NIH Offers Webinar on Funding Opportunities For Quantum Biomedical Applications

Insider Brief

• The NIH webinar on December 16 at 3:00 p.m. ET will highlight funding opportunities for quantum biomedical applications, including grants and challenges in quantum sensing and computing.
• Quantum technologies offer transformative potential in biomedicine, enabling breakthroughs in diagnostics, imaging, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.
• Key topics include funding for small business innovation, transformative research projects, and prize challenges targeting quantum-enabled solutions in drug discovery, diagnostics, and biomedical imaging.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) SEED program is hosting a webinar to explore funding opportunities for quantum biomedical applications, including quantum sensing and quantum computing, aimed at advancing healthcare innovation and research.

Quantum technologies could be a powerful tool for the biomedical field by offering unprecedented precision and capabilities in areas such as diagnostics, imaging and drug discovery.

For example, quantum sensing enables highly sensitive detection of biological signals, such as the electromagnetic fields produced by neural activity, with applications in non-invasive brain imaging and early disease diagnosis.

Quantum computing, on the other hand, offers the potential to model complex molecular interactions at a scale and speed unattainable by classical computers, accelerating the development of personalized medicine and novel therapies.

These advances highlight the transformative role quantum technologies could play in tackling some of the most challenging problems in healthcare.

NIH will host a webinar on Monday, December 16, at 3:00 p.m. ET to cover the following funding opportunities:

• Small Business Grants Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing in Biomedical Applications (SBIR/STTR) – https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-EY-24-014.html. This notice intends to support small businesses in developing and commercializing quantum technologies for biomedical applications.
• Research and Training Grants Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing Technologies in Biomedical Applications – https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-EB-23-022.html. This notice intends to support innovative and potentially transformative research projects in quantum technology applications in biomedical disciplines.
• NIH Quantum Computing Prize Challenge: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=nih-quantum-computing-challenge NIH Quantum. This challenge aims to identify novel biomedical use cases that are amenable to quantum computing–based solutions. The areas of interest for the current Quantum Computing Challenge include: 1. Quantum algorithms for drug discovery 2. Quantum algorithms for clinical risk predictions, diagnosis, and therapeutics 3. Quantum algorithms for biomedical imaging and genomic data analysis
• NIH Quantum Sensing Technology Prize Challenge: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=nih-quantum-sensing-technology-challenge. This challenge aims to address key subject areas to apply emerging quantum-enabled sensing approaches to biomedical research. The areas of interest for the Quantum Sensing Technology Challenge include:  1. Quantum-enabled approaches to advance biomedical applications; 2. Quantum-enabled approaches for early detection and diagnostics; 3. Quantum-enabled sensing and imaging devices for diagnostics and monitoring

You can register here.

NIH Seed’s mission is to accelerate the conversion of scientific discoveries into healthcare solutions. SEED envisions a world where scientists are empowered to improve the lives of patients and their families.