NSF Backs Unity Fund Project With $1.5 Million Grant

Insider Brief

• The Unitary Fund has been granted a $1.5 million award by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance the open-source ecosystem.
• The ecosystem is centered around the Mitiq project.
• Mitiq is a compiler designed to enhance the robustness of quantum programs.

In what could be a significant boost for the quantum computing community, the Unitary Fund has been granted a $1.5 million award by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance the open-source ecosystem centered around the Mitiq project. This announcement marks a significant step for the Unitary Fund, further establishing its role as a research organization in the quantum technology space, according to the Unity Fund post.

This funding injection is expected to have a transformative impact on the Mitiq project’s open-source ecosystem, the post states.

Mitiq and Its Role

Mitiq is a compiler designed to enhance the robustness of quantum programs in the face of errors commonly encountered in quantum computers. Quantum computers inherently have high error rates, making error mitigation a critical aspect of their utility. According to the post, Mitiq has emerged as a leading compiler for quantum error mitigation, with over 100,000 downloads and a community of more than 50 contributors worldwide.

Expanding the Mitiq Open Source Ecosystem

The NSF grant will facilitate the expansion of the Mitiq Open Source Ecosystem (OSE). According to the post, this expansion will extend beyond the project’s core developers and initial user base, encompassing areas such as product management, infrastructure engineering, community management, governance and user success. Notably, the project will prioritize user-led development of digital interfaces and resources, hasten progress in quantum error mitigation, ensure compatibility with emerging hardware, and establish standards and benchmarks.

The ultimate goal of the Mitiq OSE is to democratize access to software-based techniques that mitigate noise sensitivities in quantum programs and protocols. This initiative is expected to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge quantum research, benefiting users across academia, government, and industry.

Leadership and Framework

Heading this project for the Unitary Fund are Dr. Nathan Shammah as Principal Investigator (PI) and Dr. Will Zeng as Co-PI, as per the post. Their leadership will play a crucial role in guiding the growth and success of the Mitiq OSE.

The NSF grant is awarded under the framework of the Pathways for Open Source Ecosystem (POSE) initiative, launched by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) last year. The grant is poised to fuel the sustainable growth of the Mitiq OSE, enhancing the performance of quantum computers and driving the development of use cases in academia, government, and industry.