As part of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works to strengthen the U.S. economy and improve the quality of life by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. NIST carries out its mission through a portfolio of four major programs:

• Measurement and Standards Laboratories that provide technical leadership for vital components of the nation's technology infrastructure needed by U.S. industry to continually improve its products and services;
• the Advanced Technology Program, accelerating the development of innovative technologies for broad national benefit through R&D partnerships with the private sector;
• a grassroots Manufacturing Extension Partnership with a nationwide network of local centers offering technical and business assistance to smaller manufacturers; and
• a highly visible quality outreach program associated with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that recognizes continuous improvements in quality management by U.S. manufacturers, service companies, educational organizations, and health care providers.

In fiscal year 1999, NIST is operating on a budget of about $760 million with nearly 3,300 staff members at its sites in Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder, Colo.