CU Boulder鈥檚 Research & Innovation Office, in partnership with the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, JILA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is announcing a new funding opportunity to support multi-disciplinary, trans-institutional research partnerships that will be competitive for future funding opportunities of the National Quantum Initiative and other quantum research solicitations.
Jan. 15, 2019: Awardees Announced CUbit Quantum Initiative听
Background
In 2018, Congress introduced the听. The legislation authorizes $1.2 billion over five years to be distributed between National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute听of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Department of Energy (DOE) for quantum science research and education centers. The overarching aims of the legislation are to strengthen the country鈥檚 quantum science research capabilities and workforce as well as to improve federal planning and coordination of quantum science as it is used by the government.听
While the National Quantum Initiative awaits Senate approval, several federal agencies and the White House continue to make significant investments in quantum.听The Department of Defense (DOD), for example, is creating a quantum research program while other federal agencies 鈥� including NSF and DOE 鈥� are issuing calls for proposals to fund quantum research.听
These efforts at the federal level, coupled with industry鈥檚 investments and interest in a trained quantum workforce, present a significant opportunity for CU Boulder, neighboring academic institutions and federal labs.
The QuEST Opportunity听
The Research & Innovation Office, the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, JILA and NIST have committed funding for a new funding opportunity 鈥� the听Quantum Explorations in Science and Technology听(QuEST) seed grant program.
QuEST听will catalyze scientific and technological quantum-related breakthroughs in the Rocky Mountain region. The program aims to pair newcomers in the quantum field with established groups (e.g. Engineering/NIST or Engineering/Physics). Moreover, projects听may involve collaboration among investigators in quantum physics with investigators of diverse disciplines that would not otherwise engage in quantum research.听As such, proposals must have a PI and a Co-PI, with the PIs coming from different departments/organizations.听This approach will promote trans-disciplinary, multi-institutional research projects focused on quantum science and technology challenges that have the potential to be transformative.
A second key goal for this funding initiative is to increase competitiveness, i.e. position awardees to compete for current and future funding opportunities within the National Quantum Initiative and other federal solicitations. QuEST鈥檚 emphasis on trans-disciplinary collaboration is aligned with anticipated federal and industry opportunities.
By leveraging existing strengths in quantum within CU Boulder鈥檚 Colleges, JILA and NIST, our community is well-positioned to make broad advances in the quantum arena, focusing on five pillars:
- Quantum metrology and sensing
- Quantum networking and communication
- Quantum computing
- Quantum materials
- Education and outreach
QuEST seed grants听can be up to $75,000 each, although typical funding for awards is in the range of $50,000, with up to 10 awards anticipated.听
Application Process and听Requirements
QuEST grant proposals听are to be submitted electronically through听the Research & Innovation Office鈥檚听听and are reviewed by faculty volunteers.听Applicants should follow the format outlined in the Proposal Requirements section below.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals should use clear writing appropriate for non-specialists and make a strong case for the importance of the project to those outside the discipline. Proposal documents should be in Arial 11-point type with at least 0.5" margins听and should include the PI's name and the year of proposal within the document title (e.g.,听TFiez2018QuEST.pdf).
All proposals should include the components below in one PDF document and be clearly marked by section. Proposals that fail to comply with these requirements will not be reviewed.
Proposal/Project Plan:听Describe the aims, significance, methods, and expected outcomes of the project, highlighting any new or creative directions, future payoff potential, or value/impact. For relevant disciplines, describe why the concept will be competitive for future external sponsor funding; identify specific external programs to be targeted for future funding requests. The maximum length is 5 pages, including tables, figures, charts, references, and any other supporting information.
Supplemental Materials听(these materials do not count toward the 5-page proposal limit):
- PI Curriculum Vitae: Up to 2 pages.
- Co-PI Curriculum Vitae: Up to 2 pages.
- Abstract/Project Summary: Provide a concise summary of the project accessible to general audiences. Explain how the project will foster future research, scholarly, and creative vitality at CU Boulder. 350 words maximum; up to 1 page.
- Co-PIs/Collaborators: Name, title, institution, unit/department, and role(s). Up to 1 page.
- Budget and Budget Justification: Applicants are required to use this template for the budget. Budget requests must not exceed $75,000 and are intended to support graduate students, postdocs, or undergraduates. Requests solely for faculty salary support are highly discouraged (as a point of guidance, RIO has not seen more than two weeks of PI salary accepted by past review panels). No overhead or indirect costs are allowed. Concisely provide a justification of the items requested in the budget. Particular attention should be given to justifying budget items that may not be obvious to reviewers who are familiar with (but are not experts in) your specific field. The budget and budget justification should be no more than 2 pages.
- Honors, Awards, Representative Scholarly Work or Publications Relevant to Proposal: Highlight published work that directly addresses the PI鈥檚 ability to carry out the proposed project. Up to 2 pages.
Eligibility
CU Boulder Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty, Senior Instructors, and Career Track Research Faculty who hold an appointment of half-time or greater听are eligible to apply.听
The lead PI must be employed by CU Boulder. Co-PIs are allowed, including from NIST. Collaborators from other institutions are also permitted.听听
At a minimum, proposals must have a PI and a Co-PI, with the PIs coming from different departments/organizations.
Additional eligibility information:
Questions?
Contact quantum@colorado.edu听with any questions or comments.