The Institut National de Métrologie (BNM-INM), housed within the CNAM, is one of five national metrology laboratories which make up the BNM.  The CNAM is a major public institution of higher education and research, and comes under the French Ministry of Education, Research and Technology. BNM-INM is comprised of about 40 people: university lecturers, engineers, technicians, administrative staff and research students.  It is responsible for the establishment of the French National Standards for four of the seven basic SI physical quantities (length, mass, temperature and light intensity).  Within this framework, the INM’s mission concerns the realisation and conservation of the national standards and the undertaking of associated research.  These activities are linked to the activities of COFRAC via the French calibration infrastructure, and to the activities of BIPM.

Key personnel:

Marc Himbert graduated in atomic and quantum physics form Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris.  He is presently Director of BNM-INM.  He is also professor Metrology in CNAM, where he is responsible for the engineer program in measurement science, and for the graduate program in Laser metrology.  Laser physics, atomic physics, metrology, evaluation of uncertainty in measurement, research, and assessment of the international traceability [90 ref.].

Georges Bonnier.  Deputy Director of the INM and Head of the Temperature department. President of CCT WG3 on Uncertainty.  Development of the French National Standards in the field of temperature and assessment of the international traceability.  He is deeply involved in all the aspects of uncertainty evaluation in metrological data.  [80 ref].