Conference: Alabama Quantum Workshop: Quantum Sensing, Information Science, and EPSCoR Collaboration

Quantum information science provides new ways to measure, image, communicate, compute, and process information, with potential benefits for health, advanced manufacturing, communications, national competitiveness, and other emerging technology sectors. This project will support the Alabama Quantum Workshop, a two-day in-person meeting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that will bring together researchers, students, invited speakers, and industry participants from Alabama and other EPSCoR jurisdictions. The workshop will focus on quantum sensing, quantum information science, and the materials and devices that enable these technologies, with application emphasis on biosensing, imaging, and workforce development. By connecting researchers across institutions and states, the workshop will strengthen regional quantum research capacity, broaden participation in quantum science and engineering, and help translate quantum technologies toward applications in health, sensing, and other advanced technology areas. The workshop addresses a critical gap between emerging biological and biomedical application needs and the development of scalable, manufacturable quantum sensing systems tailored to those needs. The central problem is how to connect advances in quantum materials, devices, sensing protocols, and information-processing methods with realistic biological and clinical application scenarios that require compact, robust, and deployable systems. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, interdisciplinary breakout sessions, student engagement, and open discussions, the workshop will allow participants to align on current capabilities, identify scientific and technical barriers, define shared research priorities, and develop new collaborations across Alabama and peer EPSCoR jurisdictions. Expected outcomes include interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, new research connections, student-training opportunities, industry engagement, and a concise roadmap summarizing key research challenges, collaboration opportunities, and follow-on activities for sustained regional quantum research and workforce development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.