The NIH Quantum Sensing Technology Challenge is a funding opportunity launched by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The challenge aims to stimulate the development of new biomedical use cases for existing quantum-enabled technologies, with a focus on adapting and optimizing these technologies for biomedical research and clinical applications. The challenge specifically seeks multidisciplinary teams, including quantum scientists, biomedical researchers, engineers, and computational experts, to collaborate on advancing quantum-enabled technologies that have the potential to enhance early detection, diagnostics, and therapeutic development in the medical field.

The challenge is divided into two stages: Ideation and Planning, followed by Demonstration of Progress and Prototype Readiness. During Stage 1, innovators are tasked with planning their project and outlining their approach for developing a quantum-enabled sensing technology that can significantly advance biomedical applications over existing tools. In Stage 2, the focus shifts to the demonstration of progress and the readiness of the prototype, with milestones that require innovators to showcase preliminary demonstrations and the final application of their prototype in real-world biomedical settings.

The challenge is designed to address key barriers to the use of quantum technologies in biomedical fields. These include the lack of collaboration between quantum scientists and biomedical researchers, the shortage of resources to support interdisciplinary work, the underexplored potential of quantum technologies in biomedical and clinical contexts, and the lack of practical implementation pathways. The challenge will help bridge these gaps by encouraging collaborative teams to push the boundaries of quantum sensing technologies, ultimately aiming to improve diagnostics and patient care.

The challenge is structured to focus on three key areas of interest: advancing biomedical applications, early detection and diagnostics, and sensing and imaging devices for diagnostics and monitoring. The challenge encourages the use of quantum-enabled technologies such as diamond color centers, atomic magnetometers, quantum microscopy, and quantum-enhanced imaging modalities. Innovators are expected to propose solutions that combine quantum sensing with classical techniques to enhance detection capabilities in biomedical and clinical applications.

Quantum-enabled technologies in biomedical fields have the potential to revolutionize areas such as drug development, disease detection, and monitoring of physiological states. Examples of promising technologies include quantum-enabled approaches for sensitive detection of analytes, quantum-enhanced NMR and MRI technologies, and portable, wearable devices for real-time diagnostics. The goal of the challenge is to stimulate innovation in these areas and ultimately lead to improved tools for disease detection, diagnostics, and drug discovery.

While the challenge focuses on advancing quantum technologies for biomedical use, it does not support fundamental research in quantum technology development. Instead, the emphasis is on applying existing technologies to solve pressing problems in healthcare, particularly in areas where current tools are insufficient. The challenge encourages practical, translational solutions that could make a real-world impact on patient care and medical research.