NCATS Awards Quantum Biomedical Technology Innovations
NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) announced the winners of the first stage of its Quantum Computing Challenge.
These teams designed solutions to identify and propose novel applications of quantum computing and quantum algorithmic approaches to apply toward cases within clinical, translational and biomedical problem areas.
The 10 winning teams comprise multidisciplinary experts from universities, clinics and the private sector. They will receive an award for their quantum algorithm and computing proposals in speeding drug discovery, improving clinical risk predictions, diagnosis and therapeutics, and enhancing biomedical imaging and genomic data analysis. And, they’re invited to participate in stage 2 of the challenge. The total prize purse is up to $1.3 million across the two stages of the challenge.
Learn more about the teams and their proposals: go.nih.gov/X1OTx3w.
Recent progress in quantum information sciences (QIS) has led to a new generation of quantum technologies that harness the power of quantum physics and engineered quantum states in the fields of sensing, computing, networking and communications. Such technologies can provide promising novel capabilities in early disease detection that can lead to improved diagnostic approaches and treatment, as well as enable new computational approaches.
NCATS established the Quantum Biomedical Innovations and Technology (Qu-BIT) program to support development of biomedical and translational use cases for the new generation of quantum technologies. Under this program, NCATS launched two challenge competitions to spur development in the fields of quantum sensing and quantum computing for biomedical applications.