U.S. DoE Sets Aside $40M for Quantum Computing Algorithms and Software Development. Developers throughout the U.S. stand to gain much from this new U.S. initiative.
$40 Million for Developers. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide $40 million for research aimed at developing new algorithms and software for quantum computers. The effort seeks to move beyond the current relatively limited applications available on quantum computers toward more robust algorithms and application software that can be used on a practical level to tackle a range of scientific problems.
“I’m incredibly proud of all the work being done at DOE to harness the power of our world-class supercomputers to maintain America’s leadership in areas like Quantum Computing,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “Continued investments in quantum computing will focus the intellectual prowess of our scientists and engineers on the development of technologies that the private sector can convert into commercial applications to improve the lives and security of all Americans.”
“Today America leads the world in high performance computing for science and industry,” said Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. “Leadership in the emerging field of quantum computing is also imperative for the United States, and this drive to develop new quantum computing algorithms and software will be vital to that effort.”
The plan envisions the establishment of multidisciplinary teams, with some focusing on basic algorithms and others on the development of standard software tools, such as new high-level programming languages, compilers, debuggers, libraries, and input/output tools specifically geared to quantum computing. The goal is to develop software adaptable to a range of different quantum computing systems as well as a wide variety of potential applications.
Applications will be open to universities, national laboratories, industry, and nonprofits, with awards selected competitively by peer review. Total planned funding from the Department’s Office of Science is $40 million for five-year projects, with outyear funding pending congressional appropriations.
Letters of intent are required and are due on May 1st, 2019, by 5 PM Eastern time. Final applications are due on May 31st, 2019, by 5 PM Eastern time. The full text of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, along with a parallel, companion announcement for DOE laboratories, can be found here.
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