The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing up to $100 million to establish a nationwide network of open-access research facilities for quantum and nanoscale technologies, innovation, and workforce training. Through the new NSF National Quantum and Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NSF NQNI) program, NSF will support up to 16 sites over five years, providing students, researchers, and industry with access to state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise.

(December 2, 2022) The Request for Solutions for the Microelectronics Commons (project 22-16 ) is now available. The Microelectronics Commons is a CHIPS and Science Act-funded national network for onshore, microelectronics hardware prototyping, lab-to-fab transition of semiconductor technologies and semiconductor workforce training. In particular, prototyping capabilities for six technology areas, which include quantum technologies, that are important to the Department of Defense (DoD) will be supported with seed projects in order to partially offset prototyping facility operating costs and to give these facilities experience in supporting outside users. For quantum technologies, the desired end-state is a commercial foundry-like access with fast turn-around times. End goals of this request for solutions include access to these fabrication facilities, which are amenable to developing process design kits for a variety of leading qubit types and support technologies, for DoD supported university/academic based collaborators as well as support the U.S. commercial quantum technology industry need, with the ability to include those that are experts in fields external to quantum information science.

(September 19, 2022) The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))’s Microelectronics program will soon be supporting domestic prototyping capability in six application areas, including quantum technology. The end-state goal to develop a national network of regional innovation hubs and core facilities distributed across the U.S. that will reduce barriers to innovation, mature emerging microelectronics technologies, enhance existing microelectronics infrastructure, and foster a pipeline of domestic talent and innovative ideas.

(Feb. 27, 2022) ExpandQISE Solicitation: Invitation to a connections-building workshop.

(August 17, 2021) The $20M, 6-year project establishes the 2D Quantum Materials and Devices Foundry (MonArk), operated jointly by Montana State University and University of Arkansas, and with help of a network of collaborators located mostly in other EPSCOR states: KS, MO, AL, WY, ID, OK, ND, IA, as well as in CO, TX and CA. The research program focuses on accelerated development of novel quantum materials using high quality single crystals in an automated exfoliation, synthesis, characterization and integration loop.

There is a pressing need in Quantum Information Science & Technology (QIST) for new and broader talent. One innovation may be in developing approaches to teaching QIST concepts at multiple levels of expertise (but especially undergraduate to mid-career) to engineers, computer scientists, and physicists. Research proposals are sought in innovative collaborative learning concepts for quantum information science, to include the methodologies, pedagogy, and essential principles that effectively leverage classroom and laboratory experiences to train a diverse quantum workforce of the future. These projects should focus on methods applicable to higher education for the training and retraining of technical individuals that have a range of experiences and knowledge. Practical implementations coupled with evaluation of efficacy are highly desired. Some examples of research activities may include:

Today the National Security Agency’s Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) launched the LPS Qubit Collaboratory (LQC), a Quantum Information Science research center in support of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative. The LQC offers a mechanism for collaborative research between LPS and academia, industry, FFRDCs, and Government Laboratories. The mission of the LQC is to:

Quantum computers are poised to become major technological drivers over the coming decades. But to get there, scientists need to experiment with quantum machines that relatively few universities or companies have. Now, scientists can use Sandia’s QSCOUT for research that might not be possible at their home institutions, without the cost or restrictions of using a commercial testbed.

FT. MEADE, Md., Oct. 29, 2020 — The quantum world hosts a rich variety of physics that could enable functionality far beyond what traditional technologies can achieve. By probing and manipulating phenomena that occur at the single particle scale, the emerging field of quantum information science (QIS) aims to create new forms of computing, sensing, and communications that could revolutionize how we process and transmit data. The US recently launched the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) to foster collaboration across multiple government agencies in order to strengthen US leadership in QIS and support the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers.

Although COVID-19 has disrupted business around the world for many organizations, it doesn’t mean that all work stops. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Maryland’s Quantum Technology Center (QTC) held a so-called virtual signing ceremony during a video call where the two organizations entered into an Educational Partnership Agreement to identify and pursue opportunities related to quantum technologies research Sept. 1.