Existing Awards and Recognition Programs for Standards Development and Best Practices for Standards Workforce Development in Support of the Implementation of the United States Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET), 81428-81429 [2024-23174]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81428-81429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23174]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 240924-0252]


Existing Awards and Recognition Programs for Standards 
Development and Best Practices for Standards Workforce Development in 
Support of the Implementation of the United States Government National 
Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET)

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical 
and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET) supports and complements existing 
private sector-led activities and plans, including the American 
National Standards Institute (ANSI) United States Standards Strategy 
(USSS), with a focus on critical and emerging technology (CET). The USG 
NSSCET Implementation Roadmap outlines immediate and long-term U.S. 
Government actions to reinforce the U.S. standards system. This Request 
for Information (RFI) solicits information to inform the Implementation 
Roadmap actions focused on increasing U.S. participation in standards 
development and educating the standards workforce. The RFI is also 
intended to maintain an open dialogue with the CET standards community 
on opportunities for continued coordination.

DATES: Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 
9, 2024. Submissions received after that date may not be considered in 
the analysis of this RFI. Public input on general USG NSSCET 
implementation coordination activities will be accepted on an on-going 
basis via www.standards.gov.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted via www.regulations.gov:
     To submit electronic public comments via the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal.
    1. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter [NIST-2024-0003] in the 
search field.
    2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon and complete the required 
fields.
    3. Enter or attach your comments.
    Comments containing references, studies, research, and other 
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of 
the referenced materials. All submissions, including comments, 
attachments and other supporting materials, will become part of the 
public record and subject to public disclosure. Relevant comments will 
generally be available on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. After the comment period closes, relevant comments 
will generally be available on www.standards.gov. NIST will not accept 
comments accompanied by a request that part or all of the material be 
treated confidentially because of its business proprietary nature or 
for any other reason. Therefore, do not submit confidential business 
information or otherwise sensitive, protected, or personal information, 
such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, or names of other 
individuals.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice please 
contact: Standards Coordination Office (SCO), NIST via email at 
[email protected] or by phone at (301) 975-5633. Please direct all media 
inquiries to Richard Press in the NIST Public Affairs Office via email 
at [email protected] or by phone at (301) 975-0501.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST is seeking information on behalf of the 
U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Government to support the 
implementation of the May 2023 USG NSSCET (found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US-Gov-National-Standards-Strategy-2023.pdf), which complements existing private 
sector-led activities and plans, including the ANSI USSS, with a focus 
on CET. A full list of CETs identified by the National Science and 
Technology Council (NSTC) can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/02-2022-Critical-and-Emerging-Technologies-List-Update.pdf.
    The U.S. standards development system is unique because it is built 
upon a wide variety of processes that are open, voluntary, 
decentralized, and led by the private sector. These processes feature 
participation by interested stakeholders with consensus-based decision-
making. Finalized standards are primarily published by private sector 
standards organizations, not the U.S. Government. The USG NSSCET 
reinforces the U.S. Government's support of a private sector-led system 
based on principles that are fundamental to the development of 
international standards: transparency, openness, impartiality and 
consensus, effectiveness and relevance, and coherence.
    The USG developed the USG NSSCET Implementation Roadmap (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/USG-NSSCET_Implementation_Rdmap_v7_23.pdf), which provides immediate and 
long-term actions for the U.S. Government to reinforce its support for 
the U.S. standards system, to operationalize the strategy. Released in 
July 2024, the Implementation Roadmap is based on the findings from a 
broad stakeholder engagement campaign that included input from 
workshops, meetings, a USG NSSCET-focused RFI (88 FR 76187 (Nov. 6, 
2023), and a study conducted by the NIST Visiting Committee on Advance 
Technology (https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2024/04/09/VCAT%20Subcommittee%20on%20International%20Standards%20Report%202024_FINAL_1.pdf).
    An area of focus during the stakeholder engagement conducted to 
inform the USG NSSCET Implementation Roadmap was the identification of 
barriers to increased participation in standards development. Engaging 
and recognizing early and mid-career standards development 
professionals through education and meaningful acknowledgment was a key 
theme identified by stakeholders. Another key theme was the critical 
role of business and technology decision-makers in helping drive 
engagement in standards development and the need to educate these 
leaders on why, how, and when to engage. NIST is now seeking 
information through this RFI to further inform how the U.S. Government 
addresses these key themes during implementation.
    The national interest in CET and associated areas of 
standardization demands a new and urgent level of coordination and 
effort. National policy priorities, as expressed in legislation and 
other statements of policy, will require new ways for public sector and 
private sector (i.e., industry, including start-ups and small- and 
medium-sized

[[Page 81429]]

enterprises (SMEs), the academic community, and civil society 
organizations) stakeholders to cooperate in order to advance U.S. 
economic competitiveness and national security.
    In this RFI, NIST is seeking information about existing awards and 
recognition programs that can be leveraged by the U.S. Government and 
U.S. standards community to encourage and support standards 
participation and leadership in CET areas in alignment with the actions 
called out in the USG NSSCET Implementation Roadmap. NIST is also 
requesting information that will help inform the work of the U.S. 
Government and the U.S. standards community to educate and empower the 
standards workforce and business and technology decision-makers. 
Finally, NIST is seeking to maintain an open dialogue and sustained 
communication with the U.S. CET and standards communities regarding the 
ongoing implementation of the roadmap. Information gathered through 
this RFI and other stakeholder engagements will support key activities 
to optimize the USG NSSCET impact and further enhance the U.S. 
Government's ability to support a private sector-led, open, consensus-
based international standards system in which the U.S. Government is an 
active stakeholder and participant.
    NIST is requesting comments on the following questions and 
encourages responses from the public, including key stakeholders from 
the private sector (i.e., industry, including start-ups and SMEs, the 
academic community, professional societies, and civil society 
organizations), standards developing organizations (SDOs), and 
international standards community.
    The questions on awards and recognition, as well as on workforce 
development, address specific aspects of the USG NSSCET where further 
input from the stakeholder community will help the short- and long-term 
outcomes in the implementation roadmap. The inclusion of these two 
topics on this RFI is not intended to indicate a particular 
relationship between the two topics, nor are they intended to limit the 
topics that may be addressed by the public in response to this RFI. 
Responses to the open feedback question may include any topic believed 
to have implications for the ongoing implementation.
    When responding, commenters may address the practices of their 
organization(s) or a group of organizations with which they are 
familiar. Commenters may also provide information about the type, size, 
and location of the organization(s). Provision of such information is 
optional and will not affect NIST's consideration.

Existing Awards and Recognition Programs for Standards Development

    1. How can the U.S. Government and the U.S. standards community 
leverage existing awards and recognition programs or establish new 
programs to support standards participation and leadership in CET 
areas?
    2. What types of awards and recognition programs for standards 
development further standards engagement, especially with respect to 
CET?

Best Practices for Standards Workforce Development

    1. What types of support could improve professional development for 
early-career professionals, mid-career professionals, or those who are 
new to standards development?
    2. What type of educational outreach to business and technology 
decision-makers on why, how, and when to engage in standards 
development could increase their engagement?
    3. How can the U.S. Government and the U.S. standards community 
more effectively work together to share best practices for standards 
workforce development?

Open Feedback on the Implementation of the USG NSSCET

    1. Please describe any additional observations of how the U.S. 
Government can effectively implement the vision set forth in the USG 
NSSCET and associated Implementation Roadmap.

Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-23174 Filed 10-7-24; 8:45 am]
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