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The Australian government has announced funding grants to sponsor industry in the development of solutions for challenges using quantum technologies.
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Under round one of the Critical Technologies Challenge Program, funding will be allocated to develop solutions and support collaborations to solve challenges of national significance using quantum technologies, according to an announcement on 22 May.
Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000 for a stage one feasibility project, and round one closes on 2 July. Funding up to $5 million for a stage two demonstrator project may be received for a successful stage one feasibility project.
“This program provides consortia (at least one Australian industry-based partner and one Australian research organisation) with funding to develop quantum technology solutions or a component(s) that contributes to a solution for market-led challenges of national significance,” according to a statement published about the funding.
“Solutions may also involve the use of other advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.”
Challenges include optimising performance, sustainability, and security of energy networks, improving medical imaging and medical sensors to support diagnosis, treatment of disease and monitoring activities inside the human body, enhancement of communication with autonomous systems in varying environments as well as optimisation and reduction of the impact of resource exploration, extraction, and mineral processing.
There are two grant opportunities under the announcement, a stage one feasibility to test and demonstrate the technical viability of a proposed solution or component of a solution; and the stage two demonstrator to support the construction of the stage one feasibility project and produce working prototypes or demonstrations.
“(To assess eligibility criteria) first we check that you meet the eligibility criteria. If eligible, your application will be assessed against the assessment criteria. Only eligible applications will proceed to the assessment stage,” according to the statement.
“An independent committee will assess your application against the assessment criteria and against other applications.”
Eligibility criterion include project alignment with the selected challenge and pathway to market, quality of project, project alignment with challenge, project delivery capacity and capability.
Earlier this year, the Australian government announced it would invest significantly to pursue the creation of the world’s first commercially useful quantum computer in Queensland.
More than $470 million has been allocated each in grants, loans and share purchases for the company PsiQuantum.
