NOMIS to support IST Austria with € 1.4 m

Today, the NOMIS foundation and IST Austria announced the signing of a grant agreement. The grant will support the work of quantum physicists Johannes Fink and Georgios Katsaros, both professors at the research institute in Klosterneuburg (Lower Austria).

The grant amount of € 1.4 m over 4 years starting in fall of 2017 is dedicated to the project “Hybrid Semiconductor – Superconductor Quantum Devices”. This project aims to combine two distinct fields of quantum physics to one unified approach to eventually develop novel types of hybrid devices consisting of a combination of semi- and superconductor elements, which may have the potential to serve as building blocks for future quantum computers.

Markus Reinhard, Managing Director of the NOMIS foundation, explained the intention behind this commitment: “At NOMIS we try to create a spark in the world of science by funding projects which go beyond common expectations. After a thorough peer-review we decided to support this novel and exciting approach of Profs. Fink and Katsaros. A further reason for our commitment is the excellent scientific environment IST Austria offers to basic researchers.”

Thomas Henzinger, President of IST Austria, expressed his gratitude towards the NOMIS foundation: “This bold and significant decision by NOMIS sets standards for the cooperation of research institutes with private supporters in continental Europe. We are very grateful for this kind of endorsement which we are looking forward to further expand.”

NOMIS is a private Swiss foundation, established in 2008, that supports insight-driven scientific endeavors across all disciplines, placing particular emphasis on the researcher. The NOMIS Foundation seeks to support highly innovative, groundbreaking research in the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities.

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) is a young international institute dedicated to basic research and graduate education in the natural and mathematical sciences, located in Klosterneuburg on the outskirts of Vienna. IST Austria is committed to conducting world-class research. By 2026, up to 90 research groups will perform research in an international state-of-the art environment.

Oliver Lehmann
Head of Stakeholder Relations IST Austria
Tel: +43/2243/9000-1006
E-Mail: oliver.lehmann@ist.ac.at

Together with their research groups at IST Austria Professor Giorgios Katsaros and Johannes Fink aim to combine two distinct fields of quantum physics to one unified approach to eventually develop novel types of hybrid devices consisting of a combination of semi- and superconductor elements.