Scott Nicholas
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate seeks white papers on ideas that support the research, design, development, concept testing, evaluation and experimentation of quantum computing sciences under a potential $40 million funding opportunity.
According to a broad agency announcement posted Friday on FedBizOpps, the funding opportunity aims to assess algorithm designs and technologies that utilize quantum annealing techniques in support of AFRL/RI’s mission in command, control, communications, computers and intelligence.
Quantum annealing serves as a non-classical computing method to determine the global minimum optimal solution to support research and development and address Defense Department challenges in machine learning, pattern recognition, logistics and scheduling.
AFRL/RI said it also seeks to develop a user community on the quantum computing technology composed of federal, state and local government organizations as well as government contractors, commercial industry and academia.
The BAA covers two focus areas — one for research on and implementation of a quantum computing research environment at AFRL/RI and another for algorithmic implementation and problem-solving efforts, AFRL/RI stated in the notice.
The organization said it will review the proposals based on a criteria that include overall scientific and technical merit; related experience of the offeror; openness, maturity and assurance of the technology; relevance to the AFRL/RI mission; and reasonableness or realism of proposed costs.
Funds will be spread across fiscal years through 2019, with $10 million to $15 million allotted for the award on the first focus area and $500,000 to $2 million per year for the award on the second.
