NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing quantum technologies in the Midwest (IL, WI)

这个区域创新引擎发展奖的重点是通过威斯康星州中部到伊利诺伊州地区的研究和开发，利用不断增长的量子科学技术生态系统。该奖项支持量子十字路口，这是一个统一的结构，加强了该地区和量子技术领域的现有合作伙伴关系-包括CQE（芝加哥量子交易所），该交易所将作为项目团队的机构所在地。主要组织合作伙伴包括政府、学术界和企业代表及其组织，重点关注发动机的各个方面：劳动力发展，区域创新，DEIA，以及研究和技术进步。量子计算是一个多学科领域，包括计算机科学，物理学，以及利用量子力学解决复杂问题的数学，比普通（“经典”）计算机快得多。量子计算领域包括硬件研究和应用开发。与量子计算相关的是量子传感和量子通信。该奖项的技术重点是建立必要的研发和翻译计划基础，以支持连接现有量子节点的实用基础设施，建立新的节点，然后为研究人员提供资金，以使用这种新的和现有的基础设施。 由于对量子技术如何使利益相关者受益缺乏了解，该计划不仅包括对公众的量子技术教育，还包括对投资者，企业家，教师和研究人员的教育。与行业和/或国家实验室的合作伙伴关系是成功的关键。该奖项反映了NSF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 leveraging a growing ecosystem in quantum science-based technologies through research and development in the central Wisconsin to Illinois region. The award supports Quantum Crossroads, a unifying structure strengthening existing partnerships in the region and within the quantum technology field – including CQE (Chicago Quantum Exchange) which will serve as the institutional home for the project team. Main organizational partners include government, academic and corporate representatives and their organizations, with a focus on each aspect of the engine: workforce development, regional innovation, DEIA, as well as research and technological advancement.Quantum computing is a multidisciplinary field comprising aspects of computer science, physics, and mathematics that utilizes quantum mechanics to solve complex problems significantly faster than on normal ("classical") computers. The field of quantum computing includes hardware research and application development. Associated with quantum computing are quantum sensing and quantum communications. The technical focus of this award is on building the necessary R&D and translation plans foundations to support a practical infrastructure to connect existing quantum nodes, building new nodes, and then providing funding to researchers to use this new and existing infrastructure. Due to a lack of understanding around how quantum technology can benefit stakeholders, the plan includes education around quantum technology not only to the public, but to investors, entrepreneurs, teachers, and researchers. Partnerships with industry and/or national laboratories are keys to success.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.