T03: Fundamentals of Metrology – 2 Day
- Start Date : 4 February, 2026
- Start Time : 8:00am
- End Date : 5 February, 2026
- End Time : 5:00pm
- Address : Garden 1, N Tower
No Schedule
No Schedule
Abstract
Fundamental measurement concepts are presented as applicable for any field of metrology: Who’s Who in Metrology and Accreditation, SI Basis for Measurements, Essential Elements of Traceability, Method Validation (Documented Procedures), Technical Competence (Proficiency Testing), Calibration Intervals, Measurement Assurance, Measurement Uncertainty, Calibration Certificates and Evaluations, Supplier Evaluation, and Assessing Traceability. Several sections will discuss risk management philosophies and approaches. Participants will obtain and know how to use several simple tools, job aids, and references to improve laboratory operations. This session is applicable for participants new to metrology, new to metrology management, as a refresher of fundamental concepts with a high level view, or for anyone responsible for providing on-the-job training to new metrologists to help identify key concepts and prepare someone new to metrology for a successful career.
Activities and quizzes are integrated into each module with full participation expected. Participants must bring 4 documents that will be integrated in evaluation activities: 1) an example of a calibration certificate from their own laboratory (redacted if needed), 2) a calibration certificate from a supplier/vendor, 3) the laboratory Scope for the participant’s laboratory and 4) the laboratory Scope from the supplier/vendor of the certificate brought as item 2. Specific NIST OWM procedures that are referenced are posted here (https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/laboratory-metrology/calibration-procedures) and include: GMP 11, GMP 13, GLP 1, SOP 1, SOP 29, and SOP 30; pre-work reading and familiarity is a good idea.
Note: this is a two-day course, with no specific measurement applications, and while similar to, it is not in alignment with the NIST OWM 5-day Fundamentals of Metrology seminar, is not a substitute for the successful completion of that seminar and will not meet subsequent course pre-requisites (such as the NIST Mass Seminar or Volume Seminar). See the full course, Table of Contents and examples of detailed learning objectives for overlapping topics that will be covered here: http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/labmetrology/fundamental-metrology.cfm.
At the end of this session, participants will be able to: identify and use reference materials to ensure quality, accurate, and traceable measurement results; explain highlights and key concepts of each topic to each other and to your managers and demonstrate how these topics fit in to a management system using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 as the basis.
contact: Micheal Hicks, micheal.hicks@nist.gov
Micheal Hicks
Micheal Hicks serves as Program Leader of the Laboratory Metrology Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Physical Measurement Laboratory, Office of Weights and Measures Division. He received training in Metrology with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he worked in the Standards Laboratory in Sterling, VA for the National Weather Service (NWS). He has a B.S. degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences. He is a published author in several peer-reviewed journals in the use of observing methods to measure atmospheric conditions. As Program Leader of the Laboratory Metrology Program, he supports the mission of ensuring the uniformity and traceability of the US legal metrology system to the international system of units (SI) by providing metrology training and proficiency testing opportunities and Recognition (i.e., Accreditation) to legal metrology laboratories.