Identifying Opportunities at the Interface of Chemistry and Quantum Information Science

This award is funded by the Chemistry Division of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate through the Special Projects mechanism. The principal Investigator is Jeremy Mathis and the co-principal investigator is Kavita Berger, both of the National Academy of Sciences. This work is conducted through the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology in the Division of Earth and Life Studies.

The overall goal is to conduct a consensus study to identify the opportunities and research priorities that exist at the boundaries of chemistry and quantum information science (QIS). The expected outcome is a report with recommendations on how chemistry can move forward and expand the field of QIS while also identifying ways that QIS can impact the field of chemistry. The study is being conducted by a diverse committee with a range of expertise.

No other studies have been undertaken that have focused so exclusively on the relationship between chemistry and QIS. The study will result in a publicly accessible report that identifies strategic research areas in this complex and highly interdisciplinary area. Key strategies for furthering the fields of both QIS and chemistry are expect to result. Broader impacts of this work could well lead to impactful outcomes such as new drug design and sustainable energy production.

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.