§8842 Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and Education

Summary

The National Science Foundation Director, after talking with other federal agencies as needed, must give grants to colleges or eligible nonprofits (or groups of them) to create at least 2 and no more than 5 Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and Education. These Centers can partner with other schools, nonprofits, and private companies. They will do basic research and teach people in quantum information science and engineering. They must help build curricula, train the quantum workforce, and bring industry knowledge into research and training. Groups that apply must send proposals with plans for partnerships, how they will get researchers from different fields to work together (for example, physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, and materials science), how they will train workers, how they will move research toward real-world uses with industry, and how they will become self-supporting after grant funding ends. Each Center can run for 5 years and may reapply competitively for more 5-year terms. NSF can stop funding an underperforming Center during its term. NSF may provide up to $10,000,000 per Center for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, subject to available appropriations and using NSF funds.