NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing quantum technologies (CT)

该区域创新引擎发展奖的重点是使康涅狄格州（CT）成为美国量子技术的加速器。它将在医疗保健、航空航天、制药和金融等新兴技术领域创造国家竞争优势。这一努力将为在经济衰退周期中落后的人口提供机会，从而推动经济和劳动力发展，为公平机会服务。它将超越劳动力培训，将创新和创业机会与需要经济复兴的社区的人们联系起来。发展奖的合作伙伴包括康涅狄格大学、耶鲁大学及其技术孵化项目；斯坦福德、哈特福德、纽黑文和沃特伯里等城市；康涅狄格经济和社区发展部、康涅狄格Next、Advance CT和康涅狄格创新部；CT劳动力委员会和康涅狄格州立学院和大学系统；康涅狄格商业和工业协会，以及许多大小公司。鉴于其重要经济部门的数量、相关研究的实力、社区从农村到城市的特征、文化多样性以及居民可获得的机会的差异，CT被定位为通过将多元化地区转变为经济发展强国而成为美国的量子加速器。先进制造业、制药、医疗保健和金融行业预计，量子技术将为下一代传感、密码学、人工智能、基础设施优化、药物和治疗开发、软件和网络安全等领域做出贡献。该团队将在两个广泛的、相互关联的主题中制定以使用为灵感的研发策略：1)量子材料、硬件、计算机和设备；2)量子软件和算法，涉及世界一流的研究基础设施和应用科学、工程和商业/创业领域的教师。该地区的工业将作为采用者和最终用户为这项工作做出贡献，并将利用他们的研发能力来支持发展奖。该团队将制定一项多方面的计划，以培养一支知识渊博、技术熟练、多样化的劳动力队伍，适应从中专和大专到学士、研究生证书、硕士和博士水平的各种技能水平。跨越研究型大学、学院和社区学院、技术高中和技术培训中心的学术和劳动力合作伙伴将确保团队培养支持量子产业所需的全方位人才。该开发奖将使该团队能够建立区域合作伙伴关系，制定劳动力战略，并分析量子技术的潜力，以解决具有战略重要性的工业部门的未来需求，为完整的NSF引擎奠定基础。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。

This Regional Innovation Engines Development Award is focused on making Connecticut (CT) America's accelerator for quantum technologies. It will create a national competitive advantage in an emerging technology domain with applications in healthcare, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and finance. The effort will extend opportunities to demographics left behind by cycles of economic downturn, thereby driving economic and workforce development in service of equitable opportunity. It will move beyond workforce training to connect opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship to people from communities in need of economic renewal. Development Award partners include the University of Connecticut, Yale, and their technology incubation programs; the cities of Stamford, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury; the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Next, Advance CT, and Connecticut Innovations; CT Workforce Council and the Connecticut State College and University System; the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, and many small and large companies. Given its number of important economic sectors, its strength in relevant research, the rural-to-urban character of its communities, its cultural diversity, and the differentials in opportunity available to its residents, CT is positioned to become America's quantum accelerator by transforming a diverse region into an economic development powerhouse. Advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and finance industries anticipate that quantum technologies will contribute to next generation approaches to sensing, cryptography, AI, infrastructure optimization, drug and therapy development, software, and cybersecurity, to name just a few. The team will develop strategies for use-inspired R&D in two broad, interrelated topics: 1) quantum materials, hardware, computers, and devices; and 2) quantum software and algorithms, involving world-class research infrastructure and faculty in applied sciences, engineering, and business/ entrepreneurship. The region's industries will contribute to the effort as adopters and end users and will leverage their R&D capabilities to support the Development Award. The team will plan for a multifaceted approach to train a knowledgeable, skilled, and diverse workforce accommodating all skills levels, from technical high school and associate, to baccalaureate, graduate certificate, master, and Ph.D.-level preparation. Academic and workforce partners spanning research universities, colleges and community colleges, technical high schools, and technical training centers will ensure that the team develops the full spectrum of talent needed to support quantum industries. This Development Award will enable the team to build regional partnerships, develop workforce strategy, and analyze the potential of quantum technologies to address future needs of strategically important industrial sectors, laying the groundwork for a full NSF Engine.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.