Through research and development in communications technology, CTL supports the development and advancement of measurement science, standards infrastructure, and communications technology. Primary focus areas include wireless networking, radio frequency advanced technologies, and public safety communications.
Examples of Research Activities: Broadband communications network for emergency responders; models of high frequency wireless devices; communication sharing the same frequency space, etc.
Relevant Academic Interests and Coursework: Computer science, mathematics, and statistics.
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.
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:
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 .
With expertise honed over decades of research in antennas and wireless propagation, materials science and electronics testing, as well as communications network protocols and standards, CTL serves as an independent, unbiased arbiter of trusted measurements and standards to government and industry. We focus on developing precision instrumentation and creating test protocols, models and simulation tools to enable a range of emerging wireless technologies. Driving much of our work is a spectrum crunch in historically coveted wireless bandwidths. Without a new generation of extremely high-speed, sophisticated wireless systems whose capabilities and limits we’re only beginning to understand, the spectrum crunch threatens to dampen the potential of wireless data applications as diverse as mobile video, wearable devices, and smart vehicles.
In addition, CTL is home to the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN). NASCTN provides a neutral forum for addressing spectrum-sharing challenges. NASCTN brings together participants from other federal agencies, including U.S. Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop robust test processes and validated measurement data necessary to develop, evaluate and deploy spectrum sharing technologies that can increase access to the spectrum by both Federal agencies and non-federal spectrum users.
The CTL strategic plan brings our future into focus with defined core values as a laboratory, actions to reach for the best versions of ourselves, and sets a course for how CTL will continue to rise to meet the future needs of our Nation. Our plan builds on our success from intentionally building a coalition of industry, academia, and other government agencies to bring forward the future of smartphones and public safety radios, wearable devices, the internet of things, the smart grid, smart homes, next-generation automotive technologies, and smart manufacturing. The CTL’s staff identified strengths to build on, challenges to meet, opportunities to seize, and emerging areas to explore. We crafted an exciting roadmap forward with a clear vision through six research areas and 10 actions to implement intentional shifts in our workplace culture.
Support the advancement of measurement science, infrastructure, and comms tech through research!
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