NIST supports accurate and compatible measurements by certifying and providing over 1300 Standard Reference Materials® with well-characterized composition or properties, or both. These materials are used to perform instrument calibrations in units as part of overall quality assurance programs, to verify the accuracy of specific measurements and to support the development of new measurement methods.
Industry, academia, and government use NIST SRMs to facilitate commerce and trade and to advance research and development. Presently NIST SRMs are currently available for use in areas such as industrial materials production and analysis, environmental analysis, health measurements and basic measurements in science and metrology. NIST SRMs are also one mechanism for supporting measurement traceability in the United States.