New legislation introduced to the Senate on Tuesday would provide $2.7 billion in Federal funding to boost quantum research and development (R&D) at Federal science agencies and government funded research centers over the next five years.
Dubbed the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, the 97-page bill would authorize nearly $3 billion in funding for quantum R&D at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from fiscal years (FY) 2025 to 2029, extending the National Quantum Initiative’s deadline of Dec. 2029 to Dec. 2034.
The National Quantum Initiative was passed in 2018 to create a national plan for advancing quantum technology, with focuses on quantum computing, economic development, and promoting national security. Authorization for certain R&D activities in the original act expired at the end of Sept. 2023.
The new piece of legislation – introduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Todd Young, R-Ind., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Steve Daines, R-Mont. – would shift the 2018 law’s focus from basic research to developing “practical quantum applications” and include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), State Department, and Small Business Administration (SBA), to “expand interagency collaboration and expertise.”
It also authorizes NASA to conduct R&D for quantum satellite communications and quantum sensing research initiatives.
“Advancements in quantum science and technology are a game-changer. From healthcare breakthroughs to clean energy solutions, quantum applications in sensing, computing, and communications will reshape our future,” said Cantwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, in a statement. “The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act strengthens America’s competitive edge through critical R&D investments. By fostering public-private collaboration, we will accelerate quantum innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and pioneer discoveries that benefit generations to come.”
The new act would also establish up to three new NIST quantum centers which would aim to “accelerate research, development, deployment, and standardization of quantum information science, engineering, and technology,” according to bill language. The research would also focus on quantum sensing, measurement, and engineering, the release said.
Five new NSF Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and Education are also established by the act. Eligible higher education institutions or nonprofit organizations can apply to be a center and receive funding from NSF to conduct research to advance quantum information, support quantum workforce development, and foster innovation.
Updated application requirements include developing an outreach plan for historically underrepresented groups – including women – in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and explaining how the center would protect research from foreign countries and entities “of concern.”
“Quantum research and development is critical to our economic and national security. This legislation prioritizes advancements in quantum and will help address technological and workforce challenges in the quantum sector,” Sen. Young said in a statement.
Additional provisions of the act to secure the nation from foreign adversaries requires the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to develop an international quantum cooperation strategy to coordinate R&D activities with allies of the United States, according to the release.
Domestically, the Secretary of Commerce would be required to submit a plan to Congress detailing development toward strengthening quantum supply chain resilience – which would be further bolstered by the creation of “prize challenges” under the act to accelerate the development of quantum applications and algorithms through public-private collaboration.
According to bill language, partnerships would aim to promote “domestic vendor diversification efforts and coordination activities” and “avoid offshoring to, or dependence on, countries of concern for critical components of capabilities in the quantum supply chain.”
Additional requirements of the updated act would direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on reducing red tape and paperwork related to public-private quantum partnerships. It would also require each agency to develop monitoring and evaluation metrics to present to Congress for progress in quantum information science and practical applications.
