[Senate Report 115-389]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 676
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 115-389
_______________________________________________________________________
NATIONAL QUANTUM INITIATIVE ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 3143
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
November 27, 2018.--Ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
89-010 WASHINGTON : 2018
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred fifteenth congress
second session
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida
ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
TED CRUZ, Texas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DEAN HELLER, Nevada TOM UDALL, New Mexico
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MIKE LEE, Utah TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia MARGARET WOOD HASSAN, New Hampshire
CORY GARDNER, Colorado CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana JON TESTER, Montana
Nick Rossi, Staff Director
Adrian Arnakis, Deputy Staff Director
Jason Van Beek, General Counsel
Kim Lipsky, Democratic Staff Director
Christopher Day, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
Calendar No. 676
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 115-389
======================================================================
NATIONAL QUANTUM INITIATIVE ACT
_______
November 27, 2018.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Thune, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 3143]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 3143) to provide for a
coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and
development for the economic and national security of the
United States, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and
recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of S. 3143, as reported, is to provide for a
coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and
development for the economic and national security of the
United States.
Background and Needs
Quantum physics involves the unique behavior of subatomic
particles, such as photons and electrons, that can operate in
multiple states at once, displaying properties known as
``superposition'' and ``entanglement.''\1\ Quantum information
science (QIS) is the study of the application of quantum
physics to acquire, store, transmit, and process information in
ways that greatly exceed existing capabilities in the areas of
next generation computing, information processing, and
measurement. In computing, for example, standard computer code
uses a binary system of a series of ones and zeros, but quantum
computer code uses units of information called qubits (or
quantum bits) that can effectively be a one or a zero
simultaneously in a way that exponentially increases computing
speed and information storage.\2\
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\1\Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, ``ITIF
Technology Explainer: What Is Quantum Computing?,'' September 20, 2018.
\2\Id at 1.
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TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
QIS is expected to create new economic opportunities and
growth in industries like cybersecurity, communications,
transportation, financial services, and medicine. QIS is also
expected to substantially impact national security by creating
powerful decoding capabilities and enabling completely secure
networks and communications. QIS technologies can be divided
into the following three application areas:
Sensing and metrology (e.g., precision navigation
and timekeeping, and locating mineral deposits).
Communications (e.g., secure data transmission and
storage, and quantum key generation for
encryption).
Computing (e.g., performing computations much
faster than existing high-performance computers).
INVESTMENT IN QUANTUM
Foreign governments have started to invest significantly in
QIS research and development (R&D). For example, the European
Union (EU) established a $1.1 billion, 10-year, Quantum
Technologies Flagship initiative to commercialize the EU's
investment and expand its scientific leadership in QIS R&D.\3\
China designated QIS research as one of four ``megaprojects''
in its 15-year science and technology development plan for
2006-2020, with estimated annual funding at $244 million.\4\
Similarly, the United Kingdom established a $440 million, 5-
year, National Quantum Technologies Program in 2013 to
translate QIS R&D into commercial technologies.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\Congressional Research Service, ``Federal Quantum Information
Science: An Overview,''
July 2, 2018. (http://www.crs.gov/Reports/
IF10872?source=search&guid=edbc213359c64da
79320209421c07ba0&index=0).
\4\Id at 1.
\5\Id at 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the U.S. Government has invested in QIS R&D for
many years, starting with National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) and Department of Defense (DOD) workshops in
the 1990s, it had not yet explicitly made quantum a national
priority, stated any formal Federal R&D goals, or established a
national quantum initiative or agenda prior to introduction of
S. 3143.\6\ The overall annual Federal budget for QIS R&D is
difficult to calculate across the relevant departments and
agencies receiving such funding, which include DOD, the
Department of Energy (DOE), NIST, and the National Science
Foundation (NSF). But, some analyses put the total figure
between $200 million and $250 million.\7\ Both NSF and NIST
currently spend around $30 million per year on quantum-related
research and activities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\Id at 1.
\7\Id at 1.
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In June 2018, the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy's (OSTP's) National Science and Technology
Council (NSTC) chartered the Subcommittee on Quantum
Information Science to coordinate Federal R&D in QIS and
related technologies, in line with the subcommittee that would
be established under S. 3143. The NSTC-chartered subcommittee
established under S. 3143 would create a national QIS agenda,
address U.S. economic and national security concerns related to
QIS, and coordinate Federal QIS policies. In September 2018,
OSTP also released a National Strategic Overview for Quantum
Information Science and held a White House Summit on Advancing
American Leadership in QIS. The National Strategic Overview
identifies policy opportunities to advance the field and paves
the way toward a National Strategic Plan that will help
maintain U.S. leadership in QIS. The National Strategic
Overview is intended to be used by industry experts and Federal
agencies to guide R&D and commercialization efforts.
In August 2018, NSF awarded $15 million over 5 years to a
multi-institution effort, in line with S. 3143, to accelerate
the development of a practical quantum computer. In addition,
in September 2018, NIST established a consortium focused on
quantum science and engineering to support the development of
the quantum industry, also in line with activity that would be
authorized in S. 3143.
There has been concern among U.S. scientists, industry
representatives, and Federal agency leaders that QIS is at a
tipping point, that the lack of a unified national policy for
QIS may hurt R&D efforts in the long run, and that current
academic education and workforce training are insufficient for
continued progress in QIS R&D.
Summary of Provisions
If enacted, S. 3143 would do the following:
Establish a coordinated 10-year National Quantum
Initiative Program to accelerate quantum R&D.
Codify a new interagency NSTC subcommittee on QIS.
Establish a National Quantum Coordination Office
at OSTP to oversee interagency coordination,
provide strategic planning support, serve as a
central point of contact for stakeholders, conduct
outreach, and promote commercialization of Federal
research by the private sector.
Establish a National Quantum Initiative Advisory
Committee to provide advice and information on a
variety of QIS and technology matters and concerns.
Codify a NIST-established quantum consortium and
authorize $60 million annually for quantum
activities at NIST for fiscal years (FYs) 2019-
2023.
Authorize a QIS basic research and education
program at NSF.
Establish up to five multidisciplinary research
and education centers at NSF, including an
authorization per center of $10 million per year
for FYs 2019-2023.
Encourage U.S. high-tech companies and startups to
contribute knowledge and resources to a national
effort.
Legislative History
S. 3143 was introduced on June 26, 2018, by Senator Thune
(for himself and Senator Nelson) and was referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate. Senators Gardner, Harris, Daines, and Rubio are
additional cosponsors. On August 1, 2018, the Committee met in
open Executive Session and by voice vote ordered S. 3143 to be
reported favorably with an amendment (in the nature of a
substitute).
The Committee accepted an amendment in the nature of a
substitute to revise the authorization of appropriations for
NIST and NSF, add direction regarding additional standards
development, promote access to quantum computing and
communication systems to the user community, and make technical
changes.
The Committee also accepted by voice vote three amendments
sponsored by Senator Markey to the amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The first amendment added consideration of
computational research gaps as a purpose of the underlying
bill. The second amendment explicitly required NSF to award
grants to institutions of higher education or eligible
nonprofit organizations to support the Multidisciplinary
Centers for Quantum Research and Education. The third amendment
made technical corrections and required OSTP to propose a
coordinated interagency program budget to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) and submit to Congress an annual
program budget report.
Also on June 26, 2018, a House companion bill, H.R. 6227,
was introduced by Representative Smith (for himself and
Representatives Johnson, Comstock, Lipinski, Weber, Lofgren,
Lucas, Esty, Rohrabacher, Bonamici, Hultgren, Beyer, Knight,
Rosen, Babin, McNerney, Biggs, Tonko, Marshall, Foster, Dunn,
Takano, Higgins, Hanabusa, Norman, Lesko, Schweikert, Hurd,
Brooks, Posey, Loudermilk, and Abraham) and was referred to the
Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the House of
Representatives. Representatives DeFazio, Westerman,
Cartwright, Carbajal, and Balderson are also cosponsors. That
committee ordered that bill to be reported on June 27, 2018,
and it passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on
September 13, 2018.
Estimated Costs
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
S. 3143--National Quantum Initiative Act
Summary: S. 3143 would establish an office and a program to
advance research in quantum information science and technology
applications. The bill would authorize appropriations for the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the
National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out related
activities. CBO estimates that implementing S. 3143 would cost
$450 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation
of the authorized and necessary amounts.
Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 3143 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
S. 3143 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary effect of S. 3143 is shown in the following table.
The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 250
(science, space, and technology) and 370 (commerce and housing
credit).
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By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
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2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2019-2023
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INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
National Institute of Standards and Technology:
Authorization Level.............................. 0 60 60 60 60 60 300
Estimated Outlays................................ 0 46 59 60 60 60 285
National Science Foundation:
Estimated Authorization Level.................... 0 50 50 50 50 50 250
Estimated Outlays................................ 0 6 24 37 44 49 160
National Quantum Coordination Office:
Estimated Authorization Level.................... 0 1 1 1 1 1 5
Estimated Outlays................................ 0 1 1 1 1 1 5
Total:
Estimated Authorization Level................ 0 111 111 111 111 111 555
Estimated Outlays............................ 0 53 84 98 105 110 450
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Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes the
legislation will be enacted near the end of 2018 and that the
authorized and necessary amounts will be appropriated in each
year.
S. 3143 would authorize the appropriation of $60 million
annually over the 2019-2023 period for NIST to expand quantum
research and advance commercial development of quantum
applications. The bill also would direct the NSF to award
grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher
education to establish up to five quantum research and
education centers, and would authorize the appropriation of $10
million annually for each center over the 2019-2023 period.
Using information from the NSF, CBO expects the agency would
support five centers under the bill; thus, CBO estimates that
the bill would effectively authorize appropriations totaling
$50 million annually for the NSF.
According to a Congressional Research Service report, in
recent years the federal government has spent between $200
million and $250 million annually on quantum information
science research and development.\1\ NIST and NSF received
appropriations in 2018 for such activities. Under current law,
no specific sums are authorized to be appropriated to those
agencies for those purposes.
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\1\Congressional Research Service, Federal Quantum Information
Science: An Overview (July 2, 2018).
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S. 3143 also would direct the President to establish a
national quantum coordination office to manage interagency
activities and conduct public outreach. Under the bill, the
office would be staffed by employees detailed from federal
agencies such as NIST, the NSF, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and the Office of Management and Budget. Based
on programs of similar size and scope, CBO estimates that the
office would require five full-time employees annually at a
cost of about $150,000 each. The bill also would establish an
advisory committee of representatives from industry, academic
institutions, and federal laboratories, whose travel expenses
could be reimbursed. CBO estimates that such expenses would be
insignificant in any year. In total, CBO estimates that
implementing those provisions would cost $1 million annually.
Based on historical spending patterns for similar
activities, CBO estimates that enacting S. 3143 would cost $450
million over the 2019-2023 period.
Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None.
Increase in long-term direct spending and deficits: CBO
estimates that enacting S. 3143 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2029.
Mandates: S. 3143 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in UMRA.
Previous CBO estimate: On July 20, 2018, CBO transmitted a
cost estimate for H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative
Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology on June 27, 2018. The two bills are
similar. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6227 would cost
$1.1 billion over the 2019-2023 period. The estimates differ
because H.R. 6227 would authorize the appropriation of higher
amounts for NIST and would authorize appropriations for the
Department of Energy to carry out a quantum research program.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Janani Shankaran
(National Science Foundation), Stephen Rabent (National
Institute of Standards and Technology); Mandates: Jon Sperl.
Estimate reviewed by: Kim P. Cawley, Chief, Natural and
Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit; H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation, as reported:
number of persons covered
The bill would affect certain employees of Federal
agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and businesses that conduct QIS R&D. The bill
would cover activities of institutions of higher education,
principal investigators at those institutions, and other
research grant recipients that are already subject to the
policies and procedures of NSF and NIST as a condition of
receiving an award from one of those agencies. The bill would
not impose any new regulations on individuals or businesses.
economic impact
The bill is intended to have a positive economic impact on
the U.S. economy by authorizing funding for and accelerating
quantum R&D within the United States. QIS R&D has the potential
to create new economic growth and opportunities across a wide
variety of industries. The National Quantum Coordination Office
that would be established under the bill would promote access
to and early application of quantum technologies, innovations,
and expertise derived from the National Quantum Initiative
Program to U.S. industry, including startup companies. It also
would promote access to existing quantum computing and
communications systems developed by industry, universities, and
national laboratories to the general user community. Also under
the bill, NIST would establish or expand collaborative ventures
or consortia with other public or private sector entities for
the purpose of advancing quantum science and engineering. NIST
also would convene a consortium of stakeholders to discuss the
future measurement, standards, cybersecurity, and other needs
for supporting the development of a U.S. QIS and technology
industry. Finally, the Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum
Research and Education that would be established by NSF under
the bill would foster innovation by bringing together industry
perspectives to quantum research and workforce development,
including by leveraging industry resources and research
capacity.
privacy
The bill would have a negligible impact on the personal
privacy of individuals, institutions of higher education, or
nonprofit organizations who voluntarily apply to receive grants
or other awards from NSF and NIST.
paperwork
The bill would not significantly increase paperwork
requirements for individuals, institutions of higher education,
nonprofit organizations, or businesses that voluntarily apply
to participate in any activities or grant awards sponsored by
NSF or NIST. The National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee
that would be established by the bill would be required to
report to Congress on a biannual basis until the advisory
committee sunsets. Similarly, the bill would require NIST to
transmit to Congress a report within 2 years after the date of
enactment. OSTP also would be required to submit to Congress an
annual National Quantum Initiative Program budget report.
Congressionally Directed Spending
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the
rule.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title.
This section would provide that the bill may be cited as
the ``National Quantum Initiative Act.''
Section 2. Definitions.
This section would define the terms ``Advisory Committee,''
``Coordination Office,'' ``institution of higher education,''
``Program,'' ``quantum information science,'' and
``Subcommittee.''
Section 3. Purposes.
This section would identify that the purposes of the Act
are to ensure continued U.S. leadership in QIS and its
technology applications by doing the following: supporting
research, development, demonstration, and application of QIS
and technology; improving the interagency planning and
coordination of Federal R&D of QIS and technology; maximizing
the effectiveness of the Federal Government's QIS and
technology R&D programs; promoting collaboration among the
Government, Federal laboratories, industry, and universities;
and promoting the development of standards for QIS and
technology security.
Section 101. National Quantum Initiative Program.
This section would require the President to implement a 10-
year National Quantum Initiative Program (Program) to do the
following: establish the goals, priorities, and metrics for a
10-year plan to accelerate development of QIS and technology
applications in the United States; invest in fundamental
Federal QIS and technology research, development, and
demonstration; invest in activities to develop a QIS and
technology workforce pipeline; provide for interagency
coordination of Federal QIS and technology research,
development, and demonstration; partner with industry and
academia to leverage knowledge and resources; and leverage
existing Federal investments efficiently to advance program
goals and objectives.
Section 102. National Quantum Coordination Office.
This section would require the President to establish a
National Quantum Coordination Office, which would have a
Director appointed by OSTP, in consultation with the Secretary
of Commerce, the Director of NSF, and the Secretary of Energy.
The Coordination Office would be required to do the following:
provide technical and administrative support to the
subcommittee established under section 103 and the advisory
committee established under section 104; oversee interagency
coordination of the Program; serve as the point of contact on
Federal civilian QIS and technology activities for government
organizations, academia, industry, and professional societies,
to exchange technical and programmatic information; ensure
coordination between the Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum
Research and Education established under section 302 and the
National Quantum Information Science Research Centers
established under section 402; conduct public outreach,
including dissemination of findings and recommendations of the
advisory committee, as appropriate; and promote access to and
early application of the technologies, innovations, and
expertise derived from Program activities to agency missions
and systems across the Federal Government, and to U.S.
industry, including startup companies.
This section would require that funds to carry out the
activities of the National Quantum Coordination Office be made
available each fiscal year by the participating agencies of the
subcommittee, as determined by the Director of OSTP.
Section 103. Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science.
This section would require the President to establish,
through NSTC, a subcommittee on QIS (Subcommittee). The
membership of the Subcommittee would be required to include
NIST, NSF, DOE, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, DOD, the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, OMB, OSTP, and any other Federal agency that the
President considers appropriate. This section also would
require the Subcommittee to be jointly chaired by the Director
of NIST, the Director of NSF, and the Secretary of Energy.
The Subcommittee would be required to do the following:
coordinate the QIS and technology research and education
activities and programs of the Federal agencies; establish
goals and priorities of the Program, based on identified
knowledge and workforce gaps and other national needs; assess
and recommend Federal infrastructure needs to support the
Program; and evaluate opportunities for international
cooperation with strategic allies on R&D in QIS and technology.
This section would require the Subcommittee to develop a 5-
year strategic plan not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment, and develop an additional 5-year strategic plan not
later than 6 years after enactment, with periodic updates as
appropriate to guide the activities of the Program, and to meet
the goals, priorities, and anticipated outcomes of the
participating agencies.
This section would require the chairs of the Subcommittee
to submit the strategic plans and any updates to such plans to
the President, the advisory committee established under section
104, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives, and other appropriate committees
of Congress. It also would require the chairs to submit to
those committees a report on the budget for the Program
concurrent with the annual budget request.
Section 104. National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee.
This section would require the President to establish a
National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (Advisory
Committee) consisting of members from industry, academic
institutions, and Federal laboratories who are qualified to
provide advice and information on QIS and technology research,
development, demonstrations, education, technology transfer,
commercial application, or national security and economic
concerns. In selecting the members of the Advisory Committee,
the President could seek and give consideration to
recommendations from Congress, industry, the scientific
community (including the National Academy of Sciences,
scientific professional societies, and academia), the defense
community, and other appropriate organizations.
This section would require the Advisory Committee to advise
the President and the Subcommittee and make recommendations to
be considered in reviewing and revising the Program.
Specifically, the Advisory Committee would be required to
provide the President and the Subcommittee with an independent
assessment of the following: trends and developments in QIS and
technology; progress made in implementing the Program; whether
the Program activities, priorities, and technical goals
developed by the Subcommittee are helping to maintain U.S.
leadership in QIS and technology; the management, coordination,
implementation, and activities of the Program; whether a need
exists to revise the Program; whether there are opportunities
for international cooperation with strategic allies on R&D in
QIS and technology; and whether national security, societal,
economic, legal, and workforce concerns are adequately
addressed by the Program.
This section would require the Advisory Committee to
report, not less frequently than once every 2 years, to the
President on the assessments and any recommendations to improve
the Program. The first report would be required to be submitted
not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this
Act. The Director of OSTP would be require to transmit a copy
of each report under this section to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives,
and other appropriate committees of Congress.
This section also would allow non-Federal members of the
Advisory Committee to receive travel expenses, while attending
meetings of the Advisory Committee or while otherwise serving
at the request of the head of the Advisory Committee away from
their homes or regular places of business.
Section 105. Sunset.
This section would terminate the authorities provided in
this Act 11 years after its enactment. However, the President
could continue the activities of the Advisory Committee if the
President determines that such activities are necessary to meet
national economic or national security needs.
Section 201. National Institute of Standards and Technology quantum
activities.
This section would require the Director of NIST to do the
following: continue to support and expand basic and applied QIS
and technology R&D regarding the measurement and standards
infrastructure necessary to advance commercial development of
quantum applications; use existing programs to train scientists
in QIS and technology to increase participation in the quantum
fields; and establish or expand collaborative ventures or
consortia with other public or private sector entities,
including academia, National Laboratories, and industry for the
purpose of advancing the field of QIS and engineering. It also
would give the Director of NIST the authority to enter into and
perform contracts, cooperative R&D arrangements, grants, and
cooperative agreements as may be necessary in the conduct of
the relevant work of NIST.
This section also would require the Director of NIST, not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment, to convene a
consortium of stakeholders to discuss the future measurement,
standards, and cybersecurity necessary for supporting the
development of a robust QIS and technology industry in the
United States. The goals of the consortium would be to assess
current research, evaluate research gaps, and provide
recommendations on how NIST and the Program could address the
research needs identified.
This section would require, not later than 2 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of NIST to
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a summary
report containing the findings of the consortium convened under
this section.
This section also would authorize annual appropriations to
NIST of $60 million for FYs 2019-2023.
Section 301. Quantum Information Science Research and Education
Programs.
This section would require the Director of NSF to carry out
a basic research and education program on QIS and engineering,
including the competitive award of grants to institutions of
higher education or nonprofit organizations, which may support
the Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and
Education established under section 302. This program would
include activities that continue to support basic
interdisciplinary QIS and engineering research and support
human resources development in all aspects of QIS and
engineering. Specifically, these activities would include using
the existing programs of NSF to do the following: improve the
teaching and learning of QIS and engineering at the
undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels; increase
participation in the quantum fields, including by individuals
identified in sections 33 and 34 of the Science and Engineering
Equal Opportunities Act; formulate goals for QIS and
engineering research and education activities to be supported
by NSF; leverage the collective body of knowledge from existing
QIS and engineering research and education activities;
coordinate research efforts funded through existing programs
across the directorates of NSF; and engage with other Federal
agencies, research communities, and potential users of
information produced under this section.
Section 302. Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and
Education.
This section would require the Director of NSF to award
grants to institutions of higher education or eligible
nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof as defined) to
establish up to five Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum
Research and Education. The purpose of the centers would be to
conduct basic research and education activities in support of
the goals and priorities of the Program to continue to advance
QIS and engineering; support curriculum and workforce
development in QIS and engineering; and foster innovation by
bringing industry perspectives to quantum research and
workforce development, including by leveraging industry
resources and research capacity.
This section would require an institution of higher
education or an eligible nonprofit organization (or a
consortium thereof) seeking funding under this section to
submit an application to the Director of NSF, including at a
minimum, a description of the following: how the center will
work with other research institutions and industry partners to
leverage expertise in quantum science, education and curriculum
development, and technology transfer; how the center will
promote active collaboration among researchers in multiple
disciplines involved in quantum research including physics,
engineering, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, and
material science; how the center will support long-term and
short-term workforce development in the quantum field; how the
center can support an innovation ecosystem to work with
industry to translate center research into applications; and a
long-term plan to become self-sustaining after the expiration
of NSF support.
This section would authorize the centers selected and
established under this section to carry out activities for a
period of 5 years, and permit an awardee to reapply for an
additional, subsequent period of 5 years on a competitive,
merit-reviewed basis. This section also would allow the
Director of NSF to terminate an underperforming center for
cause during the performance period.
This section would authorize appropriations of $10 million
per center per year to NSF for each of FYs 2019-2023. This
section also would allow the Director of NSF to establish a
program to provide traineeships to graduate students at U.S.
institutions of higher education who are citizens of the United
States and who choose to pursue masters or doctoral degrees in
QIS.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.
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