The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $65 million investment in quantum computing to fund 10 projects with a total of 38 separate awards over a five year period. Quantum computing aims to solve large, complex problems in modern science more quickly and efficiently, surpassing the limits of today’s largest supercomputers. This investment focuses on advancements in software, control systems, and algorithms to demonstrate quantum computing’s utility for scientific research within the DOE’s mission space. This investment aims to develop a software ecosystem ready for modularity, interoperability, specialization, and performance.

The titles of the 10 projects include the following:

  • Accelerated Research in Quantum Computing
  • Quantum Utility with hardware- and application- Informed Near-Term Algorithms (QUINTA)
  • Algorithms for Quantum Utility: Intelligent, Robust, and Efficiently Distributed (AQUIRED)
  • AQuA-DATA: Advanced Quantum Algorithms for Diverse Applications and Theoretical Advancements in Science
  • Quantum Utility Through Advanced Computational Quantum Algorithm (QUACQ)
  • FAR-Qu: Fundamental Algorithmic Research toward Quantum Utility
  • MACH-Q: Modular and Error-Aware Software Stack for Heterogeneous Quantum Computing Ecosystems
  • SMART Stack: Scalable, Modular, Adaptable, Reconfigurable, error-Targeted approaches to quantum stack design
  • Achieving Quantum Utility with Hybrid Discrete Continuous Variable Quantum Processors
  • Quantum Computing for Partial Differential Equations

Of the $65 million in funding, $14 million is allocated for Fiscal Year 2024 with additional funding contingent on congressional appropriations. The awardees include mostly U.S. academic institutions, along with a few government agencies, ColdQuanta (Infleqtion), and the Unitary Fund. In most cases, several awardees will be working together on a specific project. Also, finalization of the awards is still subject to final negotiations.

A press release from the DoE announcing these potential awards can be found here and list of the awards along with the principal investigator can be viewed here.

September 12, 2024