Collaborating With Us

Scope of our research

The Flammability Reduction Group at NIST conducts research that provides the scientific and engineering basis for fire performance standards and regulations, and the commercialization of low flammability products and compliance enabling technologies.  Recently, our research has focused on fire hazards within residential buildings, such as residential upholstered furniture (RUF).  Moving forward, we’d like to have a broader research portfolio.  In fact, we have already begun to move in that direction by implementing changes to our research programs based on multiple factors, including the findings from our workshop on the future of fire and materials  (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2018/05/new-nist-roadmap-charts-path-reduced-fire-hazards-materials).

The immediate changes to our research are focusing the furniture flammability project on reducing and delaying peak heat release rate (HRR) of RUF and creating a new project called Engineered Fire Safe Products (EFSP).  The EFSP project conducts research aimed at advancing the use of light weight products.  This project’s initial research focus is to increase the ember ignition resistance of products used in the construction of buildings, fences, and decks located within the wildland urban interface (WUI) communities.  Concurrently, the project will scope out future research projects in the areas of composites, wood construction in commercial buildings, and electrical fires.

Regardless of the research area, we will continue to work with the community to develop testing and computational tools that enable the development of standardized tests and associated regulations and codes, and use these tools, in collaboration with the community, to develop fire safe products and compliance enabling technologies.

Collaboration opportunities

We hope you are as excited as we are about the direction of our research.  If you want to collaborate with us in these or related research areas, please consider the options below.  More details about these collaboration opportunities can be found here: https://www.nist.gov/el/systems-integration-division-73400/about/working-us

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (https://www.nist.gov/tpo/crada) 
CRADAs are agreements that cover joint research efforts in which both our staff and the cooperating company provide staff, equipment, facilities, and/or funds, in any number of possible combinations, for a project of mutual interest.  If an industry partner is interested in working with us in areas related to the research described above, please contact Rick Davis.

Grants (https://www.grants.gov/)
Grants provide financial assistance to support and conduct research or a recipient’s portion of collaborative research in areas of current interest to us (see the above explanation for our areas of interest).  We currently have two grant programs open.

• Natural Disaster Resilience Grants Program funds research to advance the resilience (to wind, fire, and earthquakes) in the built environment.  https://www.nist.gov/el/disaster-resilience/disaster-resilience-federal-funding-opportunity-ffo
• Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Program supports research NIST-wide.  https://www.nist.gov/el/products-services/extramural-grants-program

Please refer to these websites for guidance on submitting grant proposals.  Since these grants are intended to be collaborations, proposals more aligned with our research tend to fair better in the review process.

Working at NIST
There are several ways to work with us on our campus.  

• US citizens can join NIST as a full-time staff member or in a temporary position.  These positions are posted on https://www.usajobs.gov/.  US Citizens can also apply to become a NRC Post-doc at NIST by applying through here: http://nrc58.nas.edu/RAPLab10/Opportunity/SearchProgram.aspx?LabCode=50.  We are always looking for NRC-NIST post-doc candidates. 
• US students and recent graduates can also be employed by NIST through the Pathways Program.  The Pathways Program offers clear paths to Federal internships for students from high school through post-graduate school and to careers for recent graduates.  These positions are also posted on USA Jobs.  
• US and non-US researchers can join us through PREP program (https://www.nist.gov/iaao/academic-affairs-office/nist-professional-research-experience-program-prep).  Unfortunately, this webpage and the contained hyperlinks don’t list current PREP opportunities.  
• Non-US researchers can join us through our Foreign Guest Research Program (subsistence can be available, https://www.nist.gov/iaao/foreign-guest-researcher-program).  Opportunities in this program aren’t listed on this webpage.