NISP

NISP is an acronym that can refer to different things in different fields. In the context of United States national security, NISP stands for the National Industrial Security Program, a government initiative to safeguard classified information released to private sector contractors. The program sets security requirements for contractors and their facilities, including facility clearances and personnel security clearances, and is administered by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and other federal agencies. Compliance is guided by the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual and related regulations.

In space science, NISP stands for Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer, an instrument on the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope. NISP provides near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy to support a wide-area survey of galaxies, enabling measurements of their redshifts and shapes. The instrument works in conjunction with the VIS instrument to cover a broad wavelength range and deliver data used to study dark energy, dark matter, and the large-scale structure of the universe.

Other uses of the acronym exist in various contexts, but the two above are among the most prominent. When encountering the term NISP, the intended meaning should be inferred from the surrounding domain—security/compliance in government and industry, or astronomy and space research in scientific literature.