The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is seeking input from institutions of higher education on how to best prepare the next generation in the field of Quantum Information Science (QIS), according to a recent request for information (RFI).
The RFI – posted on March 6 – is looking for information that can help develop new techniques and approaches to prepare students for career fields in the QIS sector.
“The Office of Science in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites input from higher education institutions on approaches needed to prepare students for careers related to QIS, including identification of opportunities where DOE’s network of national laboratories could assist in training the future scientific and technological QIS workforce,” the RFI states.
The RFI will be used as a building block to “provide a foundation for DOE to develop a plan to complement training provided by higher education institutions to prepare students for a future scientific and technological workforce in QIS,” the Energy Department said.
The document outlines three areas in which DoE is seeking input: the types of training related to QIS that responding institutions are currently offering; whether institutions offer QIS training or training in QIS-related fields; and the top ten needs for students looking to enter this field.
The RFI also emphasizes the need for information from “minority serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as well as emerging research institutions.”
DoE is seeking responses through April 20.
