Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Computer and Network Systems has awarded Princeton University $364,398 under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program (CFDA 47.070) to support a five-year CAREER project (June 1, 2026–May 31, 2031) on the foundations of post-quantum and quantum cryptography. The project delivers theoretical research and analysis of cryptographic primitives and protocols designed to remain secure against quantum computing threats, with specific deliverables addressing the post-quantum security of cryptographic functions such as hash functions and succinct non-interactive arguments, quantitatively strong concrete security proofs, and investigation of "quantum nanocrypt" tasks that may resist attacks from computationally unbounded adversaries. The research aims to strengthen confidence in internet infrastructure security as quantum computing advances.

In addition to its core research objectives, the project includes educational and workforce development products, including the development of new courses and publicly available course materials that integrate quantum computation into computer science curricula, mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students, and organization of local workshops and colloquia on cryptography and quantum computing. These complementary activities support the NSF's broader mission to advance discovery and innovation across computing and information science and engineering.