NSF Quantum+X. The gold and blue seal of the U.S. National Science Foundation sits beside the words NSF Quantum+X against a field of blue and gold light. Below, three scenes suggest the sectors the challenge targets: a worker in a hard hat reading a tablet at an oil wellhead, a connected globe traced with grid lines and location markers, and a pipette releasing a drop into a row of laboratory sample tubes.

NSF Quantum+X Grand Research Challenge

Where Quantum Possibility Becomes Quantum Reality

Quantum technology is poised to reshape the world, and the NSF Quantum+X Grand Research Challenge is your invitation to help lead that transformation. This national competition is a prize challenge designed to accelerate quantum innovation to tackle real-world challenges in sectors like energy, biotechnology, and finance.

Quantum+X is about turning breakthrough ideas into practical solutions.

The field has reached an inflection point: Advances in quantum technology are such that testing them against hard problems facing industry and society can drive further innovation. Quantum+X will spotlight algorithm-application pairings that demonstrate quantum's potential to deliver tangible benefits, from optimizing energy systems to revolutionizing biotechnology and securing national-scale financial resilience.

Participants will have the opportunity to compete for recognition as pioneers in quantum innovation, gain visibility for their work, and engage with industry leaders.

The lower stages of a dilution refrigerator, the cooling assembly that holds superconducting qubits near absolute zero. Gold-plated circular plates are stacked on slender posts, threaded with coiled copper and steel tubing, with bundled wiring descending from the base into darkness.

Whether you're a researcher at a university, a startup, or an established company, this prize challenge is your chance to help define the next era of quantum technology.

Will you be among those who turn quantum promise into quantum reality?

Sign up now to receive updates and be the first to know when the full challenge launches later this year.