WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide $6.8 million for interdisciplinary research in Quantum Information Science (QIS) and nuclear physics. The aim is to harness advances in the emerging field of QIS—in such key areas as quantum computing and quantum sensors—to expand understanding of nuclear physics as well as to draw on the expertise and capabilities of the nuclear physics community to foster progress in QIS.

"Because of its potential to generate new technologies, research in QIS has become a national priority, and the nuclear science community brings import insights and capabilities to the table," said Timothy Hallman, DOE Associate Director of Science for Nuclear Physics. "A key objective of this program is to identify and capitalize on unique opportunities to advance both QIS and nuclear science research in ways that align with the national strategy for QIS."

Topics to be considered include the application of nuclear physics expertise in such areas as superconducting and microfabrication to QIS systems, the development of new quantum computing algorithms to solve computationally challenging nuclear physics problems, and the exploration of quantum sensors for nuclear science applications. Proposals will also be accepted for workforce training through such vehicles as interdisciplinary graduate and postdoctoral fellowships and for workshops to promote collaboration between the QIS and nuclear physics communities.

Universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, and private sector companies are eligible to submit applications, which are due on May 17, 2019 by 5 PM. Funding is to be awarded competitively, on the basis of peer review, and is expected to be in the form of grants ranging up to $1.0 million per year, beginning in the current fiscal year. Total planned funding for this FOA will be $6.8 million, awarded in FY 2019.

The DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement, issued by DOE's Office of Science and titled, "Quantum Horizons: QIS Research and Innovation for Nuclear Science," along with a parallel, companion announcement for DOE National Laboratories, can be found here.