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.

Each NIST Standard Reference Material® is supplied with a Certificate of Analysis and a Materials Safety Data Sheet, when applicable. In addition, NIST has published many articles and practice guides that describe the development, analysis and use of SRMs.

An NTRM (NIST Traceable Reference Material) is a commercially produced reference material with a well-defined traceability linkage to existing NIST standards. This traceability linkage is established via criteria and protocols defined by NIST. Commercial reference materials producers may affix the NTRM trademark to materials produced according to these criteria and protocols.