NRT-QISE: a new interdisciplinary degree program for convergent research and graduate training in quantum information science and engineering

在传统的研究生课程中，学科专业化、学生助学金资助以及缺乏研究生水平的行业参与阻碍了解决量子信息科学与工程（QISE）中的重大挑战并将基础研究转化为商业应用所需的多样化劳动力的发展。这项授予俄亥俄州立大学（OSU）的国家科学基金会研究培训（NRT）奖将在nsf资助的QuSTEAM本科教育网络的基础上扩大，在量子信息科学与工程（QISE）的硕士和博士水平上建立一个新的研究生学位课程。该项目将是美国为数不多的不设于传统学术部门的项目之一，而是涵盖物理、化学、数学、计算机科学、电子工程和材料科学等多个参与部门。一个新的研究生水平的课程将根据教育研究的审查原则开发。课程将以紧凑的QISE共同核心课程为特色，辅以研究生模块，以适应这些学科的学员准备变化。除了课程之外，NRT学员将从一开始就从事QISE的研究，并将培养道德、技术写作和沟通方面的专业技能。他们还将受益于研究生水平的行业实习。该项目将在奖励期内直接资助25名学员，另有10-20名其他来源的学位学员，100多名学生将从选修课程中受益。该项目将通过QISE的前沿研究、国家参与以及半导体和量子技术多元化劳动力的培训，产生社会影响。这个新的NRT计划将嵌入国家量子劳动力战略计划中强调的原则，包括分布式和模块化课程内容，以适应进入和通过该计划的多种途径，从课程到体验式学习的快速过渡，以及使用“向后设计”原则的基于证据和包容性的课程开发。NRT学员将扩展QISE在混合量子系统、基于分子的新型量子比特、半导体材料和技术以及量子网络集成光子学等领域的研究。俄勒冈州立大学的研究小组在研究半导体缺陷的特性如何依赖于局部环境（包括与其他缺陷、界面和电磁场的接近程度）以及如何被局部环境调节方面处于领先地位。总体而言，该计划的目标是：1)为俄勒冈州立大学QISE硕士和博士学位的发展提案创建一个提案；2)开发并讲授3门核心研究生课程：QISE基础、QISE大挑战、经典与量子计算，以及2门跨学科研究生选修课程；3)评估项目影响并不断改进学生成绩；4)建立行业合作伙伴关系，发展毕业生实习、赞助研究项目和证书课程；5)为QISE的研究生研究和实习发展一个长期、可持续的模式，以产生长期影响。美国国家科学基金会研究实习生（NRT）计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革性的STEM研究生教育培训新模式。该项目致力于通过创新、循证、适应不断变化的劳动力和研究需求的综合培训模式，在高优先级跨学科或融合研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。   该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In traditional graduate programs, disciplinary specialization, student assistantship funding, and lack of graduate-level industry engagement impede the development of the diverse workforce needed to solve grand challenges in quantum information sciences and engineering (QISE) and translate fundamental research to commercial applications. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to The Ohio State University (OSU) will expand upon the NSF-funded QuSTEAM network for undergraduate education to establish a new graduate degree program in quantum information science and engineering (QISE) at both the MS and PhD levels. This program will be one of a few in the U.S. that is not housed in a traditional academic department, but rather spans various participating departments including physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, and materials science. A new graduate-level curriculum will be developed using vetted principles from educational research. The curriculum will feature a compact common core of QISE courses supplemented by graduate modules to accommodate variations in trainee preparation from these disciplines. In addition to courses, NRT trainees will be engaged in QISE research from the start, and will develop professional skills in ethics, technical writing and communication. They will also benefit from graduate-level industry internships. The program will directly fund 25 trainees over the award period, with 10-20 additional degree students funded from other sources, and 100+ students benefiting from taking courses as electives. The program will make societal impacts through cutting edge research in QISE, national engagement, and training of a diverse workforce in semiconductor and quantum technologies. This new NRT program will embed principles highlighted in the National Quantum Workforce Strategic Plan including distributed and modular course content to accommodate diverse pathways into and through the program, an expedited transition from courses to experiential learning, and evidenced-based and inclusive course development using ‘Backward Design’ principles. NRT trainees will expand the QISE research in areas such as hybrid quantum systems, novel qubits based on molecules, semiconductor materials and technologies, and integrated photonics for quantum networks. The OSU team is a leader in studying how the properties of defects in semiconductors depend on, and can be tuned by, the local environment, including proximity to other defects, interfaces and electromagnetic fields. Overall, the goals of this program are to: 1) create a proposal for developing a proposal for Master’s and PhD degrees in QISE at The OSU; 2) develop and deliver three core graduate courses: Foundations in QISE, Grand Challenges in QISE, and Classical vs. Quantum Computing, as well as two interdisciplinary graduate elective courses in QISE; 3) evaluate program impact and iterate to continuously improve student outcomes; 4) build on industry partnerships to develop graduate internships, sponsored research projects, and certificate programs; and 5) develop a long-term, sustainable model for graduate research and traineeship in QISE for long-term impact. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.    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.