NSF and UKRI launch $10M quantum chemistry collaborative research effort

Published: 19 September 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

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The U.S. National Science Foundation and United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) are investing in eight joint research projects that could open the door to breakthroughs in quantum computing, ultra-precise navigation and secure communications. The effort is supported by $4.7 million from NSF and £4.2 million from UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Each project brings together U.S. and U.K. researchers to tackle an underexplored area in science: how quantum information affects chemical reactions and molecular systems, and how that knowledge can be put to use.

By harnessing the inherent complexity of chemical systems, the teams aim to surpass today’s quantum technologies, which primarily rely on atoms and photons. The partnership underscores the growing international momentum in quantum research, with the potential to create new and different types of molecular-based qubits and other fundamental components useful for quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications.

“Through a dynamic partnership, the U.S. National Science Foundation and UKRI are uniting top researchers to unravel the mysteries of quantum in chemical systems,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. “Building upon the President’s U.S.-UK Technology Prosperity Deal, this visionary partnership will reshape our knowledge of quantum mechanics and open new frontiers in quantum computing, sensing, and communicating.”

“By supporting bold, collaborative science, this partnership lays the foundation for advances that can transform

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