The Department of Energy has announced a $625 million funding renewal for its five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, or NQISRCs, established under the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018.
The Energy Department said Tuesday the initiative aims to advance U.S. quantum science and technology by aligning research with national priorities, accelerating research and development and enhancing the quantum innovation ecosystem. Awards will span up to five years, with fiscal year 2025 funding set at $125 million and additional funding dependent on congressional approval.
Which Centers Will Receive Funding?
The renewed centers include Brookhaven’s Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage, Fermi’s Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, Argonne’s Q-NEXT, Berkeley’s Quantum Systems Accelerator and Oak Ridge’s Quantum Science Center.
What Key Research Areas Will the NQISRCs Pursue?
The centers will tackle specific scientific and national security challenges, such as improving materials for superconducting devices and developing modular approaches for quantum systems. Research areas include scaling quantum devices to lay the groundwork for quantum data centers, advancing algorithms for on-chip and distributed quantum operations and pioneering quantum-accelerated high-performance computing.
The NQISRCs will advance core research in quantum computing, simulation, networking and sensing, while creating specialized tools to enhance quantum capabilities. They will apply emerging quantum technologies to key DOE scientific and security challenges and develop resources, workforce programs and industry partnerships to grow the broader quantum ecosystem.
