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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 19, 2023) – The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, hosted a number of leading experts in the field of Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) this week to encourage lawmakers to reauthorize the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act, which was originally signed into law in 2018.
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The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, offered strong support for the bipartisan CHIPS-Plus legislation moving through the U.S. Congress this week.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 16, 2022) – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, today applauded Representatives Joe Morelle (D-NY) and Brian Mast (R-FL), the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Optics and Photonics Caucus, for introducing a resolution recognizing May 16th as the “National Day of Light”. The resolution is “aimed at raising awareness of the vital role of light in our daily lives and its importance to 21st-century technology and innovation.”
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The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, helped host Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker at Ocean Springs-based PFG Precision Optics earlier this week.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics and photonics science and technology, today praised the bipartisan, bicameral Optics & Photonics Caucus for holding its first official policy discussion on the issue of workforce development in the optics and photonics industry.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 4, 2021) – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, is praising proposed increases for key science-related agencies in President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
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The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, hosted a Virtual Fly-In this week to promote continued federal investment in quantum information science.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 24, 2021) – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, today applauded the announcement of a new Congressional Optics & Photonics Caucus.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 15, 2020)– The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, praised the House Appropriations Committee for approving Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funding for quantum and optics and photonics research and development.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2020)– The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government that raises awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, has joined 17 other coalitions on a letter urging Congress to include the investments necessary to ensure the future health of the U.S. research enterprise in any additional COVID-19 response legislation. As a signatory to the letter, NPI proudly joins other business, science, technology, and academic coalitions in seeking comprehensive research funding.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, hosted academic and industry experts from across the U.S. this week to brief lawmakers and staff on the importance of continued investment in Quantum Information Science (QIS). Representatives from universities and companies met with members of the House and Senate to advocate for additional funding and support for the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 11, 2020) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics and photonics technology, is commending a proposed increase in Quantum Information Science (QIS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) funding in President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget. According to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Administration is proposing to increase the budget for federal QIS and AI research and development (R&D) by 50 percent in the coming year, potentially doubling by 2022. Although the proposed increases for these critical technology areas are important, the NPI strongly urges that these increases in funding do not come at the expense of the larger federal R&D enterprise.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 17, 2020)– The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, applauds the introduction of the bipartisan Industries of the Future Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), along with Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), chair and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather, and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.). The legislation prioritizes funding and planning for advanced technologies like quantum for the coming decade.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, today praised an announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy that it will allocate up to $625 million over the next five years to establish two to five multidisciplinary Quantum Information Science Research Centers in support of the National Quantum Initiative.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Photonics Initiative, a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, is applauding lawmakers for providing significant funding increases for quantum research and new quantum centers for the next fiscal year.
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(Washington, D.C.) -The National Photonics Initiative (NPI)--a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology— is commending the U.S. House of Representatives for approving the final version of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act, H.R. 6227. The Senate passed the legislation last week and it will now head to President Trump for his signature.
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(Washington, D.C.) -The National Photonics Initiative (NPI)--a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology—is praising approval of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act in the U.S. Senate. The House of Representatives approved its own version of the NQI Act, H.R. 6227, earlier this year.
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(Washington, D.C.) -The National Photonics Initiative (NPI) —a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology—applauded bipartisan passage of the National Quantum Initiative Act in the House of Representatives today. The NQI Act, H.R. 6227, was unanimously approved by voice vote.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI)—a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology—is praising a bipartisan vote in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to advance S. 3143, The National Quantum Initiative Act. The Committee unanimously voted to report the NQI Act, with important changes suggested by the NPI to enhance the bill’s effectiveness, to the chamber floor. The Senate Committee action follows bipartisan approval of similar legislation in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in June.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI)--a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology--and a group of industry and university stakeholders today wrote to Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in praise of The National Quantum Initiative Act. The NQI Act would create a comprehensive and coordinated national policy to encourage quantum research and technology and establish a workforce capable of transforming that work into real world applications. It does not, however, include authorization for research activities at the Department of Energy (DOE), an issue the NPI and stakeholders encouraged lawmakers to address.
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(Washington, D.C.) -The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, is praising the introduction of bipartisan quantum legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate today by Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The National Quantum Initiative Act would create a comprehensive national policy to encourage quantum research and technology and help establish a workforce capable of transforming that work into real world applications. The Senate version of the NQI Act largely mirrors a version approved by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology earlier today, although does not include support for activities within the Department of Energy.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a broad-based collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of optics, photonics and quantum science and technology, commended the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology for approving the National Quantum Initiative Act, H.R. 6227, with bipartisan support in a committee markup today. The legislation will create a comprehensive national policy to encourage quantum research and technology and help establish a workforce capable of transforming that work into real world applications. An amendment to promote access to existing quantum computing and communication systems for users was added during markup, a provision called for by the NPI and supported by the stakeholder community in a letter to committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) earlier this week.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a collaborative alliance among industry, academia, and government to raise awareness of optics and photonics – the science and application of light – commends the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and its Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) for releasing today an outline of the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018. The goal of the legislation is to transform quantum research into real world applications that will stimulate economic growth and keep pace with accelerating global competitiveness. The legislation is expected to be formally introduced and considered in the Science Committee this month.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of optics and photonics – the science and application of light, today applauded the Senate Armed Services Committee for including additional resources to support quantum technology research in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), a collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of optics photonics – the science and application of light, was represented in a hearing today before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection. Dr. Christopher Monroe, Chief Scientist and Founder, IonQ, and Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, testified during today’s “Disruptor Series” on quantum computing about the need for a National Quantum Initiative (NQI) to facilitate growth in the U.S. economy, meet our nation’s pressing communications and security challenges, and maintain our position as a global leader in quantum innovation. This is the second time Monroe has testified before Congress on the subject of quantum technology. He previously appeared before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology in October 2017.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI) today praised passage of H.R. 1625, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, an omnibus spending bill that increases federal funding for research and development in several key agencies and departments, and urged President Trump to sign it into law.
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(Washington, D.C.) - The National Photonics Initiative (NPI) is mourning the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) who was a longtime advocate for photonics research. As a scientist herself, Congresswoman Slaughter fully appreciated the impact of the science and research community on our nation’s ability to innovate and grow.
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The University of Oregon and the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today welcomed US Congressman and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to campus to tour the Center for Optical, Molecular and Quantum Science and see first-hand the value of photonics and quantum physics to existing, new and future infrastructure.
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry, academia and government to raise awareness of optics and photonics – the science and application of light, released the following statement on behalf of NPI Steering Committee Chair Ed White in response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today applauded a recent study entitled “Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light” by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) that was conducted at the request of the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to evaluate the current state of and future opportunities for high intensity ultrafast lasers and laser technologies, and assess the value of future high intensity laser science programs and facilities to the nation’s scientific research, security and economy.
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The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology and Subcommittee on Energy today held a joint hearing, “American Leadership in Quantum Technology,” featuring testimony from experts including Dr. Christopher Monroe, professor of physics at the University of Maryland and founder and chief scientist at IonQ, Inc., who testified on behalf of the National Photonics Initiative (NPI) – an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics.
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Washington, DC – October 3, 2017 – The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today congratulated Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne, this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics, for their discovery of gravitational waves observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).
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(Tucson, AZ) – The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, and Edmund Optics (EO), the premier provider of optical components, today welcomed US Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) to the company’s Tucson Research and Design Center to showcase Southern Arizona’s strength in optics and photonics – the science and application of light.
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WASHINGTON, DC – August 1, 2017 – Today, the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, formally announced that Edward (“Ed”) White, associate vice president of Test, Assembly and Packaging and corporate outreach for AIM Photonics, will succeed Alan Willner as chair of the NPI Steering Committee. White, who has served on the NPI Steering Committee since December 2015, will assume his new role as chair effective immediately.
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WASHINGTON, DC – July 14, 2017 – The leadership of the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, released the following statement today in support of two amendments – one amendment introduced by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and another amendment by Reps. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) – included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Friday:
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WASHINGTON, DC – June 15, 2017 – The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry, academia and government to raise awareness of photonics, today released the following statement from the NPI’s Steering Committee Chair Alan Willner in support of the administration’s “Workforce Development Week”
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, released the following statement today in response to the release of President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal:
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The leadership of the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, released the following statement today in support of H.R. 244 - the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017:
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today applauded the US House of Representative for passing by unanimous consent S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act – a bill to invest in innovation and improve United States competitiveness through research and development. The bill includes a provision that calls on federal science agencies, industry, and academia to seek partnerships to advance optics and photonics technologies and capabilities. Earlier in the month, the US Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent; it now awaits President Obama’s signature.
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Washington, DC— December 7, 2016 — The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today commended the US Senate for passage of H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act — a bill that will provide $1.8 billion, including $1 billion over the next three years, to support Vice President Biden's Cancer Moonshot and $1.5 billion in support of the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.
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Washington, DC – December 5, 2016 – The National Photonics Initiative, an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today applauded the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for passing S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act – a bill to invest in innovation and improve United States competitiveness through research and development. The bill includes a provision that calls on federal science agencies, industry, and academia to seek partnerships to advance optics and photonics technologies and capabilities.
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The National Photonics Initiative, an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today commended the US House of Representatives for passage of H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act — a bill that provides $4.8 billion for the three key research programs over the next 10 years: Cancer Moonshot, the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, and the Precision Medicine Initiative.
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today unveiled a white paper and cancer technology road map that identifies the most promising existing and new technologies for increased and concerted private and public investment to achieve the goals of the National Cancer Moonshot – accelerate the early detection of cancer and save lives.
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today applauded Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI) for introducing S. 3084, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act – a bill to invest in innovation and improve United States competitiveness through research and development. The bill includes a provision that calls on federal science agencies, industry, and academia to seek partnerships to advance optics and photonics technologies and capabilities.
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Members of the National Photonics Initiative (NPI) High Power Lasers (HPL) Task Force, comprised of leading defense contractors, commercial laser companies and academia, today announced recommendations to improve US defense operations and regain our nation’s manufacturing stronghold. The recommendations, unveiled in conjunction with today’s Directed Energy Summit in Washington, DC, call for the establishment of a directed energy program office that will serve to coordinate US manufacturing of high power lasers.
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, recently convened participants from across government and the photonics community for a successful discussion on progress on the President’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovating Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.
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The National Photonics Initiative (NPI), an alliance of top scientific societies uniting industry and academia to raise awareness of photonics, today celebrated the discovery of gravitational waves arising from a binary black hole merger as observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Confirming Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, this discovery – one of the most significant in physics within the last century – was made possible by the creation of photonics-enabled ultra-precise laser-based interferometers used to measure gravitational waves. The advanced LIGO instrument is capable of making the most precise distance measurements ever recorded; it can detect the change in spacing between two mirrors separated by over 2.5 miles to a precision of much less than one trillionth the diameter of a human hair.
