QIST Workforce Development

1 QIST Workforce Development A Report by the SUBCOMMITTEE ON QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE of the national SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Workforce Development national STRATEGIC PLAN February 2022 QIST Workforce Development i About the national Science and Technology Council The national Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the Executive Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal research and Development (R&D) enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is to ensure science and technology policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's stated goals. The NSTC prepares R&D strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies aimed at accomplishing multiple national goals. The work of the NSTC is organized under committees that oversee subcommittees and working groups focused on different aspects of science and technology.

2 More information is available at About the Office of Science and Technology Policy The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the national Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to provide the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics. OSTP leads interagency science and technology policy coordination efforts, assists the Office of Management and Budget with an annual review and analysis of Federal R&D in budgets, and serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government. For more information see About the NSTC Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science The national Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS) was legislated by the national Quantum Initiative Act and coordinates Federal R&D in quantum information science and related technologies under the auspices of the NSTC Committee on Science.

3 The aim of this R&D coordination is to maintain and expand leadership in quantum information science and its applications over the next decade. Copyright Information This document is a work of the United States Government and is in the public domain (see 17 105). Subject to the stipulations below, it may be distributed and copied with acknowledgment to OSTP. Copyrights to graphics included in this document are reserved by the original copyright holders or their assignees and are used here under the Government s license and by permission. Requests to use any images must be made to the provider identified in the image credits or to OSTP if no provider is identified. Published in the United States of America, 2021. QIST Workforce Development ii national SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCILC hair Eric Lander, Director, OSTP Acting Executive Director Kei Koizumi, Principal Deputy Director for Policy, OSTP COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE Co-Chairs Francis Collins, Director, NIH Eric Lander, Director, OSTP Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, NSF SUBCOMMITTEE ON QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE Co-Chairs J.

4 Stephen Binkley, DOE Sean Jones, NSF James Kushmerick, NIST Charles Tahan, OSTP Executive Secretary Denise Caldwell, NSF Members Nasser Barghouty, NASA Rupak Biswas, NASA Tali Bar-Shalom, OMB Barry Barker, NSA John Beieler, ODNI Denise Caldwell, NSF Michael Hayduk, AFRL Barbara Helland, DOE Debora Katz, USPTO Jalal Mapar, DHS Catherine Marsh, IARPA Esha Mathew, DOS Yi Pei, OMB Geetha Senthil, NIH Matt Such, USPTO Tanya Trujillo, DOI Carl Williams, NIST (Through Dec. 2021) Working Group on WorkforceCo-Chairs Claire Cramer, DOE Tomasz Durakiewicz, NSF Chris Richardson, LPS Corey Stambaugh, OSTP Members Grace Metcalfe, AFOSR Wu He, NSF Tara Fortier, NIST Kathy-Anne Soderberg, AFRL Boyan Tabakov, AFOSR Sara Gamble, ARL-ARO Laura Wessing, AFRL national QUANTUM COORDINATION OFFICED irector Charles Tahan, OSTP Staff Alexander Cronin, OSTP Corey Stambaugh, OSTP Tanner Crowder, OSTP QIST Workforce Development iii Table of Contents About the national Science and Technology Council.

5 I Table of Contents .. iii Abbreviations and Acronyms .. iv Executive Summary .. v Introduction .. 1 Action 1. Develop and Maintain an Understanding 0f Workforce Needs in the QIST Ecosystem, with both Short-Term and Long-Term Perspectives .. 6 Current Landscape .. 6 Recommendations for Government .. 9 Opportunities for Academia, Industry and the Broader QIST Ecosystem .. 9 Action 2. Introduce Broader Audiences to QIST Through Public Outreach and Educational Materials .. 10 Current Landscape .. 10 Recommendations for Government .. 13 Opportunities for Academia, Industry and the Broader QIST Ecosystem .. 14 Action 3. Address QIST-Specific Gaps in Professional Education and Training Opportunities .. 15 Current Landscape .. 17 Recommendations for Government .. 18 Opportunities for Academia, Industry and the Broader QIST Ecosystem .. 18 Action 4. Make Careers in QIST and Related Fields More Accessible and Equitable.

6 20 Current Landscape .. 22 Recommendations for Government .. 23 Opportunities for Academia, Industry and the Broader QIST Ecosystem .. 24 Conclusion .. 26 Appendix: QIST Opportunities Supported by Federal Agencies .. 27 QIST Workforce Development iv Abbreviations and Acronyms AFOSR Air Force Office of Scientific Research AFRL Air Force Research Laboratory ARL Army Research Laboratory ARO Army Research Office DHS Department of Homeland Security DOD Department of Defense DOE Department of Energy DOI Department of the Interior DOS Department of State ESIX Subcommittee on Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science IARPA Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity IWG Interagency Working Group LPS national Security Agency Laboratory for Physical Sciences NASA national aeronautics and Space Administration NDAA national Defense Authorization Act NIH national Institutes of Health NIST national Institute of Standards and Technology NQCO national Quantum Coordination Office NQI national Quantum Initiative NSA national Security Agency NSF national Science Foundation NSTC national Science and Technology Council ODNI Office of the Director of

7 national Intelligence OMB Office of Management and Budget ONR Office of Naval Research OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy OUSD(R&E) Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering QIST Quantum Information Science and Technology QED-C Quantum Economic Development Consortium QLCI Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes R&D Research and Development SCQIS Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science STEM Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. USPTO United States Patent and Trade Office QIST Workforce Development v Executive Summary Workforce Development in Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) is a priority for the United States as part of the national Quantum To ensure economic and national security, several actions are recommended here to evaluate the QIST Workforce landscape, prepare more people for jobs with quantum technology, enhance STEM education at all levels, accelerate exploration of quantum frontiers,2 and expand the talent pool for industries of the future.

8 Beyond the significant technical challenges facing QIST research and Development (R&D), the shortage of talent constrains progress. The field is currently creating more job openings than can be filled, with the variety of jobs related to QIST expanding in academia, industry, national labs, and government. New and sustained Workforce training efforts are critical for maintaining American leadership in QIST. Fortunately, the requisite skills are widely applicable and in high demand. Therefore, investments that grow the professional expertise needed for QIST R&D will pay dividends in many sectors of the economy. Building the Nation s QIST Workforce will require coordination among Government agencies, academic institutions, professional societies, non-profit organizations, industry, and international partners. There are also important roles for STEM educators and institutional experts on diversity, equity and inclusion, to ensure that training in QIST will position more individuals for rewarding careers, and expand America s capacity for high-tech innovation.

9 Presidential Science Advisor Dr. Eric Lander spoke about the importance of growing the American high-tech Workforce by, not just cloning the people who are in it but expanding to include everybody in this country who wants to be part of it. 3 He said, Focusing on the hardest, most important problems; making and investing in the right technical bets; and building and growing the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow all in our unique American model of fair and free-market competition and cooperation is how we will continue to lead. To ensure the United States creates a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable Workforce that possesses the broad range of skills needed by industry, academia, national laboratories, and the Government, this document expands upon the Workforce policies outlined in the national Strategic Overview of Quantum Information Science. It provides updates on current activities, additional recommendations, and criteria for success.

10 Four critical actions are identified: 1. Develop and maintain an understanding of the Workforce needs in the QIST ecosystem, with both short-term and long-term perspectives; 2. Introduce broader audiences to QIST through public outreach and educational materials; 3. Address QIST-specific gaps in professional education and training opportunities; and 4. Make careers in QIST and related fields more accessible and equitable. 1 2 3 QIST Workforce Development 1 Introduction Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST)4 is a research and Development (R&D) priority for the United States because it pushes the frontiers of science and It lays a foundation for industries of the future, and can impact national security. To accelerate QIST R&D and grow the Nation s capacity to develop quantum technologies, the United States needs a talented, diverse, and adaptable Workforce . However, the supply of such talent currently does not meet demand from the rapidly expanding industrial, national laboratory, government, and academic efforts.