The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected the Leeds School of Business to conduct a study of its operations in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Boulder, Colorado. The study found that NIST contributed $1.6 billion to the Maryland economy and $319 million to the Colorado economy in 2016, largely through employment impacts and purchase in the local supply chain. NIST, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, promotes scientific innovation by advancing measurement science and standards and has produced five Nobel laureates over the past two decades, including ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú´«Ã½ÎÄ»¯×÷Æ· affiliates Eric Cornell (2001), Jan Hall (2005) and David Wineland (2012).