[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
REAUTHORIZATION OF
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE,
AND TECHNOLOGY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MARCH 11, 2020
__________
Serial No. 116-72
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
39-991PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas, Chairwoman
ZOE LOFGREN, California FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma,
DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois Ranking Member
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon MO BROOKS, Alabama
AMI BERA, California, BILL POSEY, Florida
Vice Chair RANDY WEBER, Texas
LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas BRIAN BABIN, Texas
HALEY STEVENS, Michigan ANDY BIGGS, Arizona
KENDRA HORN, Oklahoma ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina
BRAD SHERMAN, California MICHAEL CLOUD, Texas
STEVE COHEN, Tennessee TROY BALDERSON, Ohio
JERRY McNERNEY, California PETE OLSON, Texas
ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
PAUL TONKO, New York MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida
BILL FOSTER, Illinois JIM BAIRD, Indiana
DON BEYER, Virginia FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina
SEAN CASTEN, Illinois VACANCY
BEN McADAMS, Utah
JENNIFER WEXTON, Virginia
CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania
VACANCY
------
Subcommittee on Research and Technology
HON. HALEY STEVENS, Michigan, Chairwoman
DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois JIM BAIRD, Indiana, Ranking Member
MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
BRAD SHERMAN, California TROY BALDERSON, Ohio
PAUL TONKO, New York ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
BEN McADAMS, Utah VACANCY
STEVE COHEN, Tennessee
BILL FOSTER, Illinois
C O N T E N T S
March 11, 2020
Page
Hearing Charter.................................................. 2
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Haley Stevens, Chairwoman,
Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives........... 8
Written Statement............................................ 9
Statement by Representative Jim Baird, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives........... 10
Written Statement............................................ 11
Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 12
Written Statement............................................ 13
Statement by Representative Frank D. Lucas, Ranking Member,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 14
Written Statement............................................ 15
Witnesses:
The Honorable Walter G. Copan, Undersecretary of Commerce for
Standards and Technology, and Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology
Oral Statement............................................... 16
Written Statement............................................ 18
Discussion....................................................... 30
Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
The Honorable Walter G. Copan, Undersecretary of Commerce for
Standards and Technology, and Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology....................................... 48
REAUTHORIZATION OF
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
----------
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Research and Technology,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:18 a.m.,
in room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Haley Stevens
[Chairwoman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairwoman Stevens. This hearing will come to order.
Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare recess at
any time.
Good morning, and welcome to the hearing of the
Subcommittee on Research and Technology to explore the major
areas of research at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST). We are delighted to have Dr. Walter Copan
here today, and we look forward to learning more about how
Congress can help this agency in its mission to advance U.S.
competitiveness. Thank you again, Dr. Copan, for joining us
today, and we're most looking forward also to your testimony.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of NIST. This agency
plays a key role in promoting U.S. innovation and
competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards,
and technology. Many of you have also heard of NIST's essential
work in important industries of the future like artificial
intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and the bioeconomy and
its notable work to improve cybersecurity across the Nation. We
are all indebted to NIST for their great work in these areas.
However, the agency has played an essential role over the
last century in dozens of activities that are sometimes less-
attention grabbing but also just as important. NIST's reference
materials, technical standards, measurement and calibration
services, and technical guidance help validate the safety and
function of most of the objects around us, most of the objects
around us, in both our homes and our businesses.
One of the many important functions of NIST is managing
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership or MEP
program, which is a Federal-State-industry partnership that
works with local manufacturing communities to strengthen U.S.
manufacturing. The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, an
MEP Center located in my district in Plymouth, Michigan, run by
the tremendous Mike Coast, has helped its small and medium
manufacturing clients create and retain nearly 11,000 jobs.
This center is a national leader in helping manufacturers
establish cybersecurity programs, which are critical for
manufacturers to protect both their operations and the devices
they produce.
Another valuable manufacturing program managed by NIST is
the Manufacturing USA program that we were able to reauthorize
in December. And I am pleased that NIST is ready to support a
new institute in Fiscal Year 2021. It is because of the great
work that goes on at NIST that--and here's where we get to the
tough part--we're disappointed by the President's destructive
budget request, which proposes over a 30 percent cut to NIST's
programs. So, this budget would entirely eliminate the MEP
program--I can't even believe I'm saying these words--and
cutoff funding for the Manufacturing USA NIIMBL institute in
Delaware, NIIMBL, the National Institute for Innovation in
Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals.
This budget is demoralizing to the dedicated public
servants at NIST. It is harmful to our security, our health,
and our environment, as many of the proposed cuts target these
essential mission areas. And it is going to be crippling to
U.S. competitiveness, as the Administration is putting on the
line billions of dollars in economic growth for U.S. companies
to ``save,'' quote/unquote, $316 million in a spreadsheet.
But today, I don't want to dwell on a proposal that we
know Congress is going to reject. This is what our role is here
today. Today, I would like this Committee to focus on improving
NIST and getting the agency the tools it needs to do better to
do its job. For example, NIST has aging buildings on its
campuses in Maryland and Colorado and faces a substantial
backlog in construction and maintenance. We should discuss how
to fix these issues so the scientists and engineers who work at
NIST have modern and safe laboratories and equipment to do
their important work.
In April 2019, NIST released a green paper about how to
enhance return on investment for Federal science agencies by
increasing technology transfer. This is such a great report by
the way, and so we look forward to hearing NIST's other
recommendations on how to enhance these efforts.
I couldn't think of a better partner in today's hearing
than my colleague Dr. Jim Baird. I want to thank Dr. Copan
again for being here.
[The statement of Chairwoman Stevens follows:]
Good morning and welcome to this hearing of the
Subcommittee on Research and Technology to explore the major
areas of research at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology. We look forward to learning more about how Congress
can help the agency in its mission to advance U.S.
competitiveness. A special welcome to our distinguished
witness, the Honorable Dr. Walter Copan, for joining us here
today. I'm looking forward to hearing your testimony.
As many of you may know, I am a big fan of NIST. This small
agency plays a key role in promoting U.S. innovation and
competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards,
and technology.
Many of you may have heard of NIST's essential work in
important industries of the future, like artificial
intelligence, quantum computing, and the bioeconomy, or its
notable work to improve cybersecurity across the nation.
However, the agency has played an essential role over the
last century in dozens of activities that are less-attention
grabbing but just as important. NIST's reference materials,
technical standards, measurement and calibration services, and
technical guidance help validate the safety and function of
most of the objects around us, in both our homes and
businesses.
One of the many important functions of NIST is managing the
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership or MEP program,
which is a federal-state-industry partnership that works with
local manufacturing communities to strengthen U.S.
manufacturing.
The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, an MEP center
in my district, has helped its small and medium manufacturing
clients create and retain nearly 11,000 jobs. The Center is a
national leader in helping manufacturers establish
cybersecurity programs, which are critical for manufacturers to
protect both their operations and the devices they produce.
Another valuable manufacturing program managed by NIST is
the Manufacturing USA program that we were able to reauthorize
in December. I am pleased that NIST is ready to support a new
institute in FY 2021.
It is because of the great work that goes on at NIST that I
am deeply disappointed by the President's destructive budget
request, which proposes over a 30 percent cut to NIST's
programs.
The budget would entirely eliminate the MEP program and cut
off funding for the Manufacturing USA NIIMBL institute in
Delaware.
This budget is demoralizing to the dedicated public
servants at NIST. It is harmful to our security, our health,
and our environment, as many of the proposed cuts target these
essential mission areas. And it is crippling to U.S.
competitiveness, as the Administration is putting on the line
billions of dollars in economic growth for U.S. companies to
``save'' $316 million in a spread sheet.
But today, I do not want to dwell on a proposal that is my
hope this Congress will reject. Today, I would like this
Committee to focus on improving NIST and getting the agency the
tools that it needs to better do its job.
For example, NIST has aging buildings on its campuses in
Maryland and Colorado and faces a substantial backlog in
construction and maintenance. We should discuss how to fix
these issues so the scientists and engineers that work at NIST
have modern and safe laboratories and equipment to do their
important work.
Furthermore, in April 2019, NIST released a green paper
about how to enhance return on investment for federal science
agencies by increasing technology transfer. I look forward to
hearing about these and other recommendations to enhance NIST's
work.
I want to again thank Dr. Copan for being here today to
discuss NIST's role and in what areas Congress can help NIST
build on its incredible work.
Chairwoman Stevens. And at this time the Chair would like
to recognize Mr. Baird for an opening statement.
Mr. Baird. Well, good morning, Chairwoman Stevens. And I
appreciate the opportunity to be here with you. I do appreciate
you convening today's hearing and let us examine some of these
major research activities that you mentioned that are supported
by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, better
known as NIST, in order to inform this Committee's
reauthorization of the institute.
I would also like to thank Dr. Copan for making the time
and being here with us this morning, so thank you. I'm looking
forward to hearing your testimony.
Since 1901, NIST has been at the forefront of setting the
standards for weights and measures for the United States and
for the world really because of the quality of the product, so
almost every Federal agency and U.S. industry sector uses the
standards. They use the measurements and the certification
services that NIST labs provide.
As these new technologies develop and evolve, then NIST
provides the services that are extremely critical for the
growth and development of those industries. NIST plays a key
role in the development of the industries of the future,
including artificial intelligence, 5G networks, quantum
computing, and advanced manufacturing. In the last year, NIST
has been a key contributor to developing a national strategy
for AI, participating in interagency coordination and building
the foundation for trustworthy AI systems. As global
competition grows, it is essential that the United States
invest in the research and development (R&D) programs that
focus on these critical technologies.
I was pleased to see that the President's budget request
prioritizes investments in these key areas, including nearly
doubling NIST's investments in AI. These investments will
launch discoveries and advances that will significantly affect
America's economy in the coming decades. I look forward to
hearing more about them today.
I am proud to have recently introduced H.R. 6145, the
Industries of the Future Act. And I've joined with
Representative Foster, Ranking Member Lucas, and Chairwoman
Stevens on that bill. H.R. 6145 would require the executive
branch, including NIST, to develop a plan to double the
baseline investments in industries of the future by 2022. It
would also require a plan to increase civilian spending on
future industries to $10 billion by fiscal year 2025.
Our country needs to make the necessary investments in
industries like AI, quantum, advanced manufacturing so our
workers can continue to lead in the jobs of the future. In
January, I cosponsored H.R. 5685, the Securing American
Leadership in Science and Technology Act, which provides a
long-term strategy for investment in basic research to combat
threats to American competitiveness. H.R. 5685 authorizes a
doubling of the fundamental research activities supported
through NIST's labs over the next 10 years to drive the next
generation of technological breakthroughs. It provides NIST
with the mechanisms to address its crippling facilities
maintenance backlog and provides funding for the infrastructure
needed to conduct cutting-edge science.
Lastly, it capitalizes on the great work that NIST did in
developing a Return on Investment Green Paper that the
Chairlady referred to and provides some technology transfer
reform in order to enhance our Nation's return on investment of
federally funded research.
It is my hope that this Committee moves forward in
considering a reauthorization of NIST, and it will take some
time to consider the proposals included in H.R. 5685 and H.R.
6145. This Committee has a long history of supporting NIST's
work, and I believe there are many provisions that can have
bipartisan support within this Committee.
I again would like to thank you, Dr. Copan, for being here
this morning, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[The statement of Mr. Baird follows:]
Good morning Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you for convening
today's hearing to examine the major research activities being
supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) in order to inform this Committee's reauthorization of
the Institute.
I would also like to thank Director Copan for being here
this morning. I am looking forward to hearing your testimony.
Since 1901, NIST has been at the forefront of setting the
standards of weight and measures for the United States, and the
world. Almost every federal agency and U.S. industry sector
uses the standards, measurements, and certification services
that NIST labs provide. This work is fundamental to our economy
and national security.
As new technologies develop and evolve, NIST's services are
critical. NIST plays a key role in the development of the
industries of the future, including Artificial Intelligence, 5-
G networks, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. In
the last year, NIST has been a key contributor in developing a
national strategy for AI, participating in interagency
coordination and building the foundation for trustworthy AI
systems. As global competition grows, it is essential that the
U.S. invest in the research and development programs that focus
on these critical technologies.
I was pleased to see that the President's budget request
prioritizes investments in these key areas, including nearly
doubling NIST's investments in AI. These investments will
launch discoveries and advances that will significantly affect
America's economy in the coming decades. I look forward to
hearing more about them today.
I am proud to have recently introduced H.R. 6145, the
Industries of the Future Act with Representative Foster,
Ranking Member Lucas, and Chairwoman Stevens. H.R. 6145 would
require the executive branch, including NIST, to develop a plan
to double the baseline investments in industries of the future
by 2022. It would also require a plan to increase civilian
spending on future industries to $10 billion by fiscal year
2025.
Our country needs to make the necessary investments in
industries like AI, quantum, advanced manufacturing so our
workers can continue to lead in the jobs of the future.
In January, I cosponsored H.R. 5685, the Securing American
Leadership in Science and Technology Act, which provides a
long-term strategy for investment in basic research to combat
threats to American competitiveness. H.R. 5685 authorizes a
doubling of fundamental research activities supported through
NIST's labs over the next ten years, to drive the next
generation of technological breakthroughs. It provides NIST
with the mechanisms to address its crippling facilities
maintenance backlog and provides funding for the infrastructure
needed to conduct cutting-edge science. Lastly, it capitalizes
on the great work that NIST did in developing a Return on
Investment Green Paper and provides some technology transfer
reform in order to enhance our nation's return on investment of
federally funded research.
It is my hope that as this Committee moves forward in
considering a reauthorization of NIST, it will take some time
to consider the proposals included in both H.R. 5685 and H.R.
6145. This Committee has a long history of supporting NIST's
work and I believe there are many provisions that can have
bipartisan support within this Committee.
I again would like to thank you, Dr. Copan, for being here
this morning and I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairwoman Stevens. The Chair now recognizes the
Chairwoman of the Full Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, Chairwoman Johnson, for an opening statement.
Chairwoman Johnson. Thank you very much, Chairwoman
Stevens and Ranking Member Baird, for holding this morning's
hearing to inform our reauthorization of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, and I want to welcome and thank
Dr. Copan for his testimony.
We recognize it can be challenging for the heads of our
Nation's great science agencies to come before Congress to
defend indefensible budgets. The purpose of this hearing is not
to dissect the Administration's myopic and harmful budget
request for NIST. Rather, it is to highlight the critical work
of NIST to advance our Nation's economic competitiveness,
national security, and wellbeing.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology plays a
critical role across so many aspects of our economy and
society. Many of the efforts that this budget seeks to reduce
or eliminate are activities that our constituents have never
heard of but that are essential nonetheless. This includes
everything from improving the reliability of forensic evidence
used to prosecute dangerous criminals, to ensuring our
healthcare providers have accurate information about our DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) when giving us life-and-death medical
advice, to protecting factory floor workers from malfunctioning
equipment. NIST's support for research and standards for
disaster resilience also helps protect communities across the
Nation.
Through its Urban Dome program, the agency is developing
methods to reliably measure greenhouse gas emissions so we can
develop smart climate mitigation strategies. I am sure many of
you have heard of NIST's work in artificial intelligence and
cybersecurity. NIST also does important work to develop digital
identity management systems, protect voting machines, enable
the deployment of smart electricity grids, and secure our
manufacturing supply chains.
One of the important programs that I want to highlight is
NIST's work operating the National Advanced Spectrum and
Communications Test Network, or NASCTN. For the last few years,
this Committee has been conducting oversight of FCC (Federal
Communications Commission) plans for the 24 gigahertz band that
could degrade the accuracy of weather forecasting. The dispute
between NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration),
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the
FCC is largely due to disagreement over the methodologies of
competing studies. It is my belief that NIST, with its
reputation for neutrality and scientific rigor, could use
NASCTN to help other government agencies better understand
spectrum interference.
Finally, I echo the comments of my colleagues that NIST
cannot be expected to carry out any of this work in decades-old
facilities, some of which are unsafe, none of which are worthy
of the world-class scientists who populate them. It speaks to
their dedication to the mission of NIST that these scientists
remain at the agency instead of moving to modern labs and
higher salaries in industry.
I want to express my gratitude to all of NIST's employees
and Dr. Copan, whose leadership has helped to prop up the
agency morale through challenging times.
As this Committee considers a reauthorization for NIST, we
must ensure that the understandable excitement around
industries of the future does not overshadow all of the other
important work going on at NIST and the critical facilities
that enable that work.
In closing, I want to thank you, Dr. Copan, once again,
and I look forward to the discussion. Thank you.
[The statement of Chairwoman Johnson follows:]
Thank you Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking Member Baird for
holding this morning's hearing to inform our reauthorization of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology. I want to
welcome and thank Dr. Copan for his testimony. We recognize
that it can be challenging for the heads of our nation's great
science agencies to come before Congress to defend indefensible
budgets. The purpose of this hearing is not to dissect the
Administration's myopic and harmful budget request for NIST.
Rather, it is to highlight the critical work of NIST to advance
our nation's economic competitiveness, national security, and
wellbeing.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology plays a
critical role across so many aspects of our economy and
society. Many of the efforts that this budget seeks to reduce
or eliminate are activities that our constituents have never
heard of, but that are essential nonetheless.
This includes everything from improving the reliability of
forensic evidence used to prosecute dangerous criminals, to
ensuring our health care providers have accurate information
about our DNA when giving us life and death medical advice, to
protecting factory floor workers from malfunctioning equipment.
NIST's support for research and standards for disaster
resilience also helps protect communities across the
nation.Through its Urban Dome program, the agency is developing
methods to reliably measure greenhouse gas emissions so we can
develop smart climate mitigation strategies.
I am sure many of you have heard of NIST's work in
artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. NIST also does
important work to develop digital identity management systems,
protect voting machines, enable the deployment of smart
electricity grids, and secure our manufacturing supply chains.
One of the important programs that I want to highlight is
NIST's work operating the National Advanced Spectrum and
Communications Test Network. For the last few years, this
Committee has been conducting oversight of FCC plans for the 24
Gigahertz band that could degrade the accuracy of weather
forecasting.
The dispute between NOAA, NASA, and FCC is largely due to
disagreement over the methodologies of competing studies. It is
my belief that NIST, with its reputation for neutrality and
scientific rigor, could use NASTCN to help other government
agencies better understand spectrum interference.
Finally, I echo the comments of my colleagues that NIST
cannot be expected to carry out any of this work in decades-old
facilities, some of which are unsafe, none of which are worthy
of the world class scientists who populate them. It speaks to
their dedication to the mission of NIST that these scientists
remain at the agency instead of moving to the modern labs and
higher salaries in industry.
I want to express my gratitude to all of NIST's employees
and to Dr. Copan, whose leadership has helped to prop up agency
morale through challenging times.
As this Committee considers a reauthorization for NIST, we
must ensure that the understandable excitement around
industries of the future does not overshadow all of the other
important work going on at NIST and the critical facilities
that enable that work. In closing, I want to thank Dr. Copan
once again and I look forward to the discussion.
Chairwoman Stevens. And at this time I now recognize
Ranking Member Lucas for an opening statement.
Mr. Lucas. Thank you, Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking
Member Baird, for holding today's hearing on reauthorizing the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST as we
all know it. American businesses and consumers depend on the
work done by NIST, and I appreciate that Dr. Copan is here
today to give us a greater insight into that.
NIST is unusual in that it doesn't have the same name
recognition of bigger government agencies, and yet its work
touches the lives of every American, every day. Standardized,
accurate, trustworthy weights and measurements are critical to
everything from medical tests to accurate GPS (Global
Positioning System) directions and from auto manufacturing to
cybersecurity. They impact roughly half of the U.S. GNP (gross
national product). Essentially, NIST's work is the foundation
on which U.S. competitiveness grows.
NIST's core measurement science programs aid American
businesses in overcoming technical obstacles, fulfilling an
essential role that companies cannot do themselves. For
example, they provide calibrations and standards for industry
broadly from oil and gas to agriculture, aerospace, medicine.
That's why this Committee has a long history of bipartisan
support for NIST. And it's why I'm hopeful that we can work
together on legislation that will give NIST the resources it
needs to support our continued economic growth.
For America to compete globally, we not only need to do
effective and be efficient in our current industries, we also
need to lead the way to emerging technologies and industries of
the future. China has made it an explicit goal to surpass the
United States and become the world leader in critical
technologies like quantum information science, artificial
intelligence, advanced manufacturing. By investing in our STEM
(science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce, world-
class facilities, and the research needed to develop state-of-
the-art technologies, we'll secure our R&D and drive progress.
NIST is critical to U.S. leadership in AI, quantum
technologies, and other emerging technologies.
In January I introduced the Securing American Leadership
in Science and Technology Act to address the challenges to
American competitiveness. It will double funding for basic
research over the next 10 years, which includes doubling
funding for NIST labs. It provides infrastructure updates and
prioritizes research in industries of the future.
As critical technologies are developing for global
deployment, it is critical that the United States and its
allies continue to shape standards that underpin the
technologies themselves and the future international governance
of these technologies for generations to come. NIST plays an
important role in this arena by developing and disseminating
the standards that allow technology to work seamlessly and
businesses to operate smoothly. My legislation also takes steps
to improve how NIST engages in international standards
development.
As the reauthorization of NIST is considered by this
Committee, I hope we can work together to address these issues.
And I want to again thank Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking Member
Baird for holding today's hearing.
And thank you, Dr. Copan, for your leadership of NIST and
for your testimony today. And with that, I yield back the
balance of my time, Madam Chair.
[The statement of Mr. Lucas follows:]
Thank you, Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking Member Baird for
holding today's hearing on reauthorizing the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, or NIST. American businesses and
consumers depend on the work done by NIST, and I appreciate
that Dr. Copan is here today to give us greater insight into
that.
NIST is unusual in that it doesn't have the same name
recognition of bigger government agencies, and yet its work
touches the lives of every American, every day. Standardized,
accurate, and trustworthy weights and measurements are crucial
to everything from medical tests to accurate GPS directions and
from auto manufacturing to cybersecurity. They impact roughly
half of U.S. GDP. Essentially, NIST's work is the foundation on
which U.S. competitiveness grows.
NIST's core measurement science programs aid American
businesses in overcoming technical obstacles, fulfilling an
essential role that companies cannot do themselves. For
example, they provide calibrations and standards for industry
broadly--from oil and agriculture to aerospace and medicine.
That's why this Committee has a long history of bipartisan
support for NIST. And it's why I'm hopeful that we can work
together on legislation that will give NIST the resources it
needs to support our continued economic growth.
For America to compete globally, we not only need to be
effective and efficient in our current industries, but we also
need to lead the way in emerging technologies and industries of
the future. China has made it an explicit goal to surpass the
U.S. and become the world leader in critical technologies like
quantum information science, artificial intelligence, and
advanced manufacturing. By investing in our STEM workforce,
world-class facilities, and the research needed to develop
state-of-the-art technologies, we'll secure our R&D and drive
progress. NIST is critical to U.S. leadership in AI, quantum
technologies, and other emerging technologies.
In January I introduced the Securing American Leadership in
Science and Technology Act to address challenges to American
competitiveness. It will double funding for basic research over
the next 10 years, which includes doubling funding for NIST
labs. It provides infrastructure updates and prioritizes
research in industries of the future.
As critical technologies are developed for global
deployment, it is critical that the United States and its
allies continue to shape standards that underpin the
technologies themselves, and the future international
governance of these technologies for generations to come. NIST
plays an important role in this arena by developing and
disseminating the standards that allow technology to work
seamlessly and businesses to operate smoothly. My legislation
also takes steps to improve how NIST engages in international
standards development.
As the reauthorization of NIST is considered by this
Committee, I hope we can work together to address these issues.
I want to again thank Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking Member
Baird for holding today's hearing.
And thank you Dr. Copan for your leadership of NIST and for
your testimony today. I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you. If there are Members who
wish to submit additional opening statements, your statements
will be added to the record at this point.
And at this time I'd like to introduce our witness. Dr.
Walter Copan is the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards
and Technology and the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, NIST, arguably, the coolest job in
the beltway, positions he has held since 2017 by the way. So,
as NIST Director, Dr. Copan provides high-level oversight and
direction for the agency.
Prior to joining NIST, Dr. Copan founded and served in
leadership positions for several innovation and technology
transfer organizations and companies. Dr. Copan was formerly a
managing Director of Technology Commercialization and
partnerships at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven
National Laboratory and Principal Licensing Executive for
Technology Transfer at DOE's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. Dr. Copan earned dual B.S./B.A. degrees in
chemistry and music, and his Ph.D. is in physical chemistry,
all from Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Copan, you will have 5 minutes for your spoken
testimony. Your written testimony will be included in the
record for this hearing. And when you've completed your spoken
testimony, we will begin questions. And, as you know, each
member will have 5 minutes for questions. Thank you.
TESTIMONY OF THE HONORABLE WALTER G. COPAN,
UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR STANDARDS
AND TECHNOLOGY, AND DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Dr. Copan. Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking Member Lucas,
and Members of the Subcommittee, I am so grateful to have this
opportunity to be with you to testify today on the programs,
priorities, and the goals of NIST.
NIST targets our research programs toward emerging
technologies that will have the greatest impact in advancing
innovation and the competitive position of the United States.
To continue to be a bedrock of innovation, NIST must reinforce
its core competencies and grow new capabilities year over year.
The Administration has identified quantum information
science, artificial intelligence, advance communications
including 5G, advanced manufacturing, and the bioeconomy as
domains that have potential to transform U.S. industry. These
areas present NIST new challenges and opportunities to develop
new measurement capabilities, technologies, tools, and
standards to secure and protect the Nation's economic and
national security. Today, I look forward to highlighting NIST's
plans and accomplishments in each of these critical technology
domains.
NIST is a recognized world leader in the field of quantum
science and technology, as was recognized in the National
Quantum Initiative. The expertise of NIST scientists and the
unique capabilities of our facilities are leveraged closely
with partners in academia through NIST's network of joint
institutes in Colorado and Maryland. Last year, NIST
established the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, the
QEDC, in partnership with SRI International. QEDC brings
together industry to expand U.S. leadership in quantum R&D and
the emerging quantum industry in computing, communications, and
sensing, an important goal for NIST to develop the foundation
for confidence and trust in artificial intelligence toward new
research outcomes and an expanded commercial marketplace.
Today, NIST's efforts in artificial intelligence are
focused along three primary thrust areas: first, addressing the
fundamental questions about the use of AI to ensure that it's
trustworthy and explainable. Secondly, NIST is broadly engaging
in using AI across its research portfolios in areas including
biometrics, imaging, advanced materials discovery, smart
manufacturing, and the design and characterization of
engineered biological systems. Finally, we're working with
industry, government, and academia to establish governing
principles, standards, tools, and best practices for the
design, construction, and use of artificial intelligence
systems.
NIST programs in advance communications support reliable,
secure, high-speed wireless and wireline communications
critical to U.S. economic competitiveness, safety, and
security. NIST measurement science research and support for the
development of standards accelerates the deployment of next-
generation communications technologies, including 5G. NIST is
committed to solving the measurement and deployment challenges
of this fast-moving field to help the United States achieve and
maintain global leadership in these areas and to help U.S.
industry establish manufacturing capabilities needed for
domestic market supply.
Our broad portfolio of activities in advance
communications includes the National Advanced Spectrum and
Communications Test Network, NASCTN, as mentioned by Committee
Chairwoman Johnson, and also the Public Safety Research
program, the PSCR (Public Safety Communications Research
Division) program that's supported by spectrum auction funds.
NIST measurement research in manufacturing processes,
robotics, and advanced materials provides the foundation that
helps the Nation's manufacturers to invent, innovate, and
create new processes, products, and services more rapidly and
more efficiently than our global competitors. The NIST
laboratory programs invest heavily in support of advanced
manufacturing, and Manufacturing USA helps U.S. industry to
develop and implement new technologies, making them more
competitive in the global economy. To support the U.S.
bioeconomy, NIST is building next-generation measurement
science capabilities and engineering biology laboratories to
accelerate biotech innovation.
Along with basic R&D, NIST facilitates the translation of
technologies to scale through global standardization through
technology transfer and industry partnerships. The
Manufacturing USA institutes and participants benefit directly
from this work.
We have launched the NIST Living Measurements Systems
Foundry to advanced U.S. synthetic and engineering biology
efforts. The Genome in a Bottle Consortium, Gene Editing
Consortium, and support for the regenerative medicine industry
are examples of our important collaborative work.
So, again, thank you for the opportunity to highlight
these critical technologies and the role that NIST is playing
to enhance U.S. innovation and economic competitiveness. I'm
happy to answer any questions the Committee may have.
And, as I close my comments right on time I'd like to
invite this Committee to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the
National Bureau of Standards and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology next year, from March 3, 1901. As many
of you know, the foundation of NIST goes back to the foundation
of America and article I of our U.S. Constitution. And we're
achieving a great milestone for this important, storied
institute. Thank you for your support. Thank you.
[The statement of Dr. Copan follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairwoman Stevens. Well, at this point we're going to
begin our first round of questions, and the Chair is going to
recognize herself for 5 minutes and start by saying invitation
accepted, to the chagrin of my team that likes to review those
things and maybe to the chagrin of the future, but we're
delighted to hear about that milestone and always eager to
celebrate with our colleagues over at NIST and see what's
happening.
I think one of the most significant things about the
agency that you run, Dr. Copan, is how much you do with how
little, particularly as we get into sub-departments who, you
know, maybe have $6 million for different standards programs,
if it's election security or cybersecurity, I mean, you can run
the gamut. And there are strategic partnerships, there's
collaboration throughout industry, and there's this real
commitment to almost setting the pace, right?
And particularly as you had touched on and with your vast
background in technology transfer, the Lab-to-Market initiative
that NIST runs, which, again, is an initiative set forward to
conduct tech transfer initiatives throughout the Federal
Government, we recognize there's been some proposed cuts but
was wondering if you could give us a little bit of an update on
the program, talk about the budget considerations and anything
else that you might want to share on the Lab-to-Market
initiative.
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much for that question and for
your comments. The Lab-to-Market program and the Return on
Investment initiative is a top priority for the Administration.
It's recognized also as a CAP goal nationally, a Cross Agency
Priority, to ensure that the United States, as it invests in
science and technology, can create the greatest value for the
American people, and for the American economy as a result.
We are excited to be advancing a legislative package with
the Department of Commerce, the Administration, and external
stakeholders to address the issues around the Stevenson-Wydler
Act and the Bayh-Dole Act, which are 40 years old this year.
And important modernization to streamline U.S. innovation is
called for in the green paper findings that were referred
earlier in this hearing.
The kind of reforms that are important, which we
anticipate also working with the Committee in the
reauthorization language for NIST, includes addressing
regulatory impediments and implementing administrative
improvements to enhance the agility of the Federal laboratory
system in engaging with industry, the ability also to have
broader rights in intellectual property protections, including
software copyright, which is so important for the U.S.
innovation economy in our digital age.
Finding ways of increasing engagement with the private
sector, more flexible tools for partnership, building a more
entrepreneurial R&D workforce, we know that so much job
creation in this country and globally is created by the
entrepreneurs, of which I am a member of that cadre, providing
more innovative tools and services to make technologies easier
to find, to reduce the administrative burden on our
universities and our Federal institutes through modernizing
information technology (IT) tools and systems such as iEdison,
which NIST has committed to work on a transition from the
National Institutes of Health to reduce the administrative
burden and improve the productivity of that tool's use. And
lastly, to continue to benchmark globally to ensure that we're
measuring the impacts of our Federal science and technology
investment on the U.S. economy. There are many more things that
I can cover that relate to the Return on Investment initiative,
as well as the other implications to the NIST budget.
Chairwoman Stevens. Yes. And does the OMB (Office of
Management and Budget) plan to release guidance based on the
green paper on Return on Investment? Are we waiting for them to
give us some guidance?
Dr. Copan. We are in the midst now of advancing the draft
legislative proposal that this Committee will be considering,
together with the sister Committee in the Senate, and we look
forward to providing updates as soon as that's available.
Chairwoman Stevens. OK. And the green paper was also
giving NIST a singular authority to propagate the rules under
Stevenson-Wydler. So, would this change enable NIST to
accomplish more for the Federal R&D enterprise? Is that----
Dr. Copan. Yes. It's been recognized actually by all of
the Federal interagency the importance of having a coordinated
approach, and the view that is shared across the interagency,
including the Lab-to-Market Subcommittee of the National
Science and Technology Council is that the role that NIST plays
is one that's valued. It's a teambuilding approach across the
Federal sector, which is appreciated, and it allows us to
achieve greater harmonization in technology transfer tools,
practices, approaches, and sharing and implementing best
practices across the Federal interagency.
Chairwoman Stevens. We're all about efficiency. And with
that, my time is up, and I will go to Dr. Baird for 5 minutes
of questioning.
Mr. Baird. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Dr. Copan, you mentioned in August of 2019 that the
President named bioeconomy as an R&D priority for 2021. Could
you elaborate on what work NIST is doing and engaged in to
support that U.S. bioeconomy?
Dr. Copan. Indeed. Thank you so much. The bioeconomy is
absolutely central to the work that NIST does. It is the
central theme of our materials measurements laboratory that
supports underlying technologies and measurements for precision
medicine, for medical imaging to accelerate our understanding
in synthetic biology and genomics. NIST is also building next-
generation measurement science capabilities and engineering
biology laboratories to accelerate responsible biotech
innovations.
We mentioned earlier on--and Chairwoman Johnson actually
mentioned some of the work that NIST is doing that relates to
forensics and DNA testing--in providing a foundation of trust
in the analysis of DNA for a wide range of purposes, including
to support our justice system in this Nation.
NIST is also the sponsoring agency for the National
Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals,
or NIIMBL, with the University of Delaware. It's an institute
that is seen as wildly successful and it has broad support from
industry and from academia, as well as the community of donors
that cares deeply about the future of the bioeconomy.
And of course, as we know, NIIMBL is one of the 14
institutes within the Manufacturing USA network that's such an
important part of this Nation's efforts in advanced
manufacturing, including the translation of technologies from
the laboratory into the bioeconomy marketplace.
Mr. Baird. Thank you. Over 1/4 of Indiana's total gross
State product, $102 billion a year, comes from manufacturing.
Could you tell us what NIST is doing to help these small and
medium manufacturers like those found in my home State to adopt
and implement these new technologies such as smart
manufacturing systems?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much, Ranking Member Baird. The
work of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the work of
the Manufacturing USA institutes, and indeed the coordination
between those advanced manufacturing programs focuses on the
needs of U.S. small- and medium-sized manufacturers, focuses on
the support for the entrepreneurs of America that drive so much
translation of new technologies from the laboratory into the
commercial marketplace, including in Indiana.
It's so important that we look at the provision of new
technologies through these types of programs and systems to
enable industry, our small- and medium-size manufacturers to
have access to techniques such as digital manufacturing,
additive manufacturing, and focus on the quality of the
products that come from the additive manufacturing enterprise.
We're in the era of the digital economy, and certainly
digital manufacturing is absolutely essential to what's
sometimes been called industry 4.0 as we look at the
intersection between robotics and artificial intelligence with
the manufacturing sector. The Manufacturing Extension
Partnership and NIST directly work closely with our Nation's
small manufacturers, including in Indiana, to provide them
access to these tools, capabilities, and shared services.
And the other element that's so important is to provide
security, cybersecurity to the small manufacturers of this
Nation because we know that the probability of failure of those
small enterprises if they are the victim of a cyber attack is
very, very high indeed, as statistics show us.
Mr. Baird. So, thank you. I've got about 29 seconds, and I
don't know whether you want to make a comment about advanced
manufacturing. Maybe I just share with you that I'm impressed,
as I tour the facilities in my district, of the capabilities in
the manufacturing. And I guess I'll just say thank you and I
yield back.
Dr. Copan. Thank you.
Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you. At this time we'll
recognize Chairwoman Johnson for 5 minutes of questions.
Chairwoman Johnson. Thank you very much.
Doctor, in 2019 NOAA, NASA, and the Navy all claimed that
the FCC's plan for the 24 gigahertz band could degrade the
accuracy of weather forecasting. The FCC denied these claims.
Part of the reason for this was disagreement over methodologies
of completing--competing studies that showed these results.
NIST has a communication technology lab and operates the
National Advanced Spectrum and Communication Testing Network.
Is it correct that NASCTN did not do any studies about spectrum
emissions in the 24 gigahertz band? Or how could NIST's
spectrum studies have helped to resolve some of these
interagency disagreements?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much for that question, Chairwoman
Johnson. NASCTN as we know it, the National Advanced Spectrum
and Communications Test Network, is a national resource to
address questions such as the one that's been posed by our
Federal partners in regard to the 24 gigahertz band. NIST has
met with colleagues at NASA, colleagues at our sister agency
NOAA, with the Department of Defense, and with other
stakeholders to work toward outlining a definitive test program
that could be conducted at NASCTN.
The value that an independent test facility such as that
provides is unbiased analysis using a test methodology that's
broadly agreed and communicated to the entire public of
practice that cares about these types of issues to ensure that
the work is done in the light of day, that it's open, it's
transparent, the results that are expected are highlighted and
made broadly available to the community.
So, we look forward to the work with the sister agencies
and also with the input of the FCC as we look to the future of
intelligent data to guide spectrum allocation decisions.
Chairwoman Johnson. Thank you. I noticed that the
President's fiscal year 2021 budget request called for the
doubling of funding for artificial intelligence research at
NIST. What are NIST's plans for this additional funding?
Dr. Copan. As I've said I believe before this Committee in
the past, NIST can always do more with more.
Chairwoman Johnson. Yes.
Dr. Copan. And it's actually wonderful that NIST has such
a deep experience in the applications of artificial
intelligence. It is broadly applied across all of our
laboratories to improve the productivity of what we do.
One very simple example is we used to have postdoctoral
fellows and graduate students and principal investigators
aligning by hand the laser tables that we use for the next-
generation atomic clock research. That is now done by
artificial intelligence and machine learning protocols. It
saves our researchers time and allows them to focus on the big
questions.
Artificial intelligence is clearly a strategic priority
for us at NIST. There's much work to be done in developing
tools to provide insights into artificial intelligence
programs, as we've done also with facial recognition technology
in which this Committee has had great interest. It's provided
insight into statistical bias that comes from training sets and
data sets that are used to establish artificial intelligence
protocols.
There's important work to be done in standardization so
that the United States can lead the world in the application of
artificial intelligence in a trustworthy and ethical manner.
And we are at the early stages of the world focusing on the
power of AI and also needing to understand its limitations and
biases.
Our goal is to ensure that we'll continue our fundamental
research into AI systems, understand the performance of
algorithms, providing testbeds for things that relate to the
industrial Internet of Things, to autonomous vehicles and how
they perform with advanced sensor systems on the roads of
America in the future.
We are going to continue to apply AI to our research
programs to increase productivity of our labs, and to translate
them, those learnings, for U.S. industry to continue to lead
the world as we seek to capture the value of industrial
productivity from artificial intelligence.
Chairwoman Johnson. Thank you very much. I yield back.
Chairwoman Stevens. And now we recognize Mr. Lucas for 5
minutes.
Mr. Lucas. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I appreciate the
opportunity to visit with Dr. Copan.
Before I ask my one question, though, I have to note
there's been lots of discussion about the President's budget.
And when I enthusiastically see the Majority's budget, I know a
lot of these issues will be addressed whenever it's available.
Whenever it's available.
That said, let's focus for a moment on an issue that I am
very concerned about, Doctor, and that's the moves China is
making in the 5G wireless technology, particularly in trying to
dominate the global market. How do you think the United States
stands on 5G, and what do we need to do not just to compete but
to lead in that area?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much, Ranking Member Lucas. That's
a very, very important question. And we have entered in the
United States, as we know, a hypercompetitive environment with
China. As a lead in activities related to standardization, we
see that in some ways the standardization process has been
weaponized where the free market economy that is represented by
the United States, a private-sector-led process that's
coordinated by our sister organization the American National
Standards Institute, ANSI, which brings together many of the
key players in the private sector, are looking now at more
effective coordination within the United States, looking to
incentivize also the engagement by U.S. industry in the
standards process. We know that these are long-term investments
that are made by U.S. industry, as well as by the Federal
sector led by and coordinated by NIST.
We know that there are important rules for the
standardization process, and we have seen that at times other
players have bent or indeed broken the rules of fair play in
standards. The United States needs to continue to utilize the
standardization process to lead in the future. That includes
more effective coordination, the use of tools so that
standardization processes can be accelerated, and that greater
information-sharing amongst these standards players can lead to
more effective consensus development around the standards that
would benefit the United States and its private-sector players,
as well as others in the global economy.
We want the best technologies in the world to win, and we
want the United States to continue to be the leader in not only
delivering those technologies but securing the intellectual
properties behind them and translating those into market value.
The work that NIST is doing also involves a coordination
across the Federal interagency. We have been called upon by
this Committee and by others to continue our work to step
forward to provide greater coordination, greater training, and
to work collaboratively across the entire Federal interagency
to ensure that the United States leads in standards for the
future.
We've already spoken briefly about artificial intelligence
standards and the importance for the future, and NIST has
responded to the President's executive order on maintaining
American leadership in AI through the standards process. I
believe that that's a very powerful document that NIST has
developed in collaboration with participants from the private
sector and across the Federal Government, as well as with
academia. That same process also focuses on the United States
being able to sit at the table in the United States and
globally with the global standards development organizations to
ensure that U.S. industry, U.S. Government, U.S. stakeholders
are present at the standards negotiating tables around the
world.
Mr. Lucas. Thank you, Dr. Copan. And, surprisingly, Madam
Chair, I'll yield back a little time.
Chairwoman Stevens. And now we'll recognize Congressman
Lipinski for 5 minutes of questioning.
Mr. Lipinski. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Dr. Copan, I was proud to have passed the American
Manufacturing and Competitiveness Act in 2014 as part of a
broader manufacturing legislation package requiring publication
of a strategy for American leadership in advanced
manufacturing. And I was excited to see the first strategy
published in October of 2018. And I note that you are the Co-
Chair of the Committee on Technology that worked on that
strategy, and I sincerely thank you for your efforts. I have to
admit I had some concerns about what it was going to--what was
going to wind up being in there, but you did an excellent job
in putting this together.
As my colleagues are well aware, I have long been
interested in programs to encourage research coordination and
facilitate tech transfer, so it's no surprise that I was
particularly interested in the recommendations within the
report, the report section entitled ``Encourage Ecosystems of
Manufacturing Innovation.'' In response to these
recommendations, I recently introduced H.R. 5978, the MADE HERE
Act. This bill aims to create new regional manufacturing
innovation clusters by bringing together educational
institutions, private-sector companies, labor organizations,
and government-funded entities such as the Manufacturing
Institutes and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships.
Through the three-phase funding model, the program would
place an emphasis on entrepreneurial training and business plan
formation to meet regional need. So, this is all very much in
keeping with the recommendations of the report.
So, Dr. Copan, can you please describe the value of
regional entrepreneurial manufacturing cluster programs like
the one that I described?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much, Congressman Lipinski, and
thank you for your great support for America's manufacturers.
We know that entrepreneurship drives value, and we are in
an era of networks where bringing together the key players in
the ecosystem is critical to establishing new or strengthening
existing industry-driven consortia such as the Manufacturing
USA institutes and their connections broadly with
entrepreneurs, accessing also the capabilities of the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which supports small- to
medium-size enterprise, as well as the Nation's entrepreneurs.
There are high-priority challenges that need to be
addressed to grow advanced manufacturing across the United
States. The United States needs to continue to lead the world
in advanced manufacturing, including the applications in the
digital economy and the bioeconomy. The value in technology-
based ecosystems facilitate interactions between manufacturers,
leverage Federal funding much more broadly, much more
efficiently, and promote cross-sector collaboration. These
activities also create new important connections for the value
of America's supply chain and for the resilience of the supply
chain.
That's an area that the NIST Manufacturing Extension
Partnership has focused on greatly. In particular, as we look
at the threat of the coronavirus, COVID-19, of which we are all
aware. The resilience models for U.S. industry and U.S. small
companies as well is something that's top of mind, and the
resilience focus of NIST and the Manufacturing Extension
Partnerships can utilize these ecosystems across our Nation to
ensure that our supply chain and our advanced manufacturing
programs remain strong and lead the world.
Mr. Lipinski. Thank you. And I would appreciate--this is
something that--the MADE HERE Act is something you could take a
look at and perhaps the--help to build some support for this,
and hopefully the Administration could really embrace this
because it really is in keeping with the strategy that was--
that you had put together.
Dr. Copan. Yes.
Mr. Lipinski. Do you have any other thoughts to share
about other recommendations of the--of that strategy that we
should consider as we prepare for the NIST reauthorization?
Dr. Copan. Thanks so much for that question. I am very
familiar with the MADE HERE Act, and I'm delighted that NIST
has been engaged in providing feedback. The Nation's strategic
plan for advanced manufacturing provides us with an important
roadmap. There are important elements for the future of
building out a manufacturing workforce for America that is
supported by the Manufacturing USA institutes, and we are
collaborating much more broadly now across the Federal
interagency to ensure that we focus on the workforce needs of
the future. I look forward to working with you and with Members
of this Committee to ensure that the legislation that's needed
for the future and the robustness of U.S. manufacturing that
will build upon the national advanced manufacturing strategy
and the great work of the interagency program is continued.
Mr. Lipinski. Thank you for your work, and I appreciate
our work together and look forward to continuing to work with
you.
Dr. Copan. Thank you.
Mr. Lipinski. I yield back.
Chairwoman Stevens. All right. Congressman Balderson, 5
minutes of questioning.
Mr. Balderson. Thank you very much, Madam Chair Stevens.
Dr. Copan, good to see you, sir.
I was proud to be an original cosponsor of Chairwoman
Stevens' bill, the American Manufacturing Leadership Act, which
passed the House in July of last year. This bill would
strengthen our Nation's largest investment in advanced
manufacturing, the Manufacturing USA program. I am pleased to
see that in the President's budget request the Manufacturing
USA program was given a 60 percent funding increase. Could you
speak to what new opportunities NIST could pursue with this
increased funding for the Manufacturing USA program? And what
could this increased funding level mean for small and midsize
manufacturers?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much, Congressman Balderson. The
advanced manufacturing focus of the budget proposal for 2021 is
really authorizing NIST to begin the competition for a new
advanced manufacturing institute. We are excited about that
potential. We're also excited about the new model that NIST has
in the reauthorization of the Manufacturing USA program because
it provides us much greater flexibility in how we bring new
centers and new partnerships together as part of the broader
initiative for U.S. advanced manufacturing and Manufacturing
USA.
We would look specifically to begin in this fiscal year
the competition process, which we anticipate to be a year-long
journey to bring an open competition together that the best
possible opportunity for a new U.S. manufacturing cluster can
be established.
We know that this is a highly competitive process, but
competition is a great thing because it brings together new
collaborators, new partners, and looking at the most important
problems for U.S. manufacturing to be addressed. So, it's
really looking to continue NIST's great work in coordinating of
the interagency process, the National Science and Technology
Council's Advanced Manufacturing Subcommittee, which NIST co-
chairs. And we're looking forward to that broad engagement in
the process, the continuation and the increase of funding that
allows us to do even more for America in the future.
Mr. Balderson. Thank you for that answer. My follow-up
question would be--and you spoke a little bit about the
competition, but given the rise of the international
competition in the field of advanced manufacturing, what could
it mean for the United States if another country were to gain
dominance in these techniques?
Dr. Copan. We know that the rest of the world is watching
what we do and in many cases are emulating what we do in the
United States. Having recently visited in Brazil for the Joint
Commission on Science and Technology cooperation between the
United States and Brazil, it's very clear that there's been
close collaborative efforts between the economies of the United
States and Brazil in imagining what the advanced manufacturing
systems of our respective nations will look like. We'll
continue to benchmark globally to ensure that the United States
continues to have the information that we need to build the
advanced manufacturing infrastructure of the future.
Very clearly, we're pleased at the opportunity to increase
funding in these areas, but we know that there are commitments
that have been made, for example, by China as part of their
Made in China 2025 program that calls for the buildout of 40
advanced manufacturing institutes. And this in itself provides
us an opportunity to see what China is doing. They have in many
cases duplicated the types of institutes that we have in the
United States, including the same names for the institutes. And
it's been something that we are keeping our finger on the
pulse.
We do know that our sustained investment for this Nation,
as well as utilizing American creativity to ensure that we're
addressing the greatest opportunities of the industries of the
future, recognizing that, as we make, we learn.
We know also that measurement science is absolutely
essential to the future of manufacturing and also that
standardization is essential for the adoption of the new
products that come from our advanced manufacturing programs
across the Nation.
Mr. Balderson. Thank you very much. Madam Chair, I yield
back.
Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you. I tell everyone back home
when we got this American Manufacturing Leadership Act,
Congressman from Ohio, Congresswoman for Michigan, it's the
only time Michigan and Ohio have ever come together to win
anything, but we do it for manufacturing. And that's where our
region in the Midwest shines. And, you know, certainly
delighted to see that, the Administration agrees with the
investments and we want to continue to support NIST in that
process as well. So, thank you for those thoughtful comments,
Dr. Copan.
And now we're going to recognize Congressman Cohen for 5
minutes of questioning.
Mr. Cohen. Thank you. I appreciate it, Madam Chairman.
Dr. Copan, thank you for your testimony. In light of all
the news around Clearview AI and its secretive facial
recognition system, I wanted to discuss NIST's important work
in accuracy benchmarking for facial recognition technology
through its Face Recognition Vendor Test program. As the
debacle around Clearview AI shows us, this technology poses
significant societal risks, and understanding their accuracy is
paramount.
In its most recent test last December, NIST found vast
differences between the accuracy of algorithms with the top 17
performing algorithms being nearly perfect across demographics
while the bottom-performing algorithms showed significant
false-negative and false-positive rates.
Doctor, what accounts for the significant differences in
accuracy between the top-performing face recognition algorithms
and the lowest-performing algorithms?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much for that question,
Congressman Cohen. NIST is excited to provide the insights into
the direct performance of facial recognition and other
artificial intelligence programs, including the performance
validation and the performance testing in an unbiased way as
NIST does.
Congress appreciates the work, I know, from the
discussions that we've had in this Committee and elsewhere by
the clear testing protocols that NIST utilizes. So often, the
building of algorithms is enhanced or we see detriment based on
the selection of the training sets. NIST provides the
validation testing. And we don't give the answers to the test.
That is, we don't allow the artificial intelligence producers
to actually game the tests by providing them the tools to
validate them. We do that on an independent basis. And it's a
very important relationship of trust that NIST has with the
community of practice in AI.
It's important to provide ongoing reports to policymakers
to understand the strengths and the weaknesses of various
systems, but it's also very important feedback to industry so
that they can develop algorithms and training sets that are
much more robust in the future, tools that can utilize cloud-
based solutions for artificial intelligence to take advantage
of massively parallel computing.
And so we look forward to continue to provide unbiased
insights into the performance of facial recognition
technologies and are delighted to partner with Congress, as
well as with industry to provide these insights.
Mr. Cohen. Well, I'm not sure if I understood exactly what
accounted for the differences in the low-and the higher-rated
algorithms.
Dr. Copan. Yes.
Mr. Cohen. Did I miss that or did you miss it?
Dr. Copan. Well, the performance is really based on the
algorithms themselves, as well as the training sets that are
utilized to establish the algorithms. Sometimes, the
performance is enhanced by the actual computing architecture
that's used, a cloud-based solution, for example. And so it
really comes down to the--we're not the ones who actually tell
people how to fix their problems, but we are there to advise
when it comes to the design of their algorithms and their
tools. But we can certainly provide insights into what's
working well and what's not.
Mr. Cohen. Well, is the problem--so you're saying the
problem is in the standards that they use, it's not in the
inability to accurately assess people based on their personal
or similarly related characteristics?
Dr. Copan. Yes. It really is a combination of the actual
sort of mathematical model, the algorithm tool that's utilized,
the training set that allows the initial performance to be
established by the vendor, and then ultimately it's affected by
the toolset of technology, including cloud-based solutions,
that can give greater computing power to the decisionmaking.
Mr. Cohen. So, do you think scientifically they can get it
right and not have low-performing algorithms? It's just a
matter of them getting it right?
Dr. Copan. Indeed. It's a matter of time. This is a field
that's emerging. Tools are being improved all the time. And now
that the problems are more apparent to the developers, NIST
will continue to provide testing and feedback so that industry
can refine its tools, its systems for better performance in the
future.
Mr. Cohen. I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairwoman Stevens. The Chair now recognizes Congressman
Gonzalez for 5 minutes of questioning.
Mr. Gonzalez. Thank you, Chairwoman Stevens and Ranking
Member Baird. I also want to thank Dr. Copan. Thanks for coming
back and for your testimony.
As you know, last August NIST released a plan for
prioritizing Federal agency engagement in the development of
standards for AI. A few of my colleagues and I wrote a letter
to you in December urging NIST to work collaboratively with
industry and stakeholders in developing useful frameworks. In
your response you mentioned NIST was considering follow-on
workshops to bring together the government, industry, and
academia. Just a quick status update, how are things
progressing on the front? What next steps are imminent?
Dr. Copan. Yes. Thanks very much. And, as you know, NIST
works collaboratively with industry and across the Federal
sector, with academia as well to convene the stakeholder
community. We've held actually a series of programs and
workshops very recently. NIST was also at the RSA conference in
California that allowed the community of practice to talk about
the development of tools and systems for the future. We look
forward to continue to hold programs and workshops and also
providing the testing tools as well on an increasingly focused
basis. We know that this is something that NIST is called upon
to do from the executive order, and also having a broad range
of tools for the broad range of applications. We've spoken at
some length now about facial recognition technologies but
biometrics more broadly.
Mr. Gonzalez. Yes.
Dr. Copan. Our utilization of systems for positive
identification and so many applications also in the biological
laboratory and also our ability to utilize protocols such as
machine learning to quickly identify deepfakes, which are
becoming an increasing concern for our Nation, as we also look
to the election process coming ahead.
Mr. Gonzalez. Yes. Thank you. And we look forward to
following your progress on that.
Dr. Copan. Thanks.
Mr. Gonzalez. Another thing that you've mentioned is the
notion of international standards and participating in
international standard-setting organizations. I think that's
critical. The book Tools and Weapons by Brad Smith that came
out recently I think frames technology well, right?
Dr. Copan. Yes.
Mr. Gonzalez. It's not good or bad. It's how do we apply
it.
Dr. Copan. Right.
Mr. Gonzalez. And, as I look at the technologies of the
future and the incredible powerful technologies of the future,
I think we all know that it's incumbent that Western values,
Western democratic values ultimately dictate the standards for
that future.
That being said, how have we progressed within the
international community? What steps do we need to take, and how
important is it that we are the dominant player economically or
technologically in being able to set those standards or
influence the dialog?
Dr. Copan. Yes. Thank you so much, Congressman Gonzalez.
It's an exciting time, as we know. Standards drive commerce and
global trade. It's important for the United States to be at the
leadership table. I'm delighted that the principles for
artificial intelligence, for example, that were communicated
through the Office of Science and Technology Policy. NIST has
been a contributor in the development of the OECD (Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines for the
appropriate use of artificial intelligence.
It's important for the United States to understand the
competitive dynamic globally in which we work. It requires us
to organize more efficiently, recognizing that we are still a
private-sector-led standards process and that we respect the
role of the private sector. But it's important for the
government--in this case, the role of NIST is being called out
time and again, that we need to stand up even more strongly as
a close partner to industry at the standards tables. And I'm
delighted to say that NIST is involved in standards
organizations globally, each of the key ones. Nearly 1,500
standards committees has representation from NIST and support
from NIST. It represents a major investment by our community,
and we recognize that that's something we need to continue to
step up to to assure American leadership globally.
Mr. Gonzalez. Great. And we look forward to continuing to
support your work in that endeavor, critically important. And
with that, I yield back.
Chairwoman Stevens. At this time Congressman Foster, 5
minutes of questions.
Mr. Foster. Thank you, Chairwoman Stevens, Ranking Member
Baird, and Dr. Copan for joining us today.
Dr. Copan, I'd like to start by thanking NIST for its
tremendous work on digital identity and to encourage you to
expand this effort both nationally and internationally. The
issue of digital identity and the need to reliably authenticate
yourself online is becoming increasingly critical as more and
more of our lives are lived online from how we purchase goods
to how we communicate with our loved ones or how we get our
news. And fraudulent activity in these areas from identity
theft to inauthentic bots on social media to fraudulent
transactions online can only be prevented by providing citizens
who wish one with a means of privately and securely
authenticating their identities as a specific human being.
And the secure digital ID will also be crucial to the
implementation of digital dollars, which is something that I
think our country is going to have to get into to answer the
Chinese competitive threat from digital Chinese currency.
And, as you know, NIST published the digital identity
guidelines in 2017. These guidelines provide technical
requirements for Federal agencies implementing digital identity
services. These guidelines cover identity proofing,
authentication of users interacting with government IT systems
over open networks. They define technical requirements each of
the areas of identity proofing, registration, authenticators,
management processes, authentication protocols, federation, and
related assertions. You know, this is really high-quality work,
and I want to thank you for it.
Dr. Copan. Thank you.
Mr. Foster. In addition, in 2015 NIST founded the Trusted
Identities Group, TIG, which aims to convene, facilitate, and
catalyze a private-sector-led implementation approach to
advance trusted digital identity solutions built upon four
guiding principles, which I thought were well-thought-out and
also to enable government adoption of these by continually
involving a risk-based guidance and to encourage adoption of
innovative technologies in the market.
The four principles are that identity solutions should be,
first, privacy-enhancing and voluntary; secondly, secure and
resilient; third, interoperable--and this is where standards
are crucial--and fourth, cost-effective and easy to use.
Now, my office is working on legislation to direct NIST to
create standards for online authentication. And can you talk
about how your digital identity guidelines might help you in
that project?
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much, Congressman Foster. We are
very proud of the work indeed that NIST has done. You refer to
also NIST's special publication 800-63, which has been updated.
There's new information actually available online from NIST
that provides new insights and addresses frequently asked
questions on digital identity.
To the point that you've made, digital identities are such
an important component of our modern lives, and it turns out
that they're complicated by the fact that we are multiple
personalities online if you will. People have multiple
identities when it comes to their email, to their online
banking, to how they interact with social media. And these
identities are so important to be preserved. Sometimes, it
requires a surrendering of certain information to access
services. And so we are very pleased at the foundational work
that NIST has done regarding digital identities.
The entire federation process as well that allows the
conveyance of authentication across network systems is
absolutely essential to get right. NIST looks forward to
working with you and with this Committee as you seek to
strengthen the protection of Americans' digital identities.
And also as we look to the future, NIST's work in
blockchain, for example, as we look to the future of
cryptocurrencies and other----
Mr. Foster. I very much enjoyed attending your--one of
your blockchain-related summits.
Dr. Copan. Yes. Yes.
Mr. Foster. And----
Dr. Copan. Thanks so much for your support.
Mr. Foster. Also, I'd really like to encourage you to
continue to work on this internationally as well. I mean, you
know, just, for example, at the upcoming G7--I guess G6 now--
Summit there's going to be significant discussion----
Dr. Copan. Yes.
Mr. Foster [continuing]. Of central bank digital
currencies, and having an international digital ID will be, you
know, at the very heart of that discussion.
Dr. Copan. Yes.
Mr. Foster. And then in my last 9 seconds--maybe I'll ask
you a question for the record having to do with the strategic
vision for the neutron science enterprise at NIST.
Dr. Copan. Very good. I will--I'll look forward to
addressing any questions for the record and, if time permits in
the testimonies today, to be able to come back to both of those
topics. Thank you so much.
Mr. Foster. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you. And, Mr. Tonko, Congressman
Tonko, recognizing you for 5 minutes of questions.
Mr. Tonko. Thank you, Madam Chair. And welcome, Dr. Copan.
As some may or may not know, today is International
Plumbing Day. For decades, NIST led research efforts to inform
the basis for U.S. plumbing structure, design, and construction
standards. These efforts were ended in the 1970s and, as a
result, today's plumbing standards do not fully account for
technological advances that could enable us to meet our daily
water needs while conserving resources and reducing utility
bills. That is why I joined Representative Cartwright in
cosponsoring the NIST Plumbing Research Act to reinvigorate
these efforts.
So, Dr. Copan, given NIST's history and its role in
similar efforts related to energy efficiency and building
codes, do you see a role for NIST in plumbing research? And
what is standing in the way of NIST doing this important work?
Dr. Copan. Yes, thank you so much, Congressman Tonko. I
really appreciate your support and your interest in this
important topic.
Yes, plumbing is one of those things that is not seen as a
glamour industry, but it's something that we rely upon for the
quality of water that's delivered. And we know that with the
low-flow appliances and devices that we need to take a fresh
look at plumbing systems for the future.
NIST has actually been meeting with the leadership of the
industries, with the industry associations, as well as those
who look at future building codes and standards that
incorporate guidelines for plumbing systems. We have a plumbing
tower that has been essentially mothballed at NIST. It's
something that was very useful for the development of the
previous set of guidelines.
We've also been sharing with the plumbing and the built
environment community some of the modern work that NIST has
been doing as well in how we analyze flow. Some of the new
techniques for microfluidics characterization and the work of
our physical measurements, as well as our engineering
laboratories is very focused on the ability to translate in the
future some of these new technologies to help us understand and
to do the work that's so necessary for the future of the
plumbing industry.
As mentioned earlier on, the appropriations that NIST
receives, we will look forward to applying that appropriately
to the important problems of the future, and we look forward to
working with this Committee and appreciate your leadership in
the legislation for the future of plumbing safety, for water
quality in this Nation, and also to support the export markets
of America's plumbing industry. We've seen by the work that
NIST, ANSI has been involved in in global markets that has
actually helped the U.S. export business for plumbing. And we
look forward to that collaborative work that would open up the
door to new markets for the American plumbing manufacturers.
Mr. Tonko. Great. We think it's important to do,
especially with this innovation economy.
More and more Americans are living in crowded urban and
suburban communities. Some communities are leveraging public-
and private-sector dollars to invest in technologies to address
challenges such as reducing traffic congestion, increasing
efficiency of services, and fostering economic growth. I'm
impressed by the terrific examples of smart cities in my
district such as the city of Schenectady, a terrific example of
what we can achieve when we use technology and data to better
serve our communities.
However, for many communities the risk of investment in
smart technologies is still too great. There is still much work
to be done to achieve greater implementation of smart city
solutions. The Federal Government can play a role in addressing
some of these risks, including barriers to interoperability and
data-sharing among the different public and private
stakeholders and between communities that are looking to
develop smart city plans.
NIST launched its Global City Teams Challenge in 2014 as
an effort to encourage collaboration in standards in the
development of smart city technologies. What is the status,
sir, of that initiative?
Dr. Copan. NIST is proud of the work that it's done in the
Global Cities Challenge and smart communities directly. We have
been doing some I think very important work also as part of our
advanced communications efforts, the public safety
communications program, which links together work in smart
cities with intelligent new technologies that allow the
creation of cost-effective solutions for industry and also for
communities such as we've seen at the Boston Marathon.
The challenge that was there was to deploy a low-cost
solution that provide access to digital identification and so
many elements of public safety. And so we look forward to
working with you and also with this Committee toward the future
of the smart cities program in the Nation and around the world.
Mr. Tonko. Well, thank you. And I just hope that NIST will
continue to contribute to the development of standards for
smart and connected communities.
And with that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
Chairwoman Stevens. OK. Well, I----
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much.
Chairwoman Stevens. The Chair doesn't think she's ever
heard anyone talk so eloquently about plumbing in her life, so
hats off to the Congressman and the Under Secretary.
Before we bring this to a close, we are going to briefly
open up for one more question on behalf of the Chair and the
Ranking Member that we had for you, Dr. Copan, which is that
the budget request made pretty clear that there are maintenance
needs of facilities on both NIST campuses. And many of the
agency's buildings were built in the 1950s and 1960s and are
experiencing some of the similar deterioration, as the Nation's
other major infrastructure is as well. And so NIST has a
deferred maintenance backlog of over $700 million.
And, Dr. Copan, I was just--we were just wondering if you
could speak a little bit about how this significant
construction and maintenance backlog impacts both the science
and standards development at NIST, as well as NIST's ability to
attract top scientists.
Dr. Copan. Thanks very much for that very important
question. And indeed the condition of NIST facilities are
challenging. Over 55 percent of NIST's facilities are
considered in poor to critical condition per Department of
Commerce standards. And so it does provide some significant
challenges for us. The latest number that I had is that the
deferred maintenance backlog is over $775 million.
It's always much more attractive to build something new
than to maintain what one has. The infrastructure, including
plumbing, is very, very important, but the kind of plumbing
that we really care about is our IT infrastructure and the
ability of our systems to have controlled climate. Temperature
control is vital for many of the experiments that NIST
metrology laboratories carry out.
It's a testament to the resilience and the committed-ness
of the NIST people that they can work in sometimes challenging
outdated environments. And, once again, when you make a visit
to NIST Boulder or NIST Gaithersburg, whether it's at our 120th
anniversary or at any time, you'll see the good, the bad, and
the embarrassingly bad.
And--but we have wonderful people who care about the
mission of NIST. They are true public servants. They're
scientists. They're Nobel Prize winners who are working in
these conditions. And people want to come to work to NIST. We
are delighted at the commitment of our NIST people, the very
strong collaboration that we have with the academic sector,
with the industrial sector, but it becomes an increased
challenge for us.
As you know, there have been some creative solutions
proposed, the development, for example, of a Federal capital
revolving fund has been one of the proposals that's been made.
But having some certainty for the future in our ability to
plan, we have 20-year plans for the NIST facilities that have
been prepared, communicated, and this Committee has also
received information about those plans. We look forward to
sharing more with you about those.
We're also looking creatively at the combination of
maintenance with lease options as well for some of our
facilities so that we can move more rapidly to have people
cycle out of laboratories, begin the rebuilding, renovation
process. It's one of my top priorities as the NIST Director to
have our NIST people work in 21st-century facilities that we
can be proud of and that enable the important work of NIST for
the Nation.
Chairwoman Stevens. Thank you, Dr. Copan. Thank you for
that additional question.
And before we bring the hearing to a close, we want to
thank you again. I think it's clear you have a committee of
NIST enthusiasts and people who are appreciative and attracted
to your work and your leadership. Today's robust dialog covered
the gamut, but it also speaks I think to the power and the
impact of NIST.
So, on behalf of all of us, you know, we're, one, so proud
of you and so proud of the team and the dedicated scientists
and the people who have devoted their careers to making this
world a better place through proven expertise and love of
standards and measurement and good technology.
So, the record is going to remain open for 2 weeks for any
additional statements from Members and for additional questions
that the Committee may have of you, Dr. Copan.
And with that, Dr. Copan, you are excused, and the hearing
is adjourned.
Dr. Copan. Thank you so much.
[Whereupon, at 11:43 a.m., the Subcommittee was
adjourned.]
Appendix
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Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
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