Quantum Noir: A conference series focused on Faculty, Researchers, and Students of Color(+) in the Quantum Sciences

Non-technical description: This work will lead to creation of “Quantum Noir”, a biennial Quantum, Nanoscience and Engineering conference targeted at researchers from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM. The primary goals of the meeting are to educate participants of the scope and potential of Quantum Science and Engineering, illuminate scientific opportunities nationwide, and to network researchers from under-represented groups, connecting participants “collaboratively” with leaders in the Quantum Science and Engineering Community, focused on new technologies, national policy, and workforce training. The conference serves as a training and recruiting event for faculty, researchers, and students from under-represented groups into the Quantum Sciences. The ongoing revolution in Quantum Information, Quantum, Sensing, and Quantum Networking is a national challenge we must meet with all our resources, human and otherwise. With this support, Quantum Noir will help bridge this critical resource gap. Technical description: We are witnessing the emergence of Quantum Science & Engineering, a technology disruption as significant as the revolution in microelectronics. The ascent of this new discipline demands we rally the nation’s scientific community to address this opportunity. Much of the foundation of this work is based in condensed matter science and engineering where historically, there has been a barrier of entry for researchers of color, particularly at small and minority serving institutions, due to limited access to the extensive infrastructure and resources required to do world-class work. The conference will serve as an important workforce training and development event by enabling technology dissemination of the “state-of-the-art” from Quantum Engineering leaders, directly to a new generation of diverse researchers. The conference will create a collaborative nexus for researchers and students and will allow industry and the venture community access to an untapped source of innovators. The first meeting will be at Harvard University hosted in part by the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS). Quantum Noir will leverage the community expertise to truly diversify Quantum science, but also to build community, ensuring we are optimizing the nation’s talent and human resources available by connecting all researchers with the available infrastructure, resources, and training. 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.