Air Force Research Lab Looking For Quantum Research Proposals with $500 Million in Potential Funding

Matt Swayne

May 9, 2023

Policy & National

Insider Brief

Air Force Research Lab will add $500 million in funding over a five year period to support quantum research.
The lab has issued an announcement soliciting white papers for research, design, development, concept testing, evaluation and experimentation of Quantum Information Sciences
The program’s goal is to: to advance and assess advanced algorithm designs and technologies, to harness emerging quantum computing techniques and to investigate entanglement distribution.

The Air Force Research Laboratory – Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) is anticipating $500 million in funding over a five year period to support quantum research.

The goal of this effort is to: advance and assess advanced algorithm designs and technologies, harness emerging quantum computing techniques and investigate entanglement distribution across a heterogeneous quantum network to support AFRL/RI’s C4I mission.

The laboratory has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) soliciting white papers for research, design, development, concept testing, evaluation and experimentation of Quantum Information Sciences supporting Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Intelligence (C4I)-related information and communications technologies and techniques.

The research supporting this portfolio will include Quantum Algorithms and Computing, Memory-Node-Based Quantum Networking, Quantum Information Processing, Heterogeneous Quantum Platforms, and Quantum Information Sciences. These technologies will have both in-house and contractual based requirements to support the overall mission of the RITQ branch.

Furthermore, AFRL/RI is interested in developing a user community around this emerging technology, to consist of other U.S. Government organizations (federal, state, and local), U.S. Government contractors and commercial industry, and academia (both public and private).

This BAA, which is a follow-on to BAA FA8750-20-S-7006 entitled Quantum Information Sciences, has an estimated funding of approximately $499,999,999M. Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts normally ranging from $0.5M to $27M. There is also the potential to make awards up to $99.9M.

Multiple awards are anticipated. However, the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more Procurement Contracts, Assistance Instruments, or Other Transactions, for all, some, or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability to perform desired work and funding fluctuations. There is no limit on the number of OTs that may be awarded to an individual offeror.

This BAA presents an exciting opportunity for researchers and innovators to collaborate and advance the field of Quantum Information Sciences to support the C4I mission of the Air Force. Interested parties can submit their white papers by the deadline indicated in the BAA.

You can find more information here.

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Matt Swayne

With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Quantum Insider since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses. [email protected]

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MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE

Air Force Research Laboratory Quantum Group

GovernmentUnited States · 5001-10000 FTEs

The Air Force Research Laboratory is partnering with industry, academia, and the Department of Defense to apply quantum information science to Air Force concerns. AFRL has formally joined the IBM Q Network, the first ever partnership of its kind in the Department of Defense. This alliance will provide AFRL and its collaborators with access to commercial quantum systems to explore practical applications relevant to the Air Force. Early applications include optimization problems, speed-up of machine learning algorithms and quantum chemistry simulation. The Extreme Computing facility by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is now open in New York. It is involved in quantum computing research, ranging from development, integration and deployment of advanced computing technologies for the Department of the Air Force. The AFRL Information Directorate received funding for five major projects. They include: 1. $10 million for Distributed Quantum Networking Testbed and Quantum Cloud Computing Environment, 2. $4 million for Photonic Quantum Computing, which will develop a next-generation ion trap computer. 3. $10 million for Enhancements and Operational Readiness improvements for Trusted DoD/Federal Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This system will manage UAS traffic to support the emerging Federal Aviation Administration/National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advanced Air Mobility vision and provide a real-time interface to Air Traffic Control. 4. $10 million for a Joint All-Domain Command and Control testbed which creates an operational-like environment that allows the warfighter to test cutting-edge technology and tools and provide feedback for researchers. 5. $10 million for a Multi-Domain Radio Frequency Spectrum Test environment. Total government funding involved in the AFRL currently amounts to ~$44 million USD.

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