E9-18591. Request for Nominations for Members To Serve on National Institute of Standards and Technology Federal Advisory Committees

AGENCY:

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites and requests nomination of individuals for appointment to its eight existing Federal Advisory Committees: Technology Innovation Program Advisory Board, Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board, National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee, Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, and Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology. NIST will consider nominations received in response to this notice for appointment to the Committees, in addition to nominations already received.

DATES:

Nominations for all committees will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will be considered as and when vacancies arise.

ADDRESSES:

See below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Technology Innovation Program (TIP) Advisory Board

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Mr. Marc Stanley, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4700, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4700. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-869-1150. Additional information regarding the Board, including its charter may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.nist.gov/​tip.

For Further Information Contact: Mr. Marc Stanley, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4700, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4700; telephone [phone], fax [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The Board will consist of ten members appointed by the Director of NIST, at least seven of whom shall be from United States industry, chosen to reflect the wide diversity of technical disciplines and industrial sectors represented in TIP projects. No member will be an employee of the Federal Government.

The Board will function solely as an advisory body, in compliance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Authority: 15 U.S.C 278n(k), as amended by the America COMPETES Act (Pub. L. 110-69), Federal Advisory Committee Act: 5 U.S.C. App. 2.

Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Harry Hertz, Director, Baldrige National Quality Program, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-975-4967. Additional information regarding the Committee, including its charter, current membership list, and executive summary may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.baldrige.nist.gov.

For Further Information Contact: Harry Hertz, Director, Baldrige National Quality Program and Designated Federal Officer, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020; telephone [phone]; FAX [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The Board was established in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3711a(d)(2)(B), pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Board shall review the work of the private sector contractor(s), which assists the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in administering the Award. The Board will make such suggestions for the improvement of the Award process as it deems necessary.

2. The Board shall provide a written annual report on the results of Award activities to the Director of NIST, along with its recommendations for the improvement of the Award process.

3. The Board will function solely as an advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

4. The Board will report to the Director of NIST.

Membership

1. The Board will consist of approximately eleven members selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance, and for their preeminence in the field of organizational performance management. There will be a balanced representation from U.S. service, manufacturing, education, health care industries, and the nonprofit sector.

2. The Board will be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and will serve at the discretion of the Secretary. The term of office of each Board member shall be three years. All terms will commence on March 1 and end of February 28 of the appropriate year.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Board shall serve without compensation, but may, upon request, be reimbursed travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.

2. The Board will meet twice annually, except that additional meetings may be called as deemed necessary by the NIST Director or by the Chairperson. Meetings are usually one day in duration.

3. Board meetings are open to the public. Board members do not have access to classified or proprietary information in connection with their Board duties.

Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from the private and public sector as described above.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service and shall be familiar with the quality improvement operations of manufacturing companies, service companies, small businesses, education, health care, and nonprofits. The category (field of eminence) for which the candidate is qualified should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular category should come from organizations or individuals within that category. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the Board, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the Board. Besides participation at meetings, it is desired that members be able to devote the equivalent of seven days between meetings to either developing or researching topics of potential interest, and so forth, in furtherance of their Board duties.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse Board membership.

Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Harry Hertz, Director, Baldrige National Quality Program, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-975-4967. Additional information regarding the Committee, including its charter, current membership list, and executive summary may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.baldrige.nist.gov.

For Further Information Contact: Harry Hertz, Director, Baldrige National Quality Program and Designated Federal Official, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020; telephone [phone]; FAX [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The Judges Panel was established in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3711a(d)(1) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Judges Panel will ensure the integrity of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award selection process by reviewing the results of examiners' scoring of written applications, and then voting on which applicants merit site visits by examiners to verify the accuracy of claims made by applicants.

2. The Judges Panel will ensure that individuals on site visit teams for the Award finalists have no conflict of interest with respect to the finalists. The Panel will also review recommendations from site visits and recommend Award recipients.

3. The Judges Panel will function solely as an advisory body, and will comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

4. The Panel will report to the Director of NIST.

Membership

1. The Judges Panel is composed of at least nine, and not more than twelve, members selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance. There will be a balanced representation from U.S. service and manufacturing industries, education, health care, and nonprofits and will include members familiar with performance improvement in their area of business.

2. The Judges Panel will be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and will serve at the discretion of the Secretary. The term of office of each Panel member shall be three years. All terms will commence on March 1 and end on February 28 of the appropriate year.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Judges Panel shall serve without compensation, but may, upon request, be reimbursed travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.

2. The Judges Panel will meet three times per year. Additional meetings may be called as deemed necessary by the NIST Director or by the Chairperson. Meetings are usually one to four days in duration. In addition, each Judge must attend an annual three-day Examiner training course.

3. Committee meetings are closed to the public pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, as amended by Section 5(c) of the Government in the Sunshine Act, Public Law 94-409, and in accordance with Section 552b(c)(4) of Title 5, United States Code. Since the members of the Judges Panel examine records and discuss Award applicant data, the meetings are likely to disclose trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person that may be privileged or confidential.

Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from all U.S. service and manufacturing industries, education, health care, and nonprofits as described above.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service and shall be familiar with the performance improvement operations of manufacturing companies, service companies, small businesses, education, health care, and nonprofit organizations. The category (field of eminence) for which the candidate is qualified should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular category should come from organizations or individuals within that category. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the Judges Panel, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the Judges Panel. Besides participation at meetings, it is desired that members be either developing or researching topics of potential interest, reading Baldrige applications, and so forth, in furtherance of their Committee duties.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse Judges Panel membership.

Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB)

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Pauline Bowen, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930. Nominations may also be submitted via fax to 301-975-4007, Attn: ISPAB Nominations. Additional information regarding the Board, including its charter and current membership list, may be found on its electronic home page at: http://csrc.nist.gov/​ispab/​.

For Further Information Contact: Pauline Bowen, ISPAB Designated Federal Official, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930; telephone [phone]; fax: [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The ISPAB was originally chartered as the Computer System Security and Privacy Advisory Board (CSSPAB) by the Department of Commerce pursuant to the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-235). As a result of the E-Government Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347), Title III, the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, Section 21 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-4) the Board's charter was amended. This amendment included the name change of the Board.

Objectives and Duties

The objectives and duties of the ISPAB are:

1. To identify emerging managerial, technical, administrative, and physical safeguard issues relative to information security and privacy.

2. To advise the NIST, the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on information security and privacy issues pertaining to Federal Government information systems, including thorough review of proposed standards and guidelines developed by NIST.

3. To annually report its findings to the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the National Security Agency, and the appropriate committees of the Congress.

4. To function solely as an advisory body, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Membership

The ISPAB is comprised of twelve members, in addition to the Chairperson. The membership of the Board includes:

1. Four members from outside the Federal Government eminent in the information technology industry, at least one of whom is representative of small or medium sized companies in such industries.

2. Four members from outside the Federal Government who are eminent in the field of information technology, or related disciplines, but who are not employed by or representative of a producer of information technology equipment; and

3. Four members from the Federal Government who have information system management experience, including experience in information security and privacy; at least one of these members shall be from the National Security Agency.

Miscellaneous

Members of the ISPAB who are not full-time employees of the Federal government are not paid for their service, but will, upon request, be allowed travel expenses in accordance with Subchapter I of Chapter 57 of Title 5, United States Code, while otherwise performing duties at the request of the Board Chairperson, while away from their homes or a regular place of business.

Meetings of the Board are usually two to three days in duration and are usually held quarterly. The meetings primarily take place in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area but may be held at such locations and at such time and place as determined by the majority of the Board.

Board meetings are open to the public and members of the press usually attend. Members do not have access to classified or proprietary information in connection with their Board duties.

Nomination Information

Nominations are being accepted in all three categories described above.

Nominees should have specific experience related to information security or electronic privacy issues, particularly as they pertain to Federal information technology. Letters of nomination should include the category of membership for which the candidate is applying and a summary of the candidate's qualifications for that specific category. Also include (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and any Federal employment. Each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the ISPAB, and that they will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the ISPAB.

Besides participation at meetings, it is desired that members be able to devote a minimum of two days between meetings to developing draft issue papers, researching topics of potential interest, and so forth in furtherance of their Board duties.

Selection of ISPAB members will not be limited to individuals who are nominated. Nominations that are received and meet the requirements will be kept on file to be reviewed as Board vacancies occur.

Nominees must be U.S. citizens.

The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse ISPAB membership.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory Board

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Ms. Karen Lellock, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4800. Nominations may also be submitted via Fax to 301-963-6556. Additional information regarding the Board, including its charter, may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.mep.nist.gov/​about-mep/​mep-advisory-board.htm.

For Further Information Contact: Ms. Karen Lellock, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4800; telephone [phone], fax [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The MEP Advisory Board was established in accordance with the requirements of Section 3003(d) of the America COMPETES Act (Pub. L. 110-69) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2.

Objectives and Duties

1. The Board will provide advice on MEP programs, plans, and policies.

2. The Board will assess the soundness of MEP plans and strategies.

3. The Board will assess current performance against MEP program plans.

4. The Board will function solely in an advisory capacity, and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

5. The Board shall submit an annual report through the NIST Director to the Secretary for transmittal to Congress within 30 days after the submission to Congress of the President's annual budget request each year. The report will address the status of the MEP and comment on programmatic planning and updates.

Membership

1. The MEP Board is composed of 10 members, broadly representative of stakeholders. At least 2 members shall be employed by or on an advisory board for the Centers, and at least 5 other members shall be from U.S. small businesses in the manufacturing sector. No member shall be an employee of the Federal Government.

2. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall appoint the members of the Board. Members shall be selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance. Members serve at the discretion of the NIST Director.

3. Committee members from the manufacturing industry and those representing specific stakeholder groups shall serve in a representative capacity. Committee members from the academic community shall serve as experts and will be considered Special Government Employees (SGEs) and will be subject to all ethical standards and rules applicable to SGEs.

4. The term of office of each member of the Board shall be three years, except that vacancy appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the vacancy.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Board will not be compensated for their services but will, upon request, be allowed travel and per diem expenses as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq., while attending meetings of the Board or subcommittees thereof, or while otherwise performing duties at the request of the Chair, while away from their homes or regular places of business.

2. The Board will meet at least two times a year. Additional meetings may be called by the NIST Director.

3. Committee meetings are open to the public.

Nomination Information

Nominations are being accepted in all categories described above.

Nominees should have specific experience related to industrial extension services. Letters of nomination should include the category of membership for which the candidate is applying and a summary of the candidate's qualifications for that specific category. Each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination and acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the MEP Advisory Board.

Selection of MEP Advisory Board members will not be limited to individuals who are nominated. Nominations that are received and meet the requirements will be kept on file to be reviewed as Board vacancies occur.

The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse MEP Advisory Board membership.

National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Stephen Cauffman, National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8611, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8611. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-869-6275.

For Further Information Contact: Stephen Cauffman, National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8611, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8611, telephone [phone], fax [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The Committee was established in accordance with the National Construction Safety Team Act, Public Law 107-231 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Committee shall advise the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on carrying out the National Construction Safety Team Act (Act), review and provide advice on the procedures developed under section 2(c)(1) of the Act, and review and provide advice on the reports issued under section 8 of the Act.

2. The Committee functions solely as an advisory body, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

3. The Committee shall report to the Director of NIST.

4. The Committee shall provide a written annual report, through the Director of the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) and the Director of NIST, to the Secretary of Commerce for submission to the Congress, to be due at a date to be agreed upon by the Committee and the Director of NIST. Such report will provide an evaluation of National Construction Safety Team activities, along with recommendations to improve the operation and effectiveness of National Construction Safety Teams, and an assessment of the implementation of the recommendations of the National Construction Safety Teams and of the Committee. In addition, the Committee may provide reports at strategic stages of an investigation, at its discretion or at the request of the Director of NIST, through the Director of the BFRL and the Director of NIST, to the Secretary of Commerce.

Membership

1. The Committee will be composed of not fewer than five nor more than ten members that reflect a wide balance of the diversity of technical disciplines and competencies involved in the National Construction Safety Teams investigations. Members shall be selected on the basis of established records of distinguished service in their professional community and their knowledge of issues affecting the National Construction Safety Teams.

2. The Director of the NIST shall appoint the members of the Committee, and they will be selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Committee will not be paid for their services, but will, upon request, be allowed travel and per diem expenses in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq., while attending meetings of the Committee or of its subcommittees, or while otherwise performing duties at the request of the chairperson, while away from their homes or a regular place of business.

2. The Committee will meet at least once per year at the call of the Chair. Additional meetings may be called whenever one-third or more of the members so request it in writing or whenever the Chair or the Director of NIST requests a meeting.

Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from all fields involved in issues affecting National Construction Safety Teams.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service. The field of expertise that the candidate represents he/she is qualified should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular field should come from organizations or individuals within that field. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the candidate agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the Committee, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the Committee.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse Committee membership.

Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR)

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Tina Faecke, Administrative Officer, National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8630, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8630. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-975-5433 or e-mail at [e-mail]. Additional information regarding the Committee, including its charter and executive summary may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.nehrp.gov.

For Further Information Contact: Dr. Jack Hayes, Director, National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8610, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8610, telephone [phone], fax [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The Committee was established on June 27, 2006 in accordance with the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, Public Law 108-360 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Committee will assess trends and developments in the science and engineering of earthquake hazards reduction, effectiveness of the Program in carrying out the activities under section 103(a)(2) of the Act, the need to revise the Program, the management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the Program.

2. The Committee functions solely as an advisory body, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

3. The Committee shall report to the Director of NIST.

4. Not later than one year after the first meeting of the Committee, and at least once every two years thereafter, the Committee shall report to the Director of NIST, on its findings of the assessments and its recommendations for ways to improve the Program. In developing recommendations, the Committee shall consider the recommendations of the United States Geological Survey Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee.

Membership

1. The Committee will consist of not fewer than 11 nor more than 15 members, who reflect a wide diversity of technical disciplines, competencies, and communities involved in earthquake hazards reduction. Members shall be selected on the basis of established records of distinguished service in their professional community and their knowledge of issues affecting the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.

2. The Director of NIST shall appoint the members of the Committee, and they will be selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance.

3. The term of office of each member of the Committee shall be three years, except that vacancy appointments shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the vacancy and that the initial members shall have staggered terms such that the committee will have approximately 1/3 new or reappointed members each year.

4. No committee member may be an “employee” as defined in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of section 7342(a)(1) of Title 5 of the United States Code.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Committee will not be compensated for their services, but will, upon request, be allowed travel and per diem expenses in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq., while attending meetings of the Committee or of its subcommittees, or while otherwise performing duties at the request of the chairperson, while away from their homes or a regular place of business.

2. Members of the Committee shall serve as Special Government Employees and are required to file an annual Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.

3. The Committee shall meet at least once per year. Additional meetings may be called whenever the Director of NIST requests a meeting.

4. Committee meetings are open to the public.

Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from industry and other communities having an interest in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, such as, but not limited to, research and academic institutions, industry standards development organizations, State and local government bodies, and financial communities, who are qualified to provide advice on earthquake hazards reduction and represent all related scientific, architectural, and engineering disciplines.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service. The field of expertise that the candidate represents should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular field should come from organizations or individuals within that field. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the Committee, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the Committee.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse Committee membership.

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT)

Addresses: Please submit nominations to Gail Ehrlich, Executive Director, Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1060, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1060. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-216-0529 or via e-mail at gail.ehrlich@ nist.gov. Additional information regarding the Committee, including its charter, current membership list, and executive summary may be found on its electronic homepage at: http://www.nist.gov/​director/​vcat/​vcat.htm.

For Further Information Contact: Gail Ehrlich, Executive Director,Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1060, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1060, telephone [phone], fax [phone]; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Committee Information: The VCAT was established in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 278 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Committee shall review and make recommendations regarding general policy for NIST, its organization, its budget, and its programs, within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress.

2. The Committee functions solely as an advisory body, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

3. The Committee shall report to the Director of NIST.

4. The Committee shall provide a written annual report, through the Director of NIST, to the Secretary of Commerce for submission to the Congress no later than 30 days after the submittal to Congress of the President's annual budget request in each year. Such report shall deal essentially, though not necessarily exclusively, with policy issues or matters which affect the Institute, or with which the Committee in its official role as the private sector policy advisor of the Institute is concerned. Each such report shall identify areas of program emphasis for the Institute of potential importance to the long-term competitiveness of the United States industry, which could be used to assist the United States enterprises and United States industrial joint research and development ventures. Such report also shall comment on the programmatic planning document and updates thereto submitted to Congress under subsections (c) and (d) of section 23 of the NIST Act (15 U.S.C. 278i). The Committee shall submit to the Secretary and Congress such additional reports on specific policy matters as it deems appropriate.

Membership

1. The Committee is composed of fifteen members that provide representation of a cross-section of traditional and emerging United States industries. Members shall be selected solely on the basis of established records of distinguished service and shall be eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. No employee of the Federal Government shall serve as a member of the Committee.

2. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall appoint the members of the Committee, and they will be selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the VCAT are not paid for their service, but will, upon request, be allowed travel expenses in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq., while attending meetings of the Committee or of its subcommittees, or while otherwise performing duties at the request of the chairperson, while away from their homes or a regular place of business.

2. Members of the Committee shall serve as Special Government Employees and are required to file an annual Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.

3. Meetings of the VCAT take place at the NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and once each year at the NIST site in Boulder, Colorado. Meetings are one or two days in duration and are held at least twice each year.

4. Committee meetings are open to the public.

Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from all fields described above.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service and shall be eminent in fields such as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment and international relations. The category (field of eminence) for which the candidate is qualified should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular category should come from organizations or individuals within that category. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the candidate agrees to the nomination, acknowledges the responsibilities of serving on the VCAT, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the VCAT. Besides participation in one or two-day meetings held at least twice each year, it is desired that members be able to devote the equivalent of two days between meetings to either developing or researching topics of potential interest, and so forth in furtherance of the Committee duties.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse VCAT membership.

Dated: July 30, 2009.

Patrick Gallagher,

Deputy Director.