The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration has received a budget request of $640.7 million for fiscal year 2008, representing an 11% increase over the previous year. This budget aims to support key components of the American Competitiveness Initiative, which focuses on enhancing the nation’s capacity for innovation.
Major components of the NIST budget include:
1. Construction and Research Facilities: $93.9 million, with $46.9 million for operational maintenance and $47 million allocated for two new initiatives – constructing modern laboratory facilities at the Boulder campus to enable atomic-scale measurements and expanding the NIST Center for Neutron Research to accommodate an additional 500 researchers annually.
2. NIST Center for Neutron Research: $47 million for expansion, allowing 500 more researchers per year to utilize the premier neutron research center for exploring advanced materials and biological systems at the smallest spatial scales.
3. Phasing out of the Advanced Technology Program: No FY 2008 funds requested, as previous proposals have called for its phase-out.
The budget also includes the Technology Administration’s component agencies, NIST and NTIS, reporting to the Under Secretary for Technology, with NTIS maintaining, selling, and distributing its collection to support the nation’s economic growth and opportunity.
Keywords: Neutron, Quantum, Nanotechnology, Atomic-scale, Metrology
