National Institute of Standards and Technology
A US government agency where John Martinis worked after his postdoc in France and before his time at UCSB.
First Mentioned
10/28/2025, 4:46:48 AM
Last Updated
10/28/2025, 4:51:01 AM
Research Retrieved
10/28/2025, 4:51:01 AM
Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a pivotal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, established in 1901. Its core mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. Operating through physical science laboratory programs, NIST covers diverse areas such as nanoscale science, engineering, information technology, neutron research, and material and physical measurement. Formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards until 1988, NIST's foundational research has significantly contributed to various technological advancements, including laying experimental groundwork for quantum computing. This is exemplified by physicist John Martinis, who spent time at NIST during his career, which included breakthroughs in macroscopic quantum mechanics and ultimately led to achieving quantum supremacy at Google.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Type
Agency of the United States Department of Commerce, Physical sciences lab, Non-regulatory US government agency, National Metrological Institute (NMI)
Acronym
NIST
Founded
1901-01-01
Mission
To promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.
Full Name
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Headquarters
Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States
Contributions
Influenced innovation in technological services, power grids, electronic health records (EHR), computer chips, nanotech, atomic clocks, Zero Trust and cloud-security guidelines, cybersecurity standards
Previous Name
National Bureau of Standards (NBS)
Number of Employees
3400
Key Activities/Programs
Nanoscale science and technology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, physical measurement
Timeline
- Founded as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). (Source: Wikidata, Wikipedia, Web Search)
1901-01-01
- Operated under the name National Bureau of Standards. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)
1901-1988
- Agency name changed from National Bureau of Standards to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) due to a changing mission. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search)
1988
- Conducted the official investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings under the National Construction Safety Team Act (NCST) following the September 11 attacks. (Source: Web Search (Wikipedia snippet))
2001
- Sent engineers to the site to investigate the cause of the Surfside condominium building collapse. (Source: Web Search (Wikipedia snippet))
2021
- Physicist John Martinis worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology during his career path, contributing to research relevant to quantum computing. (Source: Related Documents)
Undated
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaNational Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical science laboratory programs that include nanoscale science and technology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, and physical measurement. From 1901 to 1988, the agency was named the National Bureau of Standards.
Web Search Results
- National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) is a physical sciences lab and non-regulatory US government agency devoted to developing standards that increase technological competitiveness and innovation. NIST’s mission is “to promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.” [...] Founded in 1901 and now part of the US Department of Commerce, the standards developed by NIST have influenced the innovation of technological services, power grids, electronic health records (EHR), computer chips, nanotech, atomic clocks, and much more. Regarding information technology, NIST has been the guiding force behind Zero Trust and cloud-security guidelines and standards. [...] Skip to content
- What is NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a pivotal entity in the United States, renowned for its role in promoting innovation, advancing technology, and ensuring that U.S. industries remain competitive on a global scale. Established in 1901 and located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mission is to foster innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and [...] # What is NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. Award-winning ThreatDown MDR stops threats that others miss Talk to an expert [...] The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) stands as a cornerstone of scientific and technological advancement in the United States. Through its commitment to measurement science, standards development, and technological innovation, NIST plays a critical role in ensuring that U.S. industries remain competitive and that the nation continues to lead in scientific research and development. As new challenges and opportunities arise, NIST’s work will remain essential to driving
- NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is a nonregulatory government agency located in Gaithersburg, Md. Founded in 1901 and now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST develops, promotes and maintains metrics and standards for several industries. Congress established NIST to provide a measurement structure that rivaled capabilities provided by the United Kingdom, Germany and other major countries. [...] NIST also develops and maintains standards used within science, technology and other industries. These standards help federal agencies, contractors and other businesses that work with the government meet the requirements of different frameworks, such as Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), which dictates certain cybersecurity standards. Other organizations in the public and private sector also use these standards as part of their cybersecurity programs. [...] NIST operates several laboratories to promote the advancement and deployment of technological innovations that enhance security. NIST laboratory programs include engineering, IT, nanoscale science, neutron research, material measurement and physical measurement.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology - Wikipedia
NIST, known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), is a measurement standards laboratory, also known as the National Metrological Institute (NMI), which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. The institute's official mission is to:( > Promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. — NIST [...] Due to a changing mission, the "National Bureau of Standards" became the "National Institute of Standards and Technology" in 1988.( Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, under the National Construction Safety Team Act (NCST), NIST conducted the official investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. Following the 2021 Surfside condominium building collapse, NIST sent engineers to the site to investigate the cause of the collapse.( [...] NIST is developing government-wide identity document standards for federal employees and contractors to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to government buildings and computer systems.( ### World Trade Center collapse investigation [edit]
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Image 10 Image 11 Image 12 What is NIST? NIST (The National Institue of Standards and Technology) is a non-regulatory agency that promotes and maintains standards of measurement to enhance economic security and business performance.
Wikidata
View on WikidataImage
Country
Employees
3,400Instance Of
Coordinates
Headquarters
Inception Date
1/1/1901
DBPedia
View on DBPediaThe National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical science laboratory programs that include nanoscale science and technology, engineering, information technology, neutron research, material measurement, and physical measurement. From 1901 to 1988, the agency was named the National Bureau of Standards.
Location Data
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100, Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland, 20899, United States of America
Coordinates: 39.1316116, -77.2165406
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