NIST’s deteriorating facilities damage scientific mission, report finds

Lack of repairs and upgrades to deteriorating facilities built in the 1950s and '60s is hurting the ability of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to fulfill its mission, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Without upgrades, the facilites may not be able to advance measurement science and meet the needs of companies and agencies that rely on NIST’s specialized services. The report’s authors estimate that 63% of research facilities on NIST’s campuses in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, fail to meet standards for acceptable building conditions set out by the Department of Commerce, its parent agency. Problems include unreliable power, lack of climate control, and leaking roofs and plumbing that can damage instrumentation. Among the examples listed in the report, low humidity in one NIST lab part of the year renders inoperable an instrument that is used to ensure companies are compliant with Environmental Protection Agency standards for greenhouse gas emissions. Lack of dust and humidity control in another lab delayed delivery of sensors needed for homeland security applications. The aging facilities have also had a detrimental impact on staff recruitment and retention, the report concludes.