National Institute of Standards and Technology May 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to submit recommendations for workshops covering specific sectors and targeted countries or regions of the world where training in the U.S. system of standards development, conformity assessment, and metrology may facilitate trade. Prospective workshops will be scheduled for a 3 to 5 day period. This notice is not an invitation for proposals to fund grants, contracts or cooperative agreements of any kind. NIST will offer a limited number of workshops, based upon the availability of resources. Recommenders are encouraged to consider Administration priorities outlined in the 2007 National Export Strategy. NIST will consider recommendations based upon which workshops would be most useful to intended audiences.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award will meet Tuesday, June 3, 2008. The Judges Panel is composed of twelve members prominent in the fields of quality, innovation, and performance excellence and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Judging process and Judging process changes for 2008; role of Judges' in award process; overview of scoring data; 2008 Baldrige award cycle; the Judges' survey of applicants; and the Judges' mentoring process. The applications under review by Judges contain trade secrets and proprietary commercial information submitted to the Government in confidence.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that there will be a meeting of the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award on June 4, 2008. The Board of Overseers is composed of eleven members prominent in the fields of quality, innovation, and performance excellence and appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, assembled to advise the Secretary of Commerce on the conduct of the Baldrige Award. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and review information received from the National Institute of Standards and Technology with the members of the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The agenda will include: Baldrige Program budget update; Revisions to the award eligibility rules; Baldrige Collaborative activities; and the Baldrige Body of Knowledge and Baldrige Fellows Initiatives.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, notice is hereby given that the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, June 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology is composed of fifteen members appointed by the Director of NIST who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The theme for the meeting is ``NIST's Roles in the Innovation Ecosystem.'' The agenda will include discussions on guiding principles for the VCAT and the NIST leadership as well as NIST's 2008 priorities for the VCAT; an update on NIST including its response to the recommendations and findings in the 2007 VCAT Annual Report; and an overview of the innovation ecosystem with a focus on the drivers and the NIST role, as highlighted in presentations and discussions under three thematic sessions. Session I will cover NIST's role in enhancing use inspired basic research by working with academia, industry, and other agencies via joint research institutes, the Rapid Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative, and the Technology Innovation Program. Session II will focus on NIST's role in deploying technology and operational excellence by transforming manufacturing advances more quickly and measuring performance excellence. Session III will address NIST's role in responding to fast-paced standards issues. Other agenda items include two laboratory tours, feedback from the VCAT on NIST's role in the innovation ecosystem; a discussion of the VCAT's future structure; and presentations on NIST strategic planning topics, including biosciences, for the October 2008 VCAT meeting. The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/agenda.htm.