The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $625 million in total funding to renew its five National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers (NQISRCs), originally established under the National Quantum Initiative Act. The renewed awards, selected by competitive peer review, will last for up to five years, with $125 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2025.
The renewal is intended to advance American leadership in QIS by focusing resources on core R&D and strengthening the quantum innovation ecosystem. Each NQISRC will support fundamental science, develop unique tools, and apply quantum technology to DOE’s most pressing scientific and national security challenges.
Key technical focus areas for the renewed centers include:
- SQMS (led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory): Scaling quantum devices based on superconducting microwave cavities and developing infrastructure for cryogenic data centers.
- QSA (led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory): Enabling large-scale quantum computers through improved error correction using neutral atom, ion, and superconducting circuits.
- Q-NEXT (led by Argonne National Laboratory): Harnessing distributed entanglement to link quantum and traditional systems across optical networks and demonstrating real-world quantum sensing uses.
- QSC (led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory): Pioneering quantum-accelerated high-performance computing (QHPC), developing open-source software for quantum-classical workflows, and advancing research into topological quantum materials.
- C2QA (led by Brookhaven National Laboratory): Advancing quantum computing and sensing by improving materials used in superconducting and diamond-based quantum devices and developing modular approaches.
U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil noted that the renewal will empower America to secure its advantage in pioneering the next generation of scientific and engineering advancements in this technology.
Read the full announcement here.
November 4, 2025
