Applications are open for the sixth cohort of Boeing Quantum Creators, a prize that recognizes early-career researchers for work that moves the field of quantum information science and engineering in new directions.
The 2026 honorees will be invited to present their work during the Q2B x Chicago Quantum Summit, a joining of two world-leading quantum conferences that will be held at Marriott Marquis Chicago and McCormick Place on December 8 – 10. BQCP awardees will receive a trophy, reimbursed travel to Q2B x Chicago Quantum Summit, and, for those legally eligible, a $3,500 monetary prize.
Eligible applicants include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and scholars, and early-career researchers in industry, national labs, or nonprofit research organizations whose work is in quantum information science and engineering. Early-career industry applicants should generally be within five years of receiving their terminal degree, with reasonable exceptions for career interruptions or nontraditional career pathways. Undergraduate students, tenure-track faculty, or tenured faculty are not eligible.
The 63 Boeing Quantum Creators who were honored in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 have gone on to fellowships, research scientist roles at companies such as IBM and Google Quantum AI, and faculty positions at a variety of schools, including the University of California, Berkeley; Yale University; Stanford University; New York University; the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Williams College. Last year, six previous winners shared how the prize has advanced their work.
The program began in 2021 and expanded in 2023 thanks to a $3.5 million investment from Boeing.
The deadline for applications and letters of recommendation is September 18, 2026.