NSF Convergence Accelerator- Track C: QuSTEAM: Convergent Undergraduate Education in Quantum Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics

NSF融合加速器支持以使用为灵感、以团队为基础的多学科努力，以应对国家重要性的挑战，并将在不久的将来产生对社会有价值的成果。该项目旨在开发一门结合量子信息科学、技术、工程、艺术和数学(QuSTEAM)的本科课程，以建设一支量子智能劳动力队伍。QuSTEAM课程将采用模块化形式，包括面对面、在线和混合授课模式。这些单元将为各种利益攸关方提供教育机会，包括工作人员、两年制机构、四年制机构和为少数群体服务的机构。该项目将利用与行业和国家实验室的合作伙伴关系，确定关键技能和思维模式，并直接参与教育和教育学，确保课程将开发出多样化的量子智能劳动力。QuSTEAM课程将依靠以研究为基础的教育最佳实践，提供融合和包容的课程，以培养多样化的量子智能劳动力。这一课程结构将从头开始设计，以解决迄今限制了STEM培训的多样性和包容性的结构性障碍，并将通过纳入传统STEM学科以外的内容，同时包括QIS技术社会影响方面的培训。该项目将与那些进行量子研究以及STEAM教育研究的人接触，以创建主修、辅修和证书级别的多层次课程。交付成果包括：(1)跨学科模块示意图，其中详细说明了如何针对不同的教育目标(BS、AD、证书)组织QIS能力的组成部分；(2)为积极促进课程的公平性和包容性而采取的步骤图，这将成为QuSTEAM以外课程发展的模式；以及(3)展示QSTEAM实施情况的个别课程课程。该课程将为量子信息科学(QIS)教育提供一个框架，可以在国家范围内实施，以发展一支多样化的量子智能工作队伍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The NSF Convergence Accelerator supports use-inspired, team-based, multidisciplinary efforts that address challenges of national importance and will produce deliverables of value to society in the near future. This project aims to develop an undergraduate curriculum that combines Quantum Information Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (QuSTEAM) to build a quantum smart workforce. The QuSTEAM curriculum will have a modular format with in-person, online, and hybrid delivery modalities. The modules will provide educational opportunities for a variety of stakeholders including members of the workforce, 2-year institutions, 4-year institutions, and minority-serving institutions. The project will leverage partnerships with industry and national labs to both identify critical skills and modes of thought, and to directly participate in education and pedagogy, ensuring that the curriculum will develop a diverse quantum smart workforce.The QuSTEAM curriculum will rely on research-based educational best practices to provide a convergent and inclusive curriculum to develop a diverse quantum smart workforce. This curricular structure will be designed from the ground up to address structural barriers that have to date limited the diversity and inclusiveness of STEM training, and will include concurrent training in the societal impact of QIS technologies by incorporating content beyond traditional STEM disciplines. The project will engage with those conducting quantum research as well as STEAM education research to create a multi-tiered curriculum at the major, minor, and certificate level. Deliverables include (1) a schematic of interdisciplinary modules that details how the building blocks of QIS competency can be organized for different educational targets (BS, AD, certificate); (2) a map of steps taken to actively promote equity and inclusivity in the curriculum that will serve as a model for curricular development beyond QuSTEAM; and (3) individual course curricula that demonstrate the implementation of QuSTEAM. This curriculum will provide a framework for quantum information sciences (QIS) education that can be implemented at a national scale to develop a diverse quantum smart workforce.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.