This indicator seeks to demonstrate that use of the Cybersecurity Framework is increasing, and that guidance and other tools are being developed and made publicly available to help organizations use the Framework to understand, manage, and communicate cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity Framework resources may be developed by any organization, including industry, academia, government, and nongovernment organizations. These resources may include, but are not limited to, implementation guides, mappings, case studies, educational materials, example profiles, etc.

In May 2019, the SI will be redefined with units based on fundamental constants of nature. NIST’s role in this transition from a classical to a quantum definition will be one of leadership. NIST will explore the foundational limits of the Quantum SI by integrating efforts in fundamental research, applied research and dissemination of the SI units. NIST’s goal is to develop Quantum SI standards and sensors for mainstream US industry, and disruptively change the classical dissemination modality.

This indicator reflects the value, relevance, and usefulness of NIST research facilities to industry users. NIST research facilities are unique capabilities that can be leveraged through partnerships with businesses, especially manufacturers, to accelerate discovery and commercialization of innovative products. This indicator counts the number of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements between industry and NIST laboratories, as well as the number of industrial institutions that use the NIST user facilities (NIST Center for Neutron Research and the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology).

This indicator demonstrates that NIST consistently produces useful and relevant scientific and technical publications and is outcome-oriented. The "relative citation impact" indicator is the ratio of the average number of citations per publication (citation rata) for all NIST publications in a year to the average expected citation rate for similar publications in a large group of peer institutions in the world. Publications typically lag by a minimum of two years due to the time needed for research, writing, journal peer review, and publication processes. The average for U.S. institutions is about 1.3.

The indicator reflects how well Manufacturing USA Institutes meets a real national need and is intended to measure the extent to which the industrial partners perceive that they are receiving value from the existence of the Institute. Non-Federal partners dedicate resources when they believe that there will be economic benefit. Non-Federal sources include industry partners of all sizes, state and local governments, economic development entities, institutions of higher education, private organizations and individuals. Investment includes cash and in-kind resources provided.