DOE Science Nominee Emphasizes Quantum, AI and Lab Security; Seeks Committee Support to Protect Research

Dr. Dario Gill, nominated to be Undersecretary for Science at the Department of Energy, told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that defending national laboratory research from foreign theft and accelerating programs in quantum computing and artificial intelligence would be central to his agenda if confirmed.

"I'm very much committed to working with you and all the members of the committee to implement ways and improvements with which we can protect our most sensitive technology," Dr. Gill said when Chairman Mike Lee and senators asked how he would guard labs against infiltration and intellectual-property theft. Gill said he had been "sensitized" by incidents of theft in semiconductors and quantum-related work during his private-sector career and that protecting lab technology from espionage — especially by China, which he described as "a very bad actor" in this space — would be a priority.

Nut graf: Dr. Gill framed his science agenda around three linked objectives — defend sensitive research and facilities, accelerate AI-enabled discovery, and mobilize resources to build nation-leading quantum capabilities — arguing that national lab science is central to both economic competitiveness and national security.

In his opening statement, Gill recalled his role in industry efforts to commercialize quantum computing and told the committee: "It is time to mobilize the nation's best teams to achieve the final frontier of building an error corrected quantum supercomputer before the end of this decade." He argued that pairing AI, high-performance computing and quantum research could "shave decades off" development timelines for large scientific problems such as fusion.

Senators pressed Gill about retaining open-science work at the labs and whether security measures would undermine collaboration. Gill responded that open science is vital for attracting and retaining talent and that he appreciated Sandia National Laboratories' director's remark that open-science elements — though a small portion of the budget — are essential to mission success. "You have my total commitment of the appreciation and the importance of open science through the entire National Laboratory complex," Gill said.

Gill also told the committee he supports strengthening testbeds and programs that can translate federally funded research into capabilities, saying the National Quantum Initiative should aim not only to fund centers but to "deliver a capability for the nation" — a quantum-centric supercomputing platform with defined performance and cost targets. He described winning the AI and quantum races as a national imperative for scientific, economic and security reasons.

The committee did not vote on the nomination at the hearing. Senators indicated they would follow up in writing on particulars of lab security, foreign talent policies, funding and workforce issues.