Two U.S. Army research projects at the University of Chicago advance quantum networking, which will play a key role in future battlefield operations. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Image: Army Research Laboratory, Courtesy of the University of Chicago, Nancy Wong
By: FEDweek StaffThe GAO has called for improvements in workforce planning at DoD research laboratories for positions involved with quantum technologies, saying it “could help these laboratories build and retain the workforce needed to maintain global leadership in quantum technologies.”
“DoD considers quantum technologies as critical to protecting national security. Nations that lead in quantum technologies can gain a competitive edge in areas such as cryptography, sensing, and computing. To remain competitive, DoD is developing its quantum workforce” in fields including physics, chemistry, computer science and mathematics, a report said.
However, DoD “faces challenges building its quantum workforce, such as difficulties recruiting highly specialized staff.”
It said the four DoD labs involved with most of such research—two in the Navy and one each in the Army and Air Force—include quantum information science as part of their broader strategic workforce planning but varied in their adoption of five leading practices. While the Air Force Research Laboratory fully adopted all five, the others “either did not have performance measures or inconsistently applied them” and the Naval Research Laboratory further “did not have a means to communicate its workforce goals, initiatives, and metrics for success.”
It said DoD agreed with recommendations to fully adopt those best practices.
GAO meanwhile found that DoD has at least 41 different STEM education programs to support workforce development, for example by offering internship and fellowship-type programs. However, it is not clear how many participants later joined the DoD quantum workforce because most of the programs the GAO examined did not track those numbers.
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