ASTM International wins $15 million from NIST to stand up standardization center

The National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded $15 million to global technical standards organization ASTM International to establish a center of excellence focused on critical and emerging technologies. 

Using the award, ASTM will work with other standardization partners to set up what will be known as the Standardization Center of Excellence. The center will specifically work to support the country’s engagement in international standard setting for critical and emerging technologies that are “essential to U.S. competitiveness and national security,” according to a press release from NIST on Tuesday.

“This first-of-its-kind public-private partnership will help us advance international standardization for the critical and emerging technologies that are changing our lives every day, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and biotechnology,” Charles Romine, NIST’s associate director for laboratory programs, said in a statement included in the release.

The new center of excellence adds to others funded by NIST, including those focused on advanced materials and community resilience. The centers of excellence generally provide a place where industry, academia and the agency can collaborate on research and development related to a specific focus area. NIST provides funding for each center on a five-year basis.

According to the release, the new standards center will focus on four broad areas: Engagement before international standards are set to encourage and ensure private-sector participation, particularly from underrepresented groups; building workforce capacity for workers who can lead in international standard-setting efforts; a pilot program with NIST to accelerate industry-driven standards; and the development of a information and data-sharing hub.

The center will align its work with a standards strategy for critical and emerging technology released by the White House last year and a corresponding implementation roadmap. Supporting a Standards Center of Excellence was among the objectives and actions outlined in the strategy document.

The initial partners that will work with ASTM international are ANSI, A3 Association for Advancing Automation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, IEEE, UL Standards and Engagement, CSA Group, Accuris and Nexight Group.