News Release

DOE announces $21.4 Million for quantum information science research

Projects linked to both particle physics and fusion energy

Grant and Award Announcement

DOE/US Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $21.4 million in funding for research in Quantum Information Science (QIS) related to both particle physics and fusion energy sciences.

"QIS holds great promise for tackling challenging questions in a wide range of disciplines," said Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. "This research will open up important new avenues of investigation in areas like artificial intelligence while helping keep American science on the cutting edge of the growing field of QIS."

Funding of $12 million will be provided for 21 projects of two to three years' duration in particle physics. Efforts will range from the development of highly sensitive quantum sensors for the detection of rare particles, to the use of quantum computing to analyze particle physics data, to quantum simulation experiments connecting the cosmos to quantum systems.

Funding of $9.4 million will be provided for six projects of up to three years in duration in fusion energy sciences. Research will examine the application of quantum computing to fusion and plasma science, the use of plasma science techniques for quantum sensing, and the quantum behavior of matter under high-energy-density conditions, among other topics.

Fiscal Year 2019 funding for the two initiatives totals $18.4 million, with out-year funding for the three-year particle physics projects contingent on congressional appropriations.

Projects were selected by competitive peer review under two separate Funding Opportunity Announcements (and corresponding announcements for DOE laboratories) sponsored respectively by the Office of High Energy Physics and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences with the Department's Office of Science.

A list of particle physics projects can be found here and fusion energy sciences projects here, both under the heading "What's New."

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