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The purest copper ever achieved has been prepared by NBS scientists. The large single crystals are so pure that no impurities can be detected by any measurement method now available. They are about 30 times purer than any copper prepared previously.

Because of the Bureau's eminence in the scientific community, its participation and advice are sought by a variety of technical bodies.

Such groups as Congressional and executive scientific committees, and ad hoc groups formed to advise the Government on some specific problem often use the Bureau as a resource. Congress often looks to the Bureau as the source of Federal scientific and technical competence in such legislative proposals as studies of the Metric System, automatic data processing, etc. Various professional societies depend on NBS participation in their work. Much of the material published by such groups as the American Standards Association and the American Society for Testing and Materials rests on a base of NBS research and technical data, and NBS people are important workers on the committees through which such organizations make their decisions.

NBS is host and sponsor to many scientific meetings each year. Such gatherings not only meet under Bureau auspices, but also profit from the contributions of NBS people to the actual program.

To spread its measurement competence to the production line to dispense know-how as well as standards-NBS instituted measurement seminars. At these seminars, held at the Bureau, representatives from science and industry who are making and using measurements on the firing line, are instructed by NBS experts in the subtleties of their field.

The staff of the National Bureau of Standards is a major influence throughout the world of science and technology. The papers of NBS workers are a major contribution to this country's scientific and technical literature, whether they appear in the Bureau's own publications or in the outside technical journals. Through their activities in personal contacts with other scientists at meetings, in the laboratory, even through such informal work as lecturing at schools on all levels, NBS people provide this important and diffused "leadership" so necessary to the health of the national measurement system and the advance of the Nation's science and technology.

A burgeoning new field of opportunity for the Bureau is in direct cooperation with the academic community on problems of mutual interest. An outstanding example of this type of cooperation is the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, a project of NBS and the University of Colorado. JILA, using the staff of both institutions, carries on both research and instruction in the field of laboratory astrophysics. It has drawn scientists for work and study from all over the world, as well as inquiries on its operations from many countries who wish to use this cooperative principle on projects of their own. Now the Bureau is exploring the possibilities of

establishing a similar project with the universities of the Washington, D. C., area to cover a much wider range of topics.

With its mandate and concern for the leadership of the Nation's measurement system, it is only natural for the Bureau to take the highest interest in the development of its staff, and in scientific education in general. NBS was a pioneer in the training programs which are now fairly common throughout the Government. The NBS Graduate School offers both graduate and undergraduate courses in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The Graduate School operations in both Washington and in Boulder, Colo., are in cooperation with local universities. NBS also sponsors training for its employees in outside institutions, where the study is job-related, under the Government Employees Training Act of 1958.

In its own laboratories, the Bureau serves a specific educational function in addition, of course, to the normal development expected for a technical worker on the job. NBS offers Postdoctoral Research Associateships to young scientists of exceptional ability, enabling them to further their research and education by working with outstanding men in their own field at the Bureau.

On yet another level, the Bureau opens its laboratories to undergraduate students through its Student Trainee Summer Program. This program offers an integrated work-study program for college students majoring in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

NBS is also active in various interagency training programs. An example is the Department of Commerce's Science and Technology Fellowship Program, which enables employees to broaden their backgrounds through special courses and special assignments in agencies other than their own. Through this program, the Department produces scientifically-oriented managers with the broad outlook necessary for top management positions. (See page 132 in the Appendix for the year's developments in staff training and education programs.)

At the end of fiscal year 1965, the operation of the Bureau's programs under Institutes had been underway for a year and a half.

INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS

In support of the general mission of the National Bureau of Standards, the Institute for Basic Standards (IBS) provides the central basis within the United States of a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and

commerce.

This central base consists of a complete, consistent set of units and national standards for physical measurement having precision and accuracy matched to national needs. It is accompanied by a chain of measurement extending to such multiples and submultiples as are needed for continued technological advancement.

The coordination of this measurement system with the systems of other nations is based upon NBS participation in various international groups such as the General Conference on Weights and Measures or its International Committee on Weights and Measures. In addition, NBS conducts official liaison with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Actual system compatability is achieved legally by securing necessary U. S. legislation to implement the international agreements and technically by insuring that our own standards are consistent with such agreements.

The essential IBS services providing accurate uniform measurement fall into four main categories:

I. Provision for direct or indirect calibration services leading to a calibration chain throughout the Nation such that all measuring instruments may be consistent with the national standards.

II. Provision for measurements and services leading to a coordinated national activity producing critically evaluated, accurate, consistent, reliable data on the physical constants and properties of substances.

III. Publication and dissemination of the results of research and development to provide information on how to make meaningful, consistent, accurate and precise physical measurements.

IV. Service to the rest of Government providing consulting and advisory services and special research assistance on those problems for which IBS has unique competence.

In this context the goal of IBS activity becomes quite clear. It should, and must, undertake the necessary fundamental and applied research and development to maintain, extend and improve the national standards to meet current needs, to be active and knowledgeable at the frontiers of measurements in order to forsee impending needs in time to meet them, to provide effective, efficient coupling mechanisms to insure that the necessary uniformity and accuracy are available throughout the Nation and to do all this in the minimum number of areas and ranges required by the Nation's citizens, scientists, engineers, industry, commerce, and national programs.

Improved measurement leads to new advances in science; in turn, new advances in science lead to improved measurement capability. Thus we expect, and find, among the accomplishments delineated in this report those which reflect immediate advances to the measurement system and those which reflect not only improvements in measurement but at the same time improvements in our basic knowledge and fundamental contributions to science itself.

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES, CONSTANTS AND

CALIBRATION SERVICES

Six basic international qualities—those for length, mass, time, temperature, electrical current and luminous intensity-are the foundation of the International System of Units. From these six are derived approximately thirty-six additional quantities; the total of forty-two quantities are the basis of our system of physical measurement.

At present, the major items in the Bureau's measurement and calibration services cover the forty-two basic and derived quantities. As new horizons appear in science and technology, there will be continual shifts of emphasis in the Bureau's R&D program to provide measurement and calibration services for new quantities, to extend ranges, and to improve accuracies.

The Institute for Basic Standards maintains U. S. national reference standards for these units. Since the standards for some of them are established on the basis of physical constants and agreed on relationships, it is theoretically possible for any laboratory to establish its own reference standards independently. However, for the sake of maintaining consistency among various laboratories operating throughout the Nation, it is preferable to establish these standards on a national basis and to calibrate reference standards for the various laboratories throughout the Nation on the basis of the national standards. IBS takes responsibility for this task.

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