[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15571-15572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06848]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Notice of Public Workshop on Quantum Information Science and the 
Needs of U.S. Industry

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology announces a 
workshop on Quantum Information Science and the Needs of U.S. Industry, 
to be held on Friday, April 10, 2015. NIST is holding this workshop on 
behalf of the Interagency Working Group on Quantum Information Science 
of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on 
Science (CoS) Subcommittee on Physical Sciences (PSSC). The purpose of 
the workshop is to solicit input from stakeholders about the broader 
needs of the industrial community in the area of quantum information 
science (QIS). Topics to be discussed include opportunities for 
research and development, emerging market areas, barriers to near-term 
and future applications, and workforce needs. Information gathered at 
this workshop will be used in the development and coordination of U. S. 
Government policies, programs, and budgets to advance U.S. 
competitiveness in QIS.

DATES: The Workshop on Quantum Information Science and the Needs of 
Industry will be held on Friday, April 10, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time. Attendees must register by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 
April 3, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at NIST, 100 Bureau Dr., 
Gaithersburg, MD, 20899. Please note admittance instructions under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Gail 
Newrock, Carl Williams, or Claire Cramer by email at [email protected], 
or Gail Newrock by phone at (301) 975-3200. To register, go to: http://www.nist.gov/pml/div684/quantum-information-science-innovation-and-the-path-forward.cfm. Additional information about the workshop will be 
available at this web address as the workshop approaches.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Twenty years of research and development 
work in QIS is producing the first niche applications, and there is an 
increasing level of international activity in the field. The 
Interagency Working Group in QIS was chartered in October 2014 to 
develop and coordinate policies, programs, and budgets to take 
advantage of recent progress in this area and position the United 
States as a leader in the international research community. The 
Interagency Working Group includes participants from the Departments of 
Commerce, Defense, and Energy; the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence; and the National Science Foundation. The purpose of the 
workshop on Quantum Information

[[Page 15572]]

Science and the Needs of U.S. Industry is to solicit input from 
stakeholders about the broader needs of the industrial community in the 
area of quantum information science (QIS). Topics to be discussed 
include opportunities for research and development, emerging market 
areas, barriers to near-term and future applications, and workforce 
needs. Information gathered at this workshop will be used in the 
development and coordination of U. S. Government policies, programs, 
and budgets to advance U.S. competitiveness in QIS.
    This workshop will focus on the needs of industry in the following 
areas:
(1) Opportunities
    Quantum information science includes, for example, quantum 
computing and processing, quantum algorithms and programming languages, 
quantum communications, quantum sensors, quantum devices, single photon 
sources, and detectors. What areas of pre-competitive QIS research and 
development appear most promising? What areas should be the highest 
priorities for Federal investment? What are the emerging frontiers? 
What methods of monitoring new developments are most effective?
(2) Market Areas and Applications
    The 2008 ``A Federal Vision for Quantum Information Science'' \1\ 
identified exciting new possibilities for QIS impact, including mineral 
exploration, medical imaging, and quantum computing. Now, six years 
later, what market areas are well-positioned to benefit from new 
developments in QIS?
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    \1\ http://www.nist.gov/pml/div684/upload/FederalVisionQIS.pdf.
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(3) Barriers
    Funding levels and mechanisms, technology, dissemination of 
information, and technology transfer are some of the potential barriers 
to adoption of QIS technology. What are the greatest barriers to 
advancing important near-term and future applications of QIS and what 
should be done to address these barriers?
(4) Workforce Needs
    Addressing opportunities in QIS and barriers to applications 
requires a workforce spanning many disciplines, ranging from computer 
science and information theory to atomic scale manipulation of 
materials, and possessing a range of knowledge and skills. What 
knowledge and skills are most important for a workforce capable of 
addressing the opportunities and barriers? In what areas is the current 
workforce strong, and in what areas is it weak? What are the best 
mechanisms for equipping workers with the needed knowledge and skills?
    The workshop will include invited presentations by leading experts 
from academia, industry, and government and time for group discussion.
    There is no cost for participating in the workshop. No proprietary 
information will be accepted, presented or discussed as part of the 
workshop, and all information accepted, presented or discussed at the 
workshop will be in the public domain.
    Workshop Registration: All workshop participants must pre-register 
at the following web address to be admitted: http://www.nist.gov/pml/div684/quantum-information-science-innovation-and-the-path-forward.cfm. 
Anyone wishing to attend this meeting must register by 5 p.m. Eastern 
Time on April 3, 2015, in order to attend. Also, please note that under 
the REAL ID Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-13), federal agencies, including 
NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver's license or identification 
card for access to federal facilities if issued by states that are REAL 
ID compliant or have an extension. NIST also currently accepts other 
forms of federal-issued identification in lieu of a state-issued 
driver's license. For detailed information please contact Gail Newrock 
at (301) 975-3200 or visit: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/visitor/.

Richard R. Cavanagh,
Acting Associate Director for Laboratory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2015-06848 Filed 3-20-15; 4:15 pm]
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