§8854 Department of Energy Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology Program

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must start and run the Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology program (QUEST). The program gives U.S. researchers access to American quantum computers and quantum cloud services for research. Its goals are to grow U.S. quantum research, train future workers, speed up quantum technology, and help U.S. supply chains, manufacturing, and simulation work. The Secretary will work with the directors of the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the named NSTC subcommittee chairs, and other partners. Access will be decided by a competitive, peer-reviewed process and applications can come from national labs, research teams, colleges, industry, and others. The program must balance use of commercial prototypes and federal test devices, use expertise across DOE, NSF, NIST, NASA, other agencies, national labs, industry, universities, and the National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, and set proper security controls with NSF and NIST. Funding authorized: $30,000,000 for FY2023; $31,500,000 for FY2024; $33,075,000 for FY2025; $34,728,750 for FY2026; and $36,465,188 for FY2027.