NSF announces new awards for quantum research

National Science Foundation 28 September 2018

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded US$31 million for fundamental quantum research that will enable the United States to lead a new quantum technology revolution. The awards were announced as NSF joins other federal agencies and private partners at a White House summit on quantum information science, reports the National Science Foundation.

“The quantum revolution is about expanding the definition of what's possible for the technology of tomorrow,” said NSF Director France Córdova. “NSF-supported researchers are working to deepen our understanding of quantum mechanics and apply that knowledge to create world-changing applications. These new investments will position the US to be a global leader in quantum research and development and help train the next generation of quantum researchers." The new awards add to NSF’s position as a leading federal funder of quantum research. The US$31 million in awards will explore applications of quantum mechanics, advance next-generation sensing, computing, modelling and communication.

NSF has been a driver of quantum technology research and quantum information science for decades. Of the 231 NSF-funded Nobel Laureates, 31 were honoured for advancing quantum research. Many of today's technologies rely on the interaction of matter and energy at extremely small scales. Quantum mechanics studies nature at such scales – at least a million times smaller than the width of a human hair – allowing researchers to observe, manipulate and control the behaviour of particles. Next-generation technologies for communication, computing and sensing will exploit interactions among particles in quantum systems, offering the promise of dramatic increases in accuracy and efficiency.
Full report on the National Science Foundation site

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