National Institute of Standards and Technology Quantum Centers

Title II of the National Quantum Initiative Act is amended by adding at the end the following new sections: 202. National Institute of Standards and Technology quantum centers (a) Establishment (1) In general Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall, in consultation with such heads of other Federal departments and agencies as the Director considers appropriate, carry out a program to establish and operate at least 1, but not more than 3, centers to accelerate research, development, deployment, and standardization of quantum information science, engineering, and technology. (2) Program details (A) Competitive, merit-reviewed process The centers established and operated under paragraph (1) shall be established through a competitive, merit-reviewed process. (B) Applications An eligible applicant described in subparagraph (C) seeking to establish and operate a center described in paragraph (1) shall submit to the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology an application therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director determines to be appropriate. (C) Eligible applicants Eligible applicants described in this subparagraph are the following: (i) Institutions of higher education. (ii) Nonprofit organizations. (iii) Multi-institution collaborations, including multiple types of research institutions, private sector entities, Federal laboratories, and nonprofit organizations, or consortia thereof. (iv) Any other entity the Director determines appropriate. (3) Selection of applications and prioritized topics The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall solicit proposals and prioritize the following topics in the initial selection of applications submitted under paragraph (2)(B), subject to merit-review: (A) Quantum sensing and measurement technologies. (B) Advancing the manufacturing and scale-up of quantum systems and quantum-enabling technologies. (C) Address technology barriers to quantum networking and communications. (4) Grants (A) In general The Director shall carry out the program required by paragraph (1) through the award of grants to eligible applicants seeking to establish and operate centers under the program. (B) Duration of grant awards Subject to the availability of appropriations, the duration of a grant awarded under subparagraph (A) shall be a period of 5 years. (C) Renewal Subject to the availability of appropriations, each grant awarded under subparagraph (A) may be renewed for successive periods of 5 years following a successful merit-based review by the Director. (D) Termination Consistent with the authorities of the Institute, the Director may terminate a grant awarded under subparagraph (A) for an underperforming center for cause during the performance period of the grant. (b) Requirements To the maximum extent practicable, centers established and operated under this section shall serve the mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, for the benefit of the broader United States quantum information science community, to develop processes for the following purposes: (1) Advancing research and standardization in quantum information science, engineering, and technology. (2) Advancing technology development. (3) Improving the competitiveness of the United States. (c) Coordination The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall ensure coordination, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the activities carried out under this section with existing activities of the Institute, other activities carried out under this Act, and other related programs, as appropriate. (d) Operation of centers (1) Commercial technology Each center established under this section may leverage commercially available hardware and software to carry out the activities described in subsection (a), provided that such hardware and software is not manufactured in a country of concern or by a foreign country of concern. (2) Renewal Each center established under this section may be renewed for successive periods of 5 years following a successful merit-based review by the Director. (3) Termination Consistent with the authorities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology may terminate an underperforming center for cause during the performance period. (e) Funding The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall allocate up to $18,000,000 for each center established under this section for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, subject to the availability of appropriations. Such amounts shall be derived from amounts appropriated pursuant to section 10211 of the Research and Development Competition and Innovation Act (Public Law 117–167). (f) Briefing requirements Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026, and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Space, Science, and Technology of the House of Representatives a briefing on current and planned activities under this section. 203. Research security The activities authorized under this title shall be carried out in a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.) and section 6432 of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Public Law 118–159; 42 U.S.C. 7144b note)..