The National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards ( NBS ) , is a measurement standards laboratory which is a non-regulatory ( non-controlled ) agency of the United States Department of Commerce . The National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards ( NBS ) , is a measurement standards laboratory which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce .