Google is committed to supporting world class research in quantum computing. We are looking to fund and actively collaborate on research into quantum algorithms and applications for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) processors. Our research partners will have access to our best gate-based quantum processors when available via the cloud (50-200 physical qubits with two-qubit error rates as low as 0.5%, which provide circuit depth up to 100).
This program is intended to support collaboration between leading academic groups and Google. We invite you to submit a short proposal (3-5 pages). Proposals that include funding or resources from other organizations are welcome, provided that those other funding sources are consistent with this program’s mission. If you have suggestions for other researchers who should be invited to participate in this call, please let us know. You may direct questions about the Quantum Algorithms Focused Awards to quantumresearchawards@google.com.
Award Information:
Google plans to make multiple awards of USD $100,000 to support PhD and postdoctoral level research in quantum algorithms and applications for NISQ processors. The initial grant will be for 1 year, but funding in subsequent years is possible.
Guidance on Proposals:
Of interest are proposals for research that advance developing algorithms and applications for todays quantum processors.
Examples:
Applicants are asked to submit a 3-5 page proposal outlining research goals that could be accomplished in time commitment of roughly one year, a budget, and if possible, resource estimates (gate depth, number qubits, single and two qubit gate fidelities) required for running algorithms or experiments on a NISQ processor. The award will be given as an unrestricted gift intended to support PhD students and travel. Access to Google’s quantum processors and classical cloud resources may also be provided.
Awardees will also work with their Google Sponsor, a Quantum researcher assigned to each project based on relative field expertise for the purpose of offering advice and guidance. The Google Sponsor will serve as the main point of contact at Google, and will participate in any check-ins instigated by the PI and project team. They will also be ready to answer any questions related to faculty referrals, internships, or other general questions related to Google.
Review and Selection Process
Proposals will be reviewed and selected by an internal committee and are assessed on merit, innovation, originality, and an overall fit with our eligibility criteria. Applications may be submitted at any time. If there’s a member of the Quantum team in that you’d specifically like to collaborate with, we encourage you to reach out to that person and coordinate on an application.
We believe strongly in open access and in supporting projects whose output will be made available to the public and to other researchers. For this reason, we ask Principal Investigators (professors submitting proposals) to include a brief statement about what they intend to do with the output of their work, and we strongly prefer projects that intend to publish data sets, publish code via open source licenses, or otherwise contribute to the academic community.
Awardees will also receive invitations to present their work at Google's annual Quantum Spring Symposium in 2020.
How to Apply
Apply by filling out this application form and submit your proposal by Friday, June 21, 2019.
Proposal in PDF format, must include these items:
Remember to be concise but clear. As guidance, we'd prefer the body of the proposal to be 3 pages maximum.
To submit your proposal, please upload via the application form provided. Please note that sign-in through a Google account is required for uploading files through Google forms. If you have any questions, please reach out to quantumresearchawards@google.com. We expect to make final decisions no later than mid-August.