NPI Commends House Investments in Critical Research Accounts

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.

“The House continues to make significant investments in critical quantum and optics and photonics research,” said Ed White, Chair of the NPI Steering Committee and Vice President Test, Assembly and Packaging for AIM Photonics. “This funding will help ensure vital research can continue, even during the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research cannot stop. In fact, it is essential to keeping our country and our economy moving forward now and in the future.”

The House Appropriations Committee has approved both the Energy and Water and Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bills and they will now be heading to the House floor for approval in the coming weeks. The Senate has yet to unveil its FY 2021 spending bills. Eventually, the House and Senate spending bills will need to be reconciled into a final agreement.

The House Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $235 million to the Department of Energy’s Office of Science for Quantum Information Science. This includes no less than $125 million for research and no less than $100 million for up to 5 centers. This is an increase of $40 million over the previous year’s appropriation. The House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill provides $48 million for the National Institute for Standards and Technology STRS Account for Quantum Funding, an increase of $8 million over the previous year’s appropriation. It also maintains current funding levels by providing at least $106 million, including up to $50 million for 5 centers, for the National Science Foundation’s Research and Related Activities account for QIS research.
 

---

About the NPI: The National Photonics Initiative (NPI) is a collaborative alliance among industry, academia and government to raise awareness of photonics and the impact of photonics on our everyday lives; increase cooperation and coordination among US industry, government and academia to advance photonics-driven fields; and drive US funding and investment in areas of photonics critical to maintaining US economic competitiveness and national security. The initiative is being led by top scientific societies including the American Physical Society (APS), the IEEE Photonics Society, the Laser Institute of America (LIA), The Optical Society (OSA) and SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics. For more information visit www.lightourfuture.org.