2017-15325. Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board

AGENCY:

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Advisory Board will hold an open meeting on September 27, 2017.

DATES:

The meeting will be held Wednesday, September 27, 2017, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held in Building 215, Room C103, at NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Please note admittance instructions in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cheryl L. Gendron, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-4800, telephone number [phone], email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The MEP Advisory Board is authorized under Section 3003(d) of the America COMPETES Act (Pub. L. 110-69), as amended by the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, Public Law 114-329 (2017), and codified at 15 U.S.C. 278k(m), in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. The Hollings MEP Program (Program) is a unique program, consisting of centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico with partnerships at the state, federal, and local levels. By statute, the MEP Advisory Board provides the NIST Director with: (1) Advice on the activities, plans, and policies of the Program; (2) assessments of the soundness of the plans and strategies of the Program; and (3) assessments of current performance against the plans of the Program.

Background information on the MEP Advisory Board is available at http://www.nist.gov/​mep/​about/​advisory-board.cfm.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that the MEP Advisory Board will hold an open meeting on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The meeting agenda will include an update on Hollings MEP programmatic operations, as well as provide guidance and advice to NIST on the development of the 2017-2022 Hollings MEP Strategic Plan. The MEP Advisory Board will also provide input to NIST on developing protocols that will connect user facilities, research, and technologies at NIST and other federal laboratories with the help of the Hollings MEP national network to support small and mid-size manufacturers, and make recommendations on how the Hollings MEP operates as a Learning Organization. This encompasses an effort to strengthen connections by sharing best practices and building Working Groups and Communities of Practice in furtherance of the Hollings MEP Program's mission. The final agenda will be posted on the MEP Advisory Board Web site at http://www.nist.gov/​mep/​about/​advisory-board.cfm.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to offer comments and suggestions related to the MEP Advisory Board's business are invited to request a place on the agenda. Approximately 15 minutes will be reserved for public comments at the end of the meeting. Speaking times will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The amount of time per speaker will be determined by the number of requests received but is likely to be no more than three to five minutes each. Requests must be received in writing before September 15, 2017, to be considered. The exact time for public comments will be included in the final agenda that will be posted on the MEP Advisory Board Web site at http://www.nist.gov/​mep/​about/​advisory-board.cfm. Questions from the public will not be considered during this period. Speakers who wish to expand upon their oral statements, those who wished to speak but could not be accommodated on the agenda, or those who are/were unable to attend in person are invited to submit written statements to the MEP Advisory Board, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-4800, via fax at [phone], or electronically by email to [e-mail].

Admittance Instructions: All visitors to the NIST site are required to pre-register to be admitted. Please submit your name, company name, time of arrival, email address and telephone number to Ms. Gendron by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Friday, September 15, 2017. Non-U.S. citizens must submit additional information; please contact Ms. Gendron via email at [e-mail] or phone [phone]. For participants planning to attend in person, please note that federal agencies, including NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver's license or identification card for access to federal facilities if such license or identification card is issued by a state that is compliant with the REAL ID Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-13), or by a state that Start Printed Page 22648 has an extension for REAL ID compliance. NIST currently accepts other forms of federally-issued identification in lieu of a state-issued driver's license. For detailed information please contact Ms. Gendron at 301-975-2785 or visit: http://nist.gov/​public_​affairs/​visitor/​.

Phillip A. Singerman,

Associate Director for Innovations and Industry Services.