EPB launches Quantum Computing Fellowship funded by $4M NIST grant - Telecompetitor
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The Quantum Computing Fellowship launched by Chattanooga, Tennessee-based EPB will encourage training and real-world experience in the development of quantum solutions, according to the service provider. Eight fellows will participate in the program, which is supported by a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). EPB’s Quantum Computing Fellowship will help build a local “quantum-ready” workforce and support new and local job creation. It will be headed by Quantum Computer Manager Paul Smith. The NIST grant funding the fellowship was awarded in 2024. The goal is to accelerate the research, development, and workforce development of quantum technologies. The fellowship curriculum was developed in partnership with IonQ, a quantum platform company. The company also will also develop and execute a quantum executive education program aimed at identifying applications and quantum solutions for various use cases. Last year, EPB added an IonQ Forte enterprise quantum computer to the EPB Quantum Center in downtown Chattanooga. “This critical investment in workforce development will prepare a highly skilled workforce to lead the quantum future and keep Chattanooga’s innovation ecosystem on the cutting edge,” EPB President and CEO-elect Janet Rehberg said in a press release about the Quantum Computing Fellowship. EPB has long positioned itself as an early adopter of quantum technology. In December, EPB and Vanderbilt University said they would establish the Institute for Quantum Innovation. The goal is to be a center for research, innovation and graduate-level education in quantum and related fields. Once accredited, Vanderbilt will establish an academic research and innovation campus in Chattanooga and locate faculty, staff and graduate students onsite. Whatever EPB is doing, apparently, is working. Last November, a peer-reviewed impact study conducted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga found that the network’s network and automated electric grid have generated $5.3 billion in community benefit since they launched in 2010.