The MML conducts fundamental and applied research on the composition, structure and properties of industrial, chemical, biochemical, ceramic, metallurgic, polymeric, and environmental materials. The MML also serves as the national reference laboratory for materials measurements by providing reference measurement procedures, certified reference materials and data, and best-practice guides that help assure measurement quality. In materials science, projects focus on synthesis, measurements, theory and modeling of innovative materials and devices. In chemical and biochemical sciences, projects address technology development and measurement standards in areas broadly encompassed by chemistry, biotechnology, and chemical engineering.

Examples of Research Activities: Semiconductor and organic electronics, advanced nanomaterials (such as structural steels and complex fluids), fossil and alternate fuels, lightweight alloys for manufacturing, biomaterials, chemical forensics, health care manufacturing, polymers and plastics (such as body armor materials), contaminant monitoring for food safety.

Relevant Academic Interests and Coursework: Chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, physics, computer science, mathematics, environmental science, chemical and mechanical engineering.

The Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP) is a NIST-wide summer intern program for students who will have finished their junior or senior year of high school by the start of the program and are interested in scientific research only. All other high school applicants who do not want a summer research position should go to NIST Student Employment Programs for information on other NIST Programs. Students selected for this competitive volunteer program will participate in cutting-edge research at NIST, and will work closely with NIST staff scientists and engineers on a specific research problem.

Previous MML SHIP Projects

1. Developing Standardized Isotherms for Gas Adsorption
2. Automating the Picocalorimeter
3. Exploring How Au Nanoparticle Size Affects Plasmon Resonance
4. Fracture Properties of Disordered Network Metamaterials
5. Developing Trust Assessment Methods for Machine Learning Models: A High-Entropy Alloy Case Study
6. 3D Printing
7. Developing an Analytical Challenge Material Using Stressed NISTmAb for Qualification of Particle Measurement Techniques
8. Envisioning Corpora: Root & Rule Infrastructure for Semantic Web and Topic Modeling
9. Language-Independent Query of Multidisciplinary Document Collection
10. Measurement of Amino Acid Refractive Index Increment and Dispersion
11. On the collision energy dependence of tandem mass spectra and the differentiation of glycan isomer

During their tenure at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD, the students will not be paid, and are expected to provide their own housing and transportation. The program requires a commitment for a contiguous 8-week period (nominal hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM). This program is open only to United States citizens.

The following links will provide more information about SHIP:

• Application Process
• Selection Process
• SHIP Research
• SHIP Program Flyer

Program Dates:

The online application, including letters of recommendation, is accepting applications only between January 1 and February 14, 2023.

The 8-week program is tentatively scheduled to start on Tuesday, June 21, 2023. The SHIP poster sessions (which all students are required to attend and participate in) will be held August 9-11, 2023 for Gaithersburg, MD/ August 10-11, 2023 for Boulder, CO.

If you have any additional questions, please write to ship@nist.gov .

About MML

The Material Measurement Laboratory is one of two metrology laboratories within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The laboratory supports the NIST mission by serving as the national reference laboratory for measurements in the chemical, biological and material sciences. Our activities range from fundamental and applied research on the composition, structure, and properties of industrial, biological, and environmental materials and processes, to the development and dissemination of tools including reference measurement procedures, certified reference materials, critically evaluated data, and best practice guides that help assure measurement quality. Our research and measurement services support areas of national importance, such as:

• Advanced materials, from nanomaterials to structural steels to complex fluids
• Energy, from characterization and performance of fossil and alternative fuels to next-generation renewable sources of energy
• The environment, from the measurement of automotive exhaust emissions and other pollutants to the assessment of climate change and the health and safety aspects of man-made nanomaterials
• Health care, from clinical diagnostics to tissue engineering and more efficient manufacturing of biologic drugs
• Infrastructure, from assessing the country's aging bridges and pipelines to the quality of our drinking water
• Manufacturing, from lightweight alloys for fuel-efficient automobiles to biomanufacturing, advanced electronics, and data for chemical manufacturing
• Safety, security, and forensics, from gunshot and explosive residue detection to ensuring the performance of body armor materials, to DNA-based human identity testing

The Material Measurement Laboratory also coordinates the NIST-wide Standard Reference Materials® (SRM) and Standard Reference Data programs, which include production, documentation, inventory, marketing, distribution, and customer service.

The Material Measurement Laboratory comprises the divisions:

• Applied Chemicals and Materials
• Biomolecular Measurement
• Biosystems and Biomaterials
• Chemical Sciences
• Materials Measurement Science
• Materials Science and Engineering

The research and measurement services provided by the Material Measurement Laboratory underpin measurements in the chemical, biological and material sciences and support innovation in both mature and emerging industrial sectors. As example, our work to enable reliable and trustworthy measurements and data help

• Physicians make more accurate diagnoses and better monitor the effectiveness of therapeutic regimens
• Policymakers and regulatory bodies make science-based decisions about environmental quality and potential threats to the environment
• Forensic investigators make decisions based on scientifically sound evidence, such as DNA-based identity tests and gunshot and explosive residue analyses
• Trading partners confidently and fairly exchange commodities such as foods, fuels, structural steel, and other materials
• Manufacturers reliably develop and use advanced materials and processes
• Industry link the performance of materials with their structure and processing, concepts necessary for the design of products from coatings and composites to magnetic devices and sensors

We shape our programs based on national needs with input from industry and government. Our research base provides us with the flexibility to respond to the country's priorities and rapid advances in science and technology. Our success depends upon timely dissemination of our:

• Critically evaluated measurement methods
• Standard Reference Materials®
• Standard Reference Data
• Publications describing our measurement science and technologies
• Training, education and best practices, of which Recommended Practice Guides are one example

People and Facilities

The Material Measurement Laboratory is home to more than 1000 staff members and visiting scientists at five locations:

• NIST main campus in Gaithersburg, MD
• NIST Boulder Laboratories in Boulder, CO
• Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, SC , where NIST staff work side-by-side with scientists from NOAA, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the College of Charleston, and the Medical University of South Carolina to provide the science, biotechnology and standards needed to understand links between environmental conditions and the health of marine organisms and humans
• Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research in Rockville, MD, where scientists from NIST, the University of Maryland College Park, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine conduct research on measurement science and standards issues associated with advanced therapeutics
• Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY where, in partnership with the Department of Energy, the laboratory has a user facility that enables researchers from industry, academic and other government agencies to apply synchrotron-based x-ray spectroscopy techniques to the development of products like oil additives and next-generation electronics