REPORT BY THE

COMPTROLLER GENERAL

OF THE UNITED STATES

INFORMATION ON MISSION
AND FUNCTIONS OF THE
NATIONAL BUREAU OF
STANDARDS

DIGEST

The National Bureau of Standards (NBS), part
of the Department of Commerce, supports the
U.S. scientific and technical community
by setting standards for the Nation's
physical measurement system and carrying
out a number of scientific and technical
services for industry and government.
fiscal year 1980 appropriations totaled
about $92.6 million. Additional funds total-
ing about $72.4 million were received from
Federal agencies and others.

BUREAU'S MISSION QUESTIONED

Its

The Bureau's broad and multifaceted statu-
tory mission has prompted concern about the
Bureau's ability to carry out its functions
in relation to the enabling legislation and
the many subsequent legislative mandates.
Questions have been raised about how narrow
or broad these functions should be and which
ones should be emphasized. (See p. 9.)

The law establishing NBS--the organic act--
does not clearly state what NBS' role should
be. Also, the Bureau has had problems per-
forming all assigned responsibilities because
it has not always gotten enough funds and
staff. As a result,
As a result, it has had to reprogram
(terminate) ongoing research, which may have
caused problems with research planning, con-
tinuity of research programs, and scientific
competence. In addition, the many activities
mandated subsequent to the organic act have
resulted in loss of Bureau freedom to decide
which programs are most important to the
scientific community. (See p. 11.)

According to agency records, about $27 mil-
lion has been reprogramed since 1974 to
carry out legislative mandates. Also, the
work that the Bureau does for other Federal
agencies, of which 48 percent is required

Tear Sheet. Upon removal, the report cover date should be noted hereon.

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CED-81-39

by specific legislative mandate, may have adversely affected its ability to meet traditional responsibilities. (See p. 12.)

Since 1971, Bureau and other Federal agency resources provided to the Bureau for legislative mandates have increased from $1.6 million to $14.7 million (819 percent) in 1965 constant dollars. Staff years to support this work increased from 50 to 488 (876 percent). However, Bureau direct appropriations during this period increased only from $27.8 million to $31.4 million (13 percent) in constant dollars. (See p. 14.)

Since 1965, funds for Bureau work for other
Federal agencies have increased from $15.0
million to $21.1 million (41 percent) in 1965
constant dollars, while Bureau appropriations
increased only 18 percent--from $26.5 million
to $31.4 million, also in constant dollars.
(See p. 15.)

Matters for consideration by the subcommittee

GAO identified several actions that may help
the Bureau carry out its current and future
responsibilities which the subcommittee may
wish to review during planned hearings.
Three such matters follow.

--Encourage Government agencies to have others perform that work which can be done outside NBS. (See p. 25.)

--Limit those services it provides to industry that are available elsewhere.

--Expand the limited (about $490,000 annually) Bureau-funded research grant program. (See p. 26.)

Bureau officials acknowledged that they are not opposed to expanding the research grant program from its present level of less than 1 percent to 10-15 percent ($9-$14 million) of the Bureau's budget. Bureau officials also said that transferring to other organizations some of the work the Bureau performs releases resources that can then be used on higher priority work.

Tear Sheet

BUREAU'S ROLE IN

PRODUCTIVITY AND INNOVATION

Congressional concern with productivity
and innovation in the economy has stimu-
lated interest in adding new roles or
functions to the Bureau that could help
improve these factors. The Bureau, through
its major function of developing physical
standards and measurements, has already had
an important influence on productivity and
innovation. (See p. 29.) Also, the Bureau
has contributed more directly through re-
search it classifies as "research for
industrial productivity and innovation."

According to the Bureau, about $24.2
million--$10.8 million of Bureau direct
appropriations, and other-agency funding
of about $13.4 million--was used for 22
productivity and innovation research proj-
ects in fiscal year 1980. (See p. 31.)

Further, the Bureau is expanding its programs dealing with productivity and innovation--by 1985 an estimated $50 million will be devoted to this research, including other-agency funding. (See p. 31.)

Matter for consideration
by the subcommittee

GAO believes that new Bureau roles or func-
tions should be adopted only after carefully
considering how these added responsibilities
will impact on the Bureau's credibility and
effectiveness, including its technical com-
petence, third-party objectivity, and the
morale and quality of the staff. These char-
acteristics are crucial to the Bureau effec-
tively performing its current roles and should
be carefully considered before altering these
roles or functions. Examples of possible new
research areas are (1) increasing Bureau long-
term research aimed at exploring for future
technologies, (2) developing an engineering
grant program, and (3) developing research
capacity to support biotechnology. (See pp.
37 and 38.) Before any new roles are adopted,
NBS must ensure that the roles fall within
its broad legislative authority.

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JOINT INSTITUTE FOR
LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS

The Bureau's Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics is basically an academic institute that studies astrophysics (the physical properties and phenomena of the stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies), atomic and molecular physics, geophysical measurements, and advanced laser measurement techniques. Scientists comprise 138 of the 171 Institute staff. Its financial support comes mainly from the Federal Government.

Institute scientists and their coworkers have published numerous scientific papers (see p. 45) and contributed to commerce. Also, Institute scientists have been granted three patents.

Most members of the five National Academy of Sciences evaluation panels who reviewed Institute operations over the past 5 years rated it good to excellent in many respects. (See p. 44.) Scientific areas mentioned as candidates for other Bureau joint institutes included materials research, fire research, analytical chemistry, radiation research, computer engineering research, chemical engineering, and nondestructive testing and evaluation.

Matter for consideration by the subcommittee

The subcommittee may wish to explore during
hearings with the Bureau, expanding the
joint Bureau/university method of performing
research.

BUREAU'S COMPETENCE-BUILDING PROGRAM

Building Bureau competence, the capacity
to carry out duties and respond to new
requirements, has been a Bureau priority
particularly over the past 2 years--
appropriations of $2 million were made for
fiscal year 1979 and increased an additional
$2 million for fiscal year 1980--because of
previous emphasis on responding to over 20
laws requiring short-term research. About

Tear Sheet

$6.2 million and $8.8 million have been authorized for fiscal years 1981 and 1982, respectively. (See p. 56.)

The Bureau's procedures for evaluating and approving proposed competence-building projects provide for input both from the Bureau and from outside advisors. These projects are designed to conform to its short- and long-range plans, which take into consideration national research needs and the Bureau's need for competence in fulfilling its role in meeting those needs.

AGENCY COMMENTS

In commenting orally on the report, the
Bureau concurred with GAO's conclusions
and had no major comments. (See p. 6.)
Bureau technical comments have been
included where appropriate.