Recently, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced over $9 million in grants to five U.S. entities to develop technologies to “pilot identity solutions that increase confidence in online transactions, prevent identity theft, and provide individuals with more control over how they share their personal information.”  Funded projects will address issues including commerce, preference sharing, use of technology by seniors, health and education.  NIST, which is housed within the Department of Commerce, made the grants to support the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), a White House initiative designed to promote the development of secure, interoperable identity credential technologies.