NIST is seeking funding to modernize its aging research facilities in Maryland, Colorado, and Hawaii. The current facilities, built 50-60 years ago, lack proper temperature, vibration, and humidity control, which is essential for conducting cutting-edge scientific research. These environmental fluctuations can cause sensitive equipment to malfunction, rendering months of work useless.
Without modern facilities, NIST’s ability to support 21st-century innovation and competitiveness is severely limited. Scientists and engineers require stable environments to make precise measurements and create advanced technologies. The current conditions cause significant productivity losses and prevent NIST from performing the most demanding measurement research needed by industry and the scientific community.
Modernizing the research infrastructure is crucial to maximizing the return on R&D investments and ensuring NIST can continue to lead in scientific advancements. The funding will be used for facility maintenance, repair, improvements, and major renovations to meet current and future measurement and research needs.
Keywords: precision, measurement, nanoscale, research, infrastructure
