The FY 2022 budget request for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) includes a significant increase of $462.7 million, or 44.7%, over the FY 2021 enacted levels. This increased funding aims to support various mission-critical areas, including climate and energy, quantum science, artificial intelligence, bioeconomy, advanced communications, microelectronics, circular economy, and equity and diversity in the workforce.
Key highlights of the budget request include:
– $20 million for climate and energy initiatives to predict, measure, and manage climate change, as well as innovations for resilient energy infrastructure and intelligent buildings
– $15 million to expand the quantum network testbed program, grow the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, and increase joint institute partnerships
– $15 million to establish a new public-private partnership to accelerate trustworthy AI while expanding AI research capacities across NIST laboratories
– $12 million for advanced communications to support the deployment of 5G and beyond wireless and ensure public safety leadership in standards development
– $10 million to launch a new research program to characterize physical properties and develop nanoscale processing for semiconductors, including upgraded fabrication facilities
– $5 million for circular economy initiatives to efficiently recover plastics and other materials in the supply chain with improved identification and sorting technologies and reference data for high-value multiuse plastics
– $5 million to support a diverse workforce and build pipelines for the next generation of innovative scientists and engineers through a new metrology grants program for minority-serving institutions
The budget also includes $150.1 million for Manufacturing USA, $125 million for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and $64 million for the repair and revitalization of NIST facilities.
Keywords: Quantum, Network, Metrology
