NIST, Utah State to Make Optical Sensors

WASHINGTON, March 25 -- The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and Utah State University signed a partnership agreement to develop and calibrate optical sensors for defense, homeland security, weather prediction and climate research.

NIST and Utah State have a history of collaboration in measurements and standards for optical instruments, with an emphasis on space-based applications. Under the new agreement, they will address areas of critical technical importance for improving national security and calibrating instruments used in assessing the extent and consequences of climate change, a necessary prerequisite for developing effective environmental policies. Other potential areas of collaboration include biotechnology, nanotechnology and computational chemistry.

"This partnership will allow USU and NIST to perform state-of-the-art research in calibration measurements that could ultimately benefit the world," said Utah State President Stan Albrecht.

The collaboraton will result in postdoctoral programs, joint seminars, shared facilities and sabbatical, faculty and joint appointments, among other programs that will enable NIST’s staff and resources to contribute to the university’s undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral education and research programs. Utah State's resources will contribute to NIST’s measurement and standards research programs.

NIST provides the critical measurement and standards infrastructure to ensure that sensor readings are accurate and traceable to national and international standards. In the area of space-based sensors, it provides standards to validate the accuracy of climate-change measurements and to establish their comparability independent of locale or time. Utah State's Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) develops sensor technology for civilian and military space-based measurements and is known for its expertise in optical calibration. SDL will play a major role in the agreement.

For more information, visit: www.usu.edu