# National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Institute of Standards and Technology is an other based in Gaithersburg, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** other
- **Headquarters:** Gaithersburg, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Gaithersburg, MD, United States
- **Founded:** 1901
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** nist.gov

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. It is a measurement standards laboratory with a mission to advance measurement science, standards, and technology. NIST has made 54 investments, including a February 10, 2026, investment in ObjectSecurity as part of its Grant - II.

## Sectors

- Cybersecurity
- AI/ML
- Industrial Tech
- ClimateTech

## Offices

- Boulder, CO, United States

## People

- Laurie E. Locascio — Director
- Charles H. Romine — Associate Director for Laboratory Programs

## Questions

### Does NIST manage assets or investments?

No. NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the Department of Commerce. It does not deploy capital or manage investment portfolios; its work focuses on measurement science, standards development, and technology research (per NIST mission statement).

### What role does NIST play in cybersecurity standards?

NIST develops the foundational frameworks used by US federal agencies and many private-sector organizations, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) and post-quantum cryptography standards. The agency's Cybersecurity Framework is widely adopted across industries (per NIST, 2014).

### How is NIST structured versus a private research lab?

NIST operates as a federal agency with seven laboratory programs (Physical Measurement, Material Measurement, etc.) plus extramural programs like the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Its funding comes from congressional appropriations — roughly $1.5B annually — and it does not seek external funding or investors.

### Can external organizations collaborate with NIST?

Yes. NIST runs cooperative research agreements, consortia (like the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence), and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership network. Many standards are developed through public-private working groups.

### What is NIST's relationship to the National Security Agency (NSA)?

NIST and NSA are separate agencies under different departments (Commerce vs. Defense). They collaborate on cryptographic standards, but NIST's standards-setting process is public and separate from NSA's operational missions.

## Related profiles

- [S.A.P.I de C.V.](https://altss.com/profile/sapi-de-cv)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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