NSF Awards $18.6 Million Renewal to UMD-Led Engineering Research Center (ERC) Focused On Quantum Networks

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The National Science Foundation has awarded $18.6 million to the University of Maryland (UMD) to renew the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN), an NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) led by UMD. The four-year award runs from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2030.

The renewal will support the center’s next phase of research toward developing the technical and societal foundations of the quantum internet—an emerging infrastructure designed to connect quantum computers, processors, sensors, transmitters, receivers, cameras and other quantum-enabled devices across local, metropolitan and long-distance networks. The award also underscores the commitment of UMD and the Clark School to building a nationally recognized hub for quantum research and development that will lead the way for the future of quantum technology.

“Making today’s digital communications infrastructure quantum-compatible will require a deeply transdisciplinary research and development effort—one that brings together fields as varied as materials science, spin physics, photonic engineering, quantum error correction, information theory and computer networking,” said Saikat Guha, CQN director and Clark Distinguished Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UMD.

“The National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Centers program provides a uniquely powerful framework for building such an enterprise by uniting academic researchers, industry partners, innovation programs and workforce development around a shared long-term vision. At CQN, we are privileged to lead the first quantum-technology center established in the history of the ERC program.”

CQN brings together computer scientists, electrical and optical engineers, networking researchers, atomic physicists, materials scientists, economists and social scientists. These experts are working to develop fault-tolerant quantum repeaters and network architectures that can operate alongside—and ultimately interconnect with—the classical internet.

At the university level, the center is helping establish Quantum Information Science and Engineering as a distinct interdisciplinary field. Through new curricula and educational programs, CQN is preparing a diverse workforce of quantum engineers capable of imagining, building and responsibly deploying future quantum-network applications.

As a public-private partnership, CQN connects universities, companies, national laboratories, international collaborators and organizations focused on expanding participation in science and engineering. The center serves as a national hub for quantum-networking research, education, workforce development, technology translation and strategic roadmapping.

“As today’s society has benefited from networked digital systems, the future will also require networks of quantum systems that will transmit, share, and process quantum information. This latter network will require many engineering breakthroughs to meet the needs of tomorrow. The University of Maryland, the Clark School, and its partner institutions in CQN are at the forefront of this research and discovery, and we are excited that CQN’s renewal will continue our momentum,” said Samuel Graham, dean of the Clark School. “We appreciate the NSF once again placing its trust in our innovative people and cutting-edge facilities and look forward to delivering more solutions to advance the state of the art in quantum systems.”

In 2024, the Clark School partnered with five other universities to create the NSF ERC Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology (EARTH) Hub. The project focuses on updated systems for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technologies that will contribute to a better quality of life and combat climate change through sustainable and accessible technologies.

Since 1985, NSF has supported university-based research centers involved in interdisciplinary research through industry and university partnerships. A total of 83 ERCs pursuing high-priority research have been supported by this highly competitive NSF program. The areas of research conducted span across a wide spectrum of technology, including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, clean energy and sustainability, microelectronics and information technology. Some of those early ERCs still operate today with profound impacts on technology such as the Institute for Systems Engineering at the University of Maryland.

The NSF ERC program not only emphasizes the advancement of knowledge in each technology area, but also the training of a skilled engineering workforce that will contribute to future scientific studies.

Find more information on CQN’s research on Google Docs.

Published August 5, 2026