INTERAMERICAN METROLOGY SYSTEM
SIM TC Meeting at NCSL, Toronto, Canada
July 15, 2000

List of Attendees
INTI-Argentina: Gustavo Rangughi (TC Member)
NRC-Canada: Alan Robertson (Member, JCRB)
CENAM-Mexico: Ismael Castelazo, Yoshito Mitani (PDC Member)
NIST-USA: Steve Carpenter (Chair, SIM TC), Pedro Espina (Chair, MWG 10 Flow), Willie E. May (Chair, MWG 8 Chemistry), Hratch Semerjian (Chair, DWG 1 Documentation), Robert Watters (Chair, DWG 3 Database), James Whetstone (Observer)

Agenda
1) Introduction of the participants
2) Status of SIM funds for 2000 activities
3) Report from JCRB Representative
4) Status report and activity plans for 2000 from metrology working groups
5) Procedure for initiating SIM comparisons and submitting the results to the BIPM
6) Application of "SIM Procedure for Review of Calibration and Measurement Capabilities submitted for Appendix C of the CIPM MRA"
7) Discussion of budget requirements for 2001 and setting priorities in anticipation of funding being less that required
8) Appointment of the successor to Alan Robertson as SIM Representative on the JCRB
9) Other Business

1. Introduction of the participants
The Chair of SIM TC Steve Carpenter opened the meeting at 9:00 am. This was followed by the introduction of each participant. A list of the attendees is provided above.

2. Status of SIM funds for 2000 activities
The Chair reported that the first of three payments had been received at NIST from OAS. NIST was in the process of issuing contracts to the other three coordinating institutes, (NRC-Canada, CENAM-Mexico, and INMETRO-Brazil). The second payment was expected within two months

3. Report from the JCRB Representative
The SIM Representative to the JCRB report on the Committee's activities. See Handout #1.

4. Status report and activity plans for 2000 from metrology working groups
The Metrology Working Group for Electricity and Magnetism submitted Handout #2. The Metrology Working Group for Thermometry submitted Handout #3. Alan Robertson commented that no cmc information was available declaration of measurement.

It was pointed out that the WG should have its cmc's undergo committee review in order to the March 2001 timetable.

All MWG Chairs are reminded to interact with their counterparts in other RMO's .

A proposed motion to put forward to the Council and raised at the General Assembly: To encourage SIM MWG to collaborate with and participate in other RMO's comparisons and activities.

The Metrology Working Group for Photometry and Radiometry submitted Handout #4. The Metrology Working Group for Mass and Related Quantities submitted Handout #5.
- A request was made to have the 1996 Mass report finalized and distributed.

The Metrology Working Group for Dimensional submitted Handout #6. The Metrology Working Group for Ionizing Radiation submitted Handout #7.
- The point was made that the designation of particular institutes participating in this WG that are not the NMI but are recognized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- A question arose about the IAEA's participation in the MRA and it data input and review process.
- The SIM JCRB Representative was asked to bring this issue up at the next JCRB meeting

The Metrology Working Group for Amount of Substance (Chemistry) submitted Handout #8.
- The WG will be moving its meeting from subregion to subregion.

The Metrology Working Group for Flow submitted Handout #9.

The Metrology Working Group for Time and Frequency submitted no report this time.

The Legal Metrology Working Group submitted Handout #10.
- A copy of the SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS Legal Metrology Seminar for the Americas held July 16 - 20, 2000, Richmond, Virginia is Attachment 1.

5. Procedure for initiating SIM comparisons and submitting the results to the BIPM See revised Handout #11
It was proposed and accepted that the SIM President should send a letter to Dr. Terry Quinn, BIPM Director, identifying the SIM designee for providing CMC's to the BIPM database. It was recommended that this person should be the Chair of Technical Committee's Database Working Group. The CMC's should be submitted to BIPM and to the SIM JCRB Representative, once the Technical Committee does a final review and approval.

For the SIM Database a question arose about inputting other data, an example cited was pilot comparisons, should they be added? It was agreed that they should be included.

It was also indicated that an interim way of identifying comparisons until approved as SIM Key comparisons. It was suggested that an indicator to the status field be add (this was done and appears in the revised version of Handout #11).

The committee approved the draft copy of the Length CMC's that had been sent to the Regional length representatives to the JCRB who were to meet the following week in Ottawa to review the length submissions from each of the RMO's. The SIM JCRB representative asked that the TC withhold sending the final copy to the JCRB until after this meeting was over. (The minutes of that meeting are included with Handout #6)

6. Application of "SIM Procedure for Review of Calibration and Measurement Capabilities submitted for Appendix C of the CIPM MRA"
It was pointed out that there are still variances between the Metrology Working Groups and that this topic should be postponed since there were not many MWG Chairs present.

7. Discussion of budget requirements for 2001 and setting of priorities in anticipation of funding being less than required.
The 2001 budget proposal (Handout #12) had been distributed prior to the meeting for review. The proposal was made that the SIM Council should remind all NMI's to support the SIM 2001 budget by contacting the OAS.

8. Appointment of the successor to Alan Robertson as SIM representative on the JCRB.
The committee proposed that the SIM Council thank Alan Robertson for the outstanding job that he has done as the SIM Representative to the JCRB and wish him much success in his retirement.

The committee selected Ismael Castelazo, CENAM, as the new representative and Hratch Semerjian, NIST, as the alternate. Ismael will be responsible for organizing the SIM delegation to attend the next JCRB meeting at the BIPM in Paris, France during 11 to 13, October 2000.

9. Other Business
Formal letters from Joaquin Valdes, INTI, and Felipe Urresta, INEN, were distributed expressing their intent to be candidates in the upcoming SIM election for President.

Yoshito Mitani distributed the agenda for the Professional Development Committee meeting that was to be held in Toronto but was canceled because of lack of attendance from committee members (Handout #13).

The next Technical Committee and Professional Development Committee meetings will be held during Metrologia - 2000 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 2 -4, 2000.

The meeting was closed at 5:30 p.m.