In recent years, the U.S. government has strengthened its investment in quantum science and education through executive orders and budget adjustments. Understanding how the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports quantum education is of profound significance for China to respond to global technological competition. This study has collected all current NSF-funded research projects related to quantum education and analyzed the content of these projects. The results show that quantum education research in the United States covers all levels of education from K-12 to universities. The focus of research has shifted from the physical theory teaching of the “first quantum revolution” to the practical application teaching of quantum information in the “second quantum revolution”, with particular emphasis on the direct connection between educational research and the quantum information labor market.
In recent years, the U.S. government has strengthened its investment in quantum science and education through executive orders and budget adjustments. Understanding how the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports quantum education is of profound significance for China to respond to global technological competition. This study has collected all current NSF-funded research projects related to quantum education and analyzed the content of these projects. The results show that quantum education research in the United States covers all levels of education from K-12 to universities. The focus of research has shifted from the physical theory teaching of the “first quantum revolution” to the practical application teaching of quantum information in the “second quantum revolution”, with particular emphasis on the direct connection between educational research and the quantum information labor market.
Quantum-based technologies have been instrumental in the development of a whole range of devices that are used these days (such as lasers, transistors, LiDAR, GPS, MRI, and many more). These technologies that emanated from the Quantum 1.0 Revolution have become ubiquitous in modern civilization over the past 50 years. The product commercialization and mass production were enabled by scientists, researchers, engineers, and most importantly, by the skilled technological workforce. This workforce played a critical support role in transforming inventions into high-volume, marketable products. We are currently at the heart of the Second Quantum Revolution, which is fueled by the research in quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum cryptography, and quantum sensing. The scientific progress that is currently taking place in these areas is going to fundamentally change the way we sense the world around us, approach our security, and process critical information. Governments and private entities across the world have recognized the strategic importance of quantum research-enabled technologies and have invested a significant amount of money to support graduate programs and research institutions where scientists, engineers, and other professionals are earning advanced degrees and immediately being engaged in active Quantum 2.0 research. To the best of our knowledge, and despite considerable investment in quantum research, no active efforts or programs exist that would train a quantum technological workforce at the technician level to support Quantum 2.0. The quantum industry, on the other side, has clearly identified the need for highly skilled quantum technicians that are able to support the commercialization of the new products and inventions. The lack of a trained quantum technician workforce is a major shortcoming that may have a profound negative impact on the long-term prospects and sustainability of the emerging quantum industry. The EdQuantum project, funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, is an effort to close this shortcoming and propose a well-defined curriculum through which the incumbent photonic and laser technicians in the United States will be upskilled with the new skills and competencies from quantum research-enabled technologies. This paper presents the results of the first phase of the EdQuantum project—the quantum industry survey. Over the last few months, we sought input from the quantum industry as to what skills and competencies should a future quantum technician possess to support its emerging needs. The results collected during the survey are presented in this paper along with their impact on the proposed educational curriculum. This paper also elaborates on the alignment of the proposed curriculum with a few ongoing initiatives in the skilled technical workforce education (such as NSB Vision 2030, Convergence Accelerators Initiative, and Skilled Technical Workforce Initiative).
A revolutionary technology impacting the field of science, engineering, and education is Quantum computing. Quantum Computing in education is a discipline regarding its application to teaching and learning. The focus of the paper is a bibliometric analysis of academic literature on quantum computing in education to identify the intellectual structure thereof, patterns of growth, and future research perspectives. It is based on the Scopus database as a primary source of data. It covers 104 relevant publications published during 2011-2025. They were sorted and analyzed with the help of Bibliometrix package and its Biblioshiny interface in R to show the annual trends of publications. The findings indicate that quantum computing education is becoming of academic interest, and the number of research materials is growing rapidly since 2020. The highly interdisciplinary nature, with engineering, computer science, physics, and social sciences, respectively, playing the dominant role. There is a transition towards more basic quantum concepts into applied educational concepts, such as curriculum development, engineering education, teaching practices, and student learning. The paper has an important implication for researchers, teachers, and policy formulators. It also outlines the direction of future research that can be used to advance the sustainable development of quantum computing education.
Driven in large part by the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, quantum information science (QIS) coursework and degree programs are rapidly spreading across U.S. institutions. Yet prior work suggests that access to quantum workforce education is unequally distributed, disproportionately benefiting students at private research-focused institutions whose student bodies are unrepresentative of U.S. higher education as a whole. We use regression analysis to analyze the distribution of QIS coursework across 456 institutions of higher learning as of Fall 2022, identifying statistically significant disparities across institutions in particular along the axes of institution classification, funding, and geographic distribution suggesting today’s QIS education programs are largely failing to reach low-income and rural students. We also conduct a brief analysis of the distribution of emerging dedicated QIS degree programs, discovering much the same trends. We conclude with a discussion of implications for educators, policymakers, and education researchers including specific policy recommendations to direct investments in QIS education to schools serving low-income and rural students, leverage existing grassroots diversity and inclusion initiatives that have arisen within the quantum community, and update and modernize procedures for collecting QIS educational data to better track these trends. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
In the early decades of the 20th century, the inception of quantum mechanics catalyzed the first quantum revolution, resulting in groundbreaking technological advances, such as nuclear energy, semiconductors, lasers, nuclear magnetic resonance, superconductivity, and global satellite positioning systems. These innovations have promoted significant progress in material civilization, fundamentally changed the way of life and societal landscape of humanity. Since the 1990s, quantum control technology has made significant strides forward, ushering in a rapid evolution of quantum technologies, notably exemplified by quantum information science. This encompasses domains such as quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum precision measurement, offering paradigm-shifting solutions for enhancing information transmission security, accelerating computational speed, and elevating measurement precision. These advances hold the potential to provide crucial underpinning for national security and the high-quality development of the national economy. The swift progression of quantum information technology heralds the advent of the second quantum revolution. Following nearly three decades of concerted efforts, China’s quantum information technology field as a whole has achieved a leap. Specifically, China presently assumes a prominent international role in both the research and practical application of quantum communication, leading the global domain in quantum computing, and achieving international preeminence or advanced standing across various facets of quantum precision measurement. Presently, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the developmental priorities in the realm of quantum information in China for the forthcoming 5 to 10 years, in alignment with national strategic priorities and the evolving landscape of international competition. This will enable the proactive establishment of next-generation information technology systems that are secure, efficient, autonomous, and controllable.
Quantum Education (QE) has gained worldwide importance due to the fast development of Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE). As per the strategy, quantum technology may spur innovation across industries and boost economic growth. Quantum computing research output and investment differ between developing and industrialized countries, highlighting the need for targeted efforts to close the gap. Consequently, while developed nations have advanced much in quantum research and development, underdeveloped countries still confront resource restrictions, limited infrastructure, and knowledge gaps hindering QE. This paper systematically reviews the environment, difficulties, and solutions for QE in developing countries. QE projects in numerous countries are examined, emphasizing tertiary education and institutes that provide quantum-related courses. A roadmap includes identifying learning goals, building thorough courses, encouraging collaboration, using online platforms, and evaluating and giving feedback. Transdisciplinary learning, hands-on experience, and ongoing learning are emphasized in training quantum workers. International cooperation and partnerships encourage knowledge exchange and resource allocation. The research suggests that underdeveloped nations must work together to overcome obstacles and realize quantum education’s revolutionary potential. Policymakers, educators, and stakeholders can enable these countries to engage in the quantum revolution by executing the equitable quantum technology access roadmap. The general objective of this systematic review is to analyze the current state of quantum education in developing countries, identifying challenges, gaps, and strategies to promote its implementation. The specific objectives are to: (1) identify and classify academic initiatives and research centers in quantum education across emerging economies; (2) examine the infrastructural, financial, and policy barriers hindering quantum workforce development, including digital connectivity and teacher preparedness; (3) compare quantum readiness across countries and regions using educational, scientific, and technological indicators; and (4) propose strategic guidelines for equitable global quantum advancement through curriculum reform, international collaboration, and workforce policy.
In response to numerous programs seeking to advance quantum education and workforce development in the United States, experts from academia, industry, government, and professional societies convened for a National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop in February 2024 to explore the benefits and challenges of establishing a national center for quantum education. Broadly, such a center would foster collaboration and build the infrastructure required to develop a diverse and quantum-ready workforce. The workshop discussions focused on how a center could uniquely address gaps in public, K-12, and undergraduate quantum information science and engineering (QISE) education. Specifically, the community identified activities that, through a center, could lead to an increase in student awareness of quantum careers, boost the number of educators trained in quantum-related subjects, strengthen pathways into quantum careers, enhance the understanding of the US quantum workforce, and elevate public engagement with QISE. Core proposed activities for the center include professional development for educators, coordinated curriculum development and curation, expanded access to educational laboratory equipment, robust evaluation and assessment practices, network building, and enhanced public engagement with quantum science.