Post Bachelor
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fundamental Thermodynamics Group
anticipates an open position performing metrological research to establish a new, higher-accuracy
pressure scale based on pneumatic piston gauges. A piston gauge establishes a calculable pressure from
the measured piston area and the force (weight) applied to the piston. The uncertainty in pressure is
dominated by the uncertainty in “effective area” associated with the piston gauge, including
deformation and fluid corrections. The effective area is the “calibration factor” of the piston gauge; it is
the quantity that when combined with the loaded forces on the gauge produces the pressure in the fluid
line connected to the gauge. This research project aims to characterize a set of piston gauges with an
accuracy never yet realized at NIST. These will be used to calibrate customer pressure transducers and
piston gauges over the pressure range 50 kPa to 10 MPa.
At NIST, you will gain research experience and measurement skills that are highly valuable for a career in
academia, industry, or a national laboratory. Qualified researchers with a bachelor’s, master’s, or
doctoral degree in a STEM field are encouraged to apply. Researchers will work on-site at NIST in
Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Development of a higher-accuracy pressure scale with piston gauges
- US Citizen is strongly preferred
- PhD (is preferred) in Physics or a related field
- Experience pressure, vacuum, dimensional and/or temperature metrology,
- Experience with python programming
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Perform experimental tasks toward realizing a new, higher accuracy pressure scale based on pneumatic
piston gauges - Data and uncertainty analysis
- Disseminating project results via peer-reviewed publications and public presentations