Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) will play a leading role in preparing Connecticut’s future quantum workforce as part of QuantumCT, a statewide initiative selected to receive a two-year, $15 million award through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program.
The award positions QuantumCT for potential future investment of up to $160 million over the next decade and recognizes Connecticut’s growing leadership in quantum science, technology, workforce development, and commercialization.
QuantumCT is a collaborative effort involving the State of Connecticut, the University of Connecticut (UConn), Yale University, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system (including SCSU), industry leaders, and community partners. The initiative seeks to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies while creating economic opportunities through research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development.
As a key partner in QuantumCT, SCSU will serve as the hub for workforce development efforts through the CSCU Center for Quantum and Nanotechnology (QNT), which is based at SCSU, helping to build research, education, and career pathways that prepare students, incumbent workers, and future professionals for careers in the rapidly expanding quantum sector. SCSU will receive $2 million over a two-year period, of which $500,000 will go to Connecticut State Community College (CT State) in support of these statewide efforts.
“Southern Connecticut State University is more than ready to take the lead on workforce development in Connecticut’s quantum ecosystem,” said Dr. Sandra Bulmer, interim president of SCSU. “We are proud to be part of Connecticut’s ‘research triangle,’ along with Yale and UConn, providing foundational support for the talent pipeline. Our mission is grounded in access and opportunity, and the workforce component of this effort enables us to open new frontiers in research and innovation to countless students across Connecticut.”
As Connecticut’s first and only Carnegie-designated Research 2 (R2) university, SCSU is uniquely positioned to bridge research, workforce development, innovation, and industry engagement. Through initiatives led by the QNT and the SCSU Innovation Hub, and the Peter J. Werth Industry Academic Fellowship and the BioPath workforce development model, SCSU has built a strong foundation for preparing students to lead in emerging fields while supporting Connecticut’s innovation economy.
Located in New Haven and just minutes from the city’s rapidly expanding innovation and bioscience corridor—including hubs such as 101 College Street, BioLabs New Haven, and Yale’s growing network of research and startup enterprises, SCSU has helped connect hundreds of students with paid use-inspired research experiences, internships, and placement in career pathways in high-demand STEM fields.
“This NSF Engines award underscores that workforce development is essential to sustained quantum leadership,” said Dr. Christine Broadbridge, co-PI on the NSF Engines proposal and physics professor and executive director of Research and Innovation at SCSU. “Southern Connecticut State University is proud to partner with QuantumCT on their use-inspired research and workforce strategy—building hands-on, industry-aligned pathways that prepare a diverse and job-ready talent pool to meet Connecticut’s growing quantum economy.”
“With campuses and satellite locations across Connecticut, CT State Community College is the state’s largest workforce driver, serving the most diverse student population and offering more entry and exit points than any other higher education institution in the state. That reach is what makes us uniquely positioned to turn this NSF Engines investment into real, on-the-ground impact. We will be at the forefront of preparing the next generation of quantum talent by connecting students from every corner of our state to opportunity and helping power innovation across Connecticut’s economy,” said CT State Community College Interim President Dr. Christina Royal.
The NSF investment (through $2M NSF subcontract to SCSU from the Engine award) will support implementation of the Quantum Academic and Career Pathway Initiative, known as QuantumPath, QuantumCT’s comprehensive workforce development strategy. Designed to serve learners at every stage—from elementary school students to working professionals—QuantumPath will create a statewide talent pipeline that prepares Connecticut residents for careers in quantum-related industries. The initiative is intended to build quantum literacy, expand educational access, strengthen industry partnerships, and create pathways into quantum and quantum-adjacent careers.
To accomplish this goal, QuantumCT will leverage SCSU’s successful BioPath model, housed within the university’s Innovation Hub. For more than a decade, BioPath has advanced awareness of STEM careers, expanded access to skill building programs, internships and experiential learning opportunities, and connected students with employers throughout Connecticut’s biotechnology and life sciences sectors. Building on that proven framework, QuantumPath will help expand access to quantum education, use-inspired research, experiential learning opportunities, workforce training programs, and employer partnerships across Connecticut.
Quantum technologies are expected to transform industries ranging from aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing to healthcare, pharmaceuticals, finance, and cybersecurity. Industry analysts project the global quantum technology market could exceed $200 billion by 2040.
For SCSU, the award represents an opportunity to leverage its strengths in research, workforce development, and industry engagement to help ensure Connecticut workers have the education and skills needed to support the state’s growing quantum economy for decades to come.
“As the largest public higher education system in New England, CSCU’s colleges and universities are where Connecticut’s workforce is trained and takes shape. Southern Connecticut State University and Connecticut State Community College will be key partners in advancing the NSF Engines Proposal, helping position our state as a national leader in quantum technology and workforce development. This investment is about more than building a quantum-ready workforce, it’s about expanding access and creating inclusive pathways so more students can connect to opportunity and the jobs of the future,” said CSCU Interim Chancellor Natalie Braswell.
