NIST-Supported Quantum Consortium Launches Committee on National Security

Costex/Shutterstock

The group will explore the on-the-rise technology’s implications within the crucial defense-driven realm.

The relatively nascent, National Institute of Standards and Technology-backed consortium launched to help strategically advance the emerging U.S. quantum industry recently established a new technical advisory committee, or TAC, to specifically target national security.

QED-C, short for the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, was codified by 2018 legislation to help unite various components of the nation’s quantum ecosystem and ultimately accelerate quantum-driven deployments and innovation. Through four original TACs, consortium members collectively dive deep into specific areas of need. 

The new “quantum for national security committee” will be run much like the others, but also offers something a little different than the rest, according to QED-C Deputy Director Celia Merzbacher. She announced the new TAC Thursday at the Genius Machines 2020 Virtual Summit hosted by Nextgov and Defense One—and this week shared more details on its impetus and work.

“We have this group now and the full roster is, I think, up to around maybe 60 people...engaged—and it's roughly equal industry and government—so that's great,” Merzbacher told Nextgov over the phone Monday. “It's only met a couple of times, so we're just getting it organized on what areas it might address.”

The individuals that make up that roster are stakeholders from the consortium’s select member organizations, of which there are now more than 100. QED-C’s existence is rooted in the National Quantum Initiative Act signed by the president almost two years ago, and its primary intent is to pinpoint and help close gaps in standards, cybersecurity, measurement, applications and more that need to be confronted to push forward quantum development across the U.S. industrial landscape. Within its existing committees, members collaborate on exactly that. 

“There are four that were stood up previously,” Merzbacher said. “So, there's one that's focused on use cases—what are the big high impact areas where quantum is likely to be applied.”

Another committee focuses on what she called “enabling technology gaps,” or essentially what’s standing in the way of quantum applications actually being fully realized. The third TAC hones in on standards and performance metrics, while the fourth looks to identify needs across America’s education and workforce pipelines. And as QED-C’s work unfolded, national security implications and applications emerged as another topic that warranted a deliberate focus. 

Existing consortium members raised the need for this new TAC, and its steering committee signed on. 

“The thing that's interesting about the quantum for national security committee is that it really is kind of cross-cutting all the others,” Merzbacher explained. “So there's naturally interactions happening between the use case committee, for instance, and what use cases of quantum might have application in the national security space—and what enabling technologies are going to be necessary for those national security applications. So, we're having this sort of communication between the committees as we start the work of this national security committee.”

At the same time, those involved are also puzzling out challenges that exist in the other topic areas, but make the most sense to fall under the umbrella of the new TAC.

“For instance, an example of a workforce issue that is more relevant to the national security community would be the pipeline of people who can get clearances,” Merzbacher said. “That's not something that the commercial side worries about, but on the national security side—both for the contractors and for the government—it's very important.”

As for the spark behind the new TAC, she added that the consortium itself was produced to help link efforts between government customers, research funding organizations, and the private sector. 

“So, it made sense that in addition, even though QED-C has ‘economic development’ in its name, that we also should make that bridge between the parts of government that are worried about national security and our members,” Merzbacher said. Further, the new committee also offered an opportunity for existing consortium members to reach out more broadly across the government, she noted, and engage parts of that community that perhaps hadn't been involved previously.

Though the consortium is currently in the midst of moving toward a more formalized operational structure, Merzbacher added there’s a chance new committees or interest groups may pop up, as members deem crucial topics more necessary.

“We're having conversations that are sort of developing and growing with sectors like the pharmaceutical industry. So, I could envision having something that was focused on the needs of a particular sector that might come together whether it was a committee—or whether it was a subset of the use case group—to be determined,” she said. “While we don't have any of those planned right now, I think that we quite likely would in the future.” 

Editor's note: The headline has been updated to clarify that QED-C is industry led. 

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.