The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, signed into law by President Ford, authorizes the establishment of a National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The Act authorizes that "... the creation of [the National Institute of Building Sciences] ... should be initiated by the government, with the advice and assistance of the National Academy of Sciences-National Academy of Engineering-National Research Council ...." Responsibility for taking the Government's initiating actions has been given to Michael H. Moskow, HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. The new, prestigious institute will give our country, for the first time, a national center for assembly, storage, and dissemination of technical data and related information on construction; development and promulgation of nationally recognized performance criteria, standard, test methods and other evaluative techniques; and evaluation and prequalification of existing and new building technology.