The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $7.3 million in total funding for eight multi-institutional research projects under its “Quantum Outposts on the Energy and Intensity Frontiers” initiative. Operating under the DOE Office of Science’s High Energy Physics (HEP) program, the projects integrate quantum information science (QIS) tools into particle accelerator experiments, collision analyses, and neutrino research.
Colliders, Entanglement Signatures, and Neutrino Sensing
The initiative targets fundamental questions in high-energy physics by deploying specialized quantum sensors and quantum computing algorithms:
- BNL & University of Pittsburgh Collaboration: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) will lead one of the eight outposts—“Quantum Information Signatures at Colliders”—in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. The team will analyze particle entanglement and quantum information flow in high-energy collisions at facilities including the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).
- Beyond-Standard-Model (BSM) Searches: By measuring how quantum information is preserved or degraded during subatomic particle collisions, researchers aim to identify rare physical phenomena unobservable through classical particle detection methods.
- Neutrino Experiment Applications: Select projects will engineer quantum sensors tailored for high-intensity, low-noise environments, supporting instrumentation for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
Federal Policy Alignment and Funding Mechanics
The awards operate under notice of funding opportunity DE-FOA-0003600:
- Policy Mandates: The initiative aligns with the National Quantum Initiative Act, recent Presidential executive orders on quantum innovation, and the DOE’s Genesis Mission (specifically the Quantum Genesis track aimed at delivering scientifically relevant quantum computing applications by 2028).
- Budget Structure: Total project funding spans up to three years, with $3.2 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2026 funds and subsequent outyear funding subject to congressional appropriations.
Review project details via the Brookhaven National Laboratory Newsroom here, and inspect FOA documentation on the DOE Office of Science Portfolio here.
August 25, 2026