The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to provide $45 million for new research in chemical and materials sciences aimed at advancing the important emerging field of quantum information science (QIS). A wide-ranging multidisciplinary area of research, QIS is expected to lay the foundation for the next generation of computing and information processing, as well as an array of other innovative technologies in sensing and related applications.

“QIS will play a major role in shaping the future of computing and a range of other vitally important technologies,” said DOE Under Secretary of Science Paul Dabbar. “This initiative ensures that America will remain on the cutting edge of the chemical and materials science breakthroughs that will form the basis for future QIS systems.”

The initiative seeks proposals in two areas: (1) chemical and materials sciences research aimed at the design and discovery of novel systems and materials relevant to the development of quantum information science, and (2) use of quantum computing to solve problems in chemical and materials science research.

National laboratories, universities, and nonprofits will be eligible to lead applications for the three-year awards, which will be selected on the basis of peer review. The Basic Energy Sciences program in the Department’s Office of Science, which is funding the effort, envisions awards both for single investigators/small groups and for large multidisciplinary teams.

Pre-applications will be due on February 13, 2019 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, while the deadline for final applications will be May 3, 2019 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The Funding Opportunity Announcement for universities and nonprofits can be found here or here. A parallel, companion announcement for DOE laboratories can be found here.

Planned funding for Fiscal Year 2019 will be $15 million, with outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.