U.S. NSF Selects Five Additional Teams in National Quantum Virtual Laboratory Design Competition, Awarding $20 Million for Quantum Technology Development

June 28, 2026

National Science Foundation (NSF) USA

Overview

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected five new teams, granting $20 million, to design experimental quantum technologies as part of its National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) program. These projects aim to develop practical quantum technologies, from networks for quantum information to advanced sensors, by integrating sensors, networks, and computers. The teams, representing 20 states and including federal and industry partners such as Boeing, Honeywell, IonQ, NVIDIA, and Quantinuum, will refine their development plans over the next two years.

In Depth

Key Findings

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has designated five additional teams to design experimental quantum technologies as part of its National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) program, allocating a total of $20 million. This significant investment is aimed at accelerating the integrated development of quantum information networks, high-precision sensors, and distributed quantum computing systems.

Technical / Clinical Details

Objective of the NQVL Program: The NQVL program seeks to establish a virtual platform where multiple research institutions, government agencies, and industry partners can collaborate on the design, development, and testing of quantum technologies. The five newly funded projects will pursue diverse approaches to materialize this vision.
Development of Integrated Quantum Technologies: The selected projects focus on integrating disparate quantum modalities such as quantum sensors, quantum networks, and quantum computers, linking them to practical applications. Examples include secure information transfer between geographically distant quantum devices, highly sensitive sensors for environmental monitoring, or architectures for distributed quantum computation.
Strengthening Public-Private-Academic Partnerships: The involvement of universities across 20 states and leading industry partners like Boeing, Honeywell, IonQ, NVIDIA, and Quantinuum will bolster the pathway from fundamental research to application and commercialization. This is expected to facilitate the rapid translation of academic discoveries into practical technologies.

Background & Context

Quantum technology is a global strategic interest as the next frontier in national security, economic growth, and scientific discovery. Under the National Quantum Initiative (NQI), the U.S. is pursuing aggressive policies to establish leadership in quantum computing, with NQVL being one of its core components. The approach of virtually linking distributed expertise and resources, rather than relying on a single physical central facility, enables broad collaboration beyond geographical constraints, contributing to accelerated innovation.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

Over the next two years, the selected teams are scheduled to refine their development plans and consolidate designs for future implementation. These efforts are expected to significantly advance the practical realization of quantum technologies, unlocking new capabilities across diverse fields such as drug discovery, materials science, precision metrology, and secure communications. The NQVL program will strengthen the U.S. quantum ecosystem and contribute to the development of the next generation of quantum technology leaders.

Source: https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-selects-five-additional-teams-national-quantum-virtual

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