Government of Canada Announces Grantees to Support Canada’s National Quantum Strategy

Insider Summary

• The Government of Canada announced an approaching investment $51 million awarded to 75 recipients as part of the country’s National Quantum Strategy.
• Dear François-Philip ChampagneThe Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the award, which was made possible through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada‘s (NSERC) Alliance grants and Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grants.
• The project announced today aims to tackle an important challenge in quantum science.

PRESS RELEASE — Quantum science and technology will transform our society and economy, ultimately changing the way we live our everyday lives. Because of that the Government of Indonesia Canada introduced recently the first National Quantum Strategy because we aim to maintain Canada leadership through its application. We’ve been planning to invest for decades to position our country as a global leader in this area.

Today, the Honorable François-Philip ChampagneThe Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced an approaching investment $51 million given to 75 recipients via Research Council of Natural Sciences and Engineering Canada‘s (NSERC) Alliance grants and Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grants.

The projects announced today aim to address important challenges in quantum science, while supporting the development of quantum technologies in various fields, including quantum algorithms and encryption, quantum communications, quantum computing, quantum materials, and quantum sensing. They will improve Canada quantum capabilities through domestic and international research collaborations.

Awarded projects are supported through the following NSERC funding opportunities:

• Alliance Quantum Grant – more $6 million awarded to eight projects seeking to strengthen, coordinate, and scale up Canada research capabilities in quantum science and technology through medium-scale domestic research partnerships between one or more academic researchers and organizations in the private, public, or not-for-profit sectors.
• Alliance Consortia Quantum Grant – more $38 million awarded to eight projects that will help develop large-scale domestic research partnerships in quantum science and technology through the coordination of cross-academic teams Canada regional quantum research and innovation center, working with partner organizations from various sectors including federal laboratories, with the additional aim of connecting with industrial applications and government needs.
• Alliance International Quantum Grant – close to $1.4 million into 56 projects to help Canadian researchers establish and develop international research collaborations and projects in quantum science and technology.
• CREATE programs – close to $5 million to the three teams to develop, attract and retain the best quantum talent Canada. Funding is provided through the annual CREATE competition, which also announced complete list of recipients.

Altogether, the Alliance and CREATE grants will enable advanced training for more than 900 graduates and postdoctoral fellows and connect Canada leading quantum researchers in national and international research collaborations.

To be more secure Canada leadership in quantum science and technology, NSERC will continue to support the implementation of the National Quantum Strategy through offerings funding opportunity through Alliance grants.

Quote

“Our government knows that today’s research will be the economy of tomorrow, and that’s why we were one of the first countries to advance quantum research. By investing in research and talent under the National Quantum Strategy, we continue to advance success in Canadian innovation and talent. The project awarded today deepens collaboration with domestic and international partners to help Canadian researchers take advantage of emerging opportunities and to strengthen our leadership in this rapidly growing field.” –– Dear François-Philip ChampagneMinister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Congratulations to the first round of NSERC grantees for their support Canada National Quantum Strategy. NSERC is proud to be a key player in Strategy, using the success of its Alliance and CREATE program grants to help advance this critical area of ​​research and maintenance Canada global leadership role in it.” –– Prof. Alejandro AdemFRSC, President, NSERC

Fast facts

• Budget 2021 committed $360 million to support the National Quantum Strategy, enabling Government Canada to build on previous investments in this sector to advance the emerging field of quantum technology.
• Overall, the National Quantum Strategy will be strengthened Canada strengths in quantum research, developing quantum-ready talent, and growing quantum-ready technologies and companies in Canada.
• NSERC has accepted $137.9 million of the National Quantum Strategy to support the CREATE Alliance and funding opportunity.
• Government of Canada invest more than $1 billion in quantum research and science from 2009 to 2020—mainly through programs of competitive grantmaking agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada programs and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund—to help build Canada as a global leader in quantum science.
• The Alliance Consortia Quantum grant and Alliance Quantum grant support the research and training activities of 72 academic researchers at 14 Canadian post-secondary institutions, working with 32 partner organizations from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
• Alliance International Quantum grants support 63 academic researchers at 24 Canadian post-secondary institutions, in collaboration with 61 researchers from 55 international academic institutions in 16 countries.