News Release

National QIS Research Centers to host virtual career fair

Participants will have the chance to build their professional networks, meet one-on-one with potential employers, and hear from experts in the field on September 13

Meeting Announcement

DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory

Career Fair

image: Find out where to get started to embark a career in quantum information science view more 

Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory

UPTON, NY– Registration is now open for the third Quantum Information Science Career Fair hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers. The virtual event takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The event aims to make undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and early-career professionals aware of the wide range of QIS careers they can pursue—including technical and scientific roles as well as positions that facilitate research and bring awareness to the field, such as communications and program management. Experts spanning across wide range of sectors—from government, academia, and industry—will meet with job candidates, share their experiences, give an overview of how the QIS landscape has progressed in the last year, and answer questions about this exciting, interdisciplinary field.

Those interested in attending can sign up until Sept. 12. The event is free and will be hosted virtually. There’s something for everyone: workshops, discussion panels, and networking opportunities will give job seekers a chance to learn more about different professional pathways or meet one-on-one with employers. Breakout sessions are designed to provide information and interactions relevant to the diverse range of job seekers interested in QIS. The agenda will be updated as new speakers or events are added to the schedule.

“Quantum is regularly making headlines,” said Andrew Houck, director of Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), one of the five DOE QIS centers. “It’s a hot field to be in right now. I remember thinking that these stories wouldn’t mean anything to anyone outside of the 100 or so people that were investigating QIS when I first got involved, but now it’s being talked about in presidential addresses.”

Last year’s fair saw 1,000 registrants and about three-quarters of the attendees were students and postdocs. To cater to the diverse makeup of attendees, several of this year’s panels and breakout sessions will be tailored students and professionals of different levels and backgrounds, including sessions for candidates seeking technician and non-STEM roles in QIS. The QIS Career Fair is aligned with DOE Office of Science’s mission to increase and encourage the participation of individuals from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields.

Exhibitors will include all five National QIS Research Centers. Led by a DOE national laboratory, each National QIS Research Center represents a partnership of labs, universities, and industry, bringing together some of the most innovative minds in research. Members of each center look forward to sharing their experiences, giving advice, and answering participants’ questions.

The QIS Career Fair is being organized being hosted by the C2QA, a National QIS Research Center led by DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, with participation from Q-Next and the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) as co-leads and assistance from the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) and the Quantum Science Center (QSC). Direct questions about the event to Career Fair Coordinator Donna Cusa.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov

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