The National Quantum Initiative launched its website — quantum.gov. According to the site, this will be the home of the project and will report on ongoing activities to explore and promote Quantum Information Science.
The National Quantum Initiative Act was signed into law on December 21, 2018. The purpose of this Act is to ensure the continued leadership of the United States in quantum information science and its technology applications. It provides for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States.
According to the Act, some responsibilities to guide the project will be divided up between the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS), the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO), and the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC).
Officials say the initiative provides an overarching framework to strengthen and coordinate QIS R&D activities across U.S. Departments and Agencies, private sector industry, and the academic community.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and the NDAA for FY 2020 legislate the Department of Defense (DOD) to carry out and support quantum information science and technology research and development.
Organizationally, along with numerous federal deparments and agencies, the initiative includes the following offices and subcommittees:
The National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) — Located in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) carries out the daily activities needed for coordinating and supporting the National Quantum Initiative.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS) coordinates Federal research and development (R&D) in quantum information science and related technologies under the auspices of the NSTC Committee on Science.
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science (ESIX) was established to ensure that economic and security implications of QIS are understood across the agencies.
The National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC) is the Federal Advisory Committee called for in the NQI Act, and established by Executive Order 13885, to advise the President, the Secretary of Energy and the NSTC Subcommittee on QIS.
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