(Dec. 27th, 2021) President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 117-81) act for FY 2022. The NDAA is a legislative vehicle for establishing policy and discretionary authorizations for the DOD, nuclear weapons programs of the DOE, and other defense-related activities (see NDAA primer). This year’s NDAA expanded the national quantum information science and technology (QIST) activities via five sections (Sec. 216, Sec. 229, Sec. 511, Sec. 1251, and Sec. 6606).

(October 5, 2021) Today the Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science released its first report. The report titled “The Role of International Talent in Quantum Information Science,” highlights the critical role that international talent plays in ensuring a vibrant and successful U.S. research enterprise in QIST, including the importance of close collaboration with foreign partners, while also stressing the importance of protecting the technology and expertise of the United States and our international partners. It finds that maintaining a strong flow of international students and researchers is an essential component to developing the expert QIST workforce required to achieve U.S. QIST goals as part of an advancing global research enterprise.