chair
WILLIAM C. GEAR, NEC Research Institute, Inc. (retired)
JENNIE S. HWANG, H-Technologies Group
KANTI JAIN, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
KUMAR C. PATEL, Pranalytica, Inc.
ALICE WHITE, Boston University
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. MCGEE, Director
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant
LABORATORY ASSESSMENTS BOARD
JOHN W. LYONS, National Defense University, Chair
ROSS B. COROTIS, University of Colorado, Boulder
PAUL A. FLEURY, Yale University
C. WILLIAM GEAR, NEC Research Institute (retired)
WESLEY L. HARRIS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JENNIE S. HWANG, H-Technologies Group
W. CARL LINEBERGER, University of Colorado, Boulder
C. KUMAR N. PATEL, Pranalytica, Inc.
ELSA REICHMANIS, Georgia Institute of Technology
LYLE H. SCHWARTZ, U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (retired)
Staff
LIZA HAMILTON, Associate Program Officer
EVA LABRE, Administrative Coordinator
JAMES P. MCGEE, Director
ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer
ANDREA SHELTON, Administrative Assistant
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form 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:
Hadi Abu-Akeel, AMTENG Corporation,
Ross B. Corotis, University of Colorado, Boulder,
Gonzalo V. Castro, GEI Consultants, Inc. (retired),
William F. Baker, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP,
Jennie S. Hwang, H-Technologies Group,
Kanti Jain, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,
Jun Ni, University of Michigan, and
Robert Zalosh, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (emeritus).
Although the reviewers 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 David E. Crow, University of Connecticut. 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 panel and the institution.
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