(October 6, 2022) From October 28-29, 2022, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is hosting a virtual Workshop on Software-Hardware Co-Design for Quantum Computing. This workshop will function as a hub to spur a large, synergistic, and convergent effort for building a common technological ecosystem that quantum-enabled technologies and classical technologies can live together for mutual benefit and progress in the long term. In this workshop, experts from both industry and academia will gather together and discuss the key challenges that need to be addressed for an end-to-end quantum computing infrastructure. In particular, we advocate the importance of taking a computer engineering perspective. We envision that classic computer engineering techniques (at both software and hardware levels) have the potential to enable transformative scientific and industrial progress for quantum computing. The key is to figure out the grand challenges in the new quantum context. This workshop is to help the computer engineering community better understand and focus on these grand challenges rather than incremental changes, form a stronger collaboration, and propose transformative ideas to achieve significant progress in quantum computing. To this end, experts will be invited to get together to report the latest research progress and discuss their visions of the critical challenges that need to be addressed in the near future and how to tackle these challenges in a synergistic manner.

(June 3, 2022) The National Science Foundation, in conjunction with Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, and Microsoft, is promoting the availability of cloud-based access to quantum-computing platforms to advance research and build capacity in the academic setting. With the Dear Colleague Letter NSF 22-092, NSF’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) notified the research community of their intention to support supplemental funding requests for currently active NSF awards to enable use of these quantum-computing platforms. NSF’s supplemental funding will include support for graduate students as well as fees to work on these hardware and software quantum platforms.

(May 27, 2022) The National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator Expo 2022 will be held on July 27-28, 2022. Expo 2022 is a virtual exhibition of novel solutions across six convergence research topics addressing national-scale societal challenges, and one of the convergence topics is quantum technology. During the event, you will have the opportunity to connect with NSF-funded Convergence Accelerator research teams, including viewing live presentations and solution demos. You may also network with other researchers, innovators, and business and technical practitioners from academia, industry, government, nonprofit, and other communities of practice.