The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is now accepting proposals for the use of its quantum computer, appropriate for research on artificial intelligence algorithms and advanced programming techniques for quantum annealing.
USRA is an independent, nonprofit research corporation working in conjunction with NASA’s D-Wave Two quantum computer at the Ames Research Center. Quantum computers enable information to be expressed as zeros and ones simultaneously using quantum bits or qubits, allowing for types of processing that are not possible in traditional computing. This particular quantum computer in use at the Ames Research Center has 1,097 qubits in the working graph and runs the commercially available “Washington”-generation chip.
Qualified researchers can submit a proposal at any time. Qualified researchers who are accepted and who are affiliated with an accredited university, not-for-profit organization, of members of industry will receive access to computer time on the D-Wave System through September 2016, free of charge. No additional financial support will be provided. The computer time allocated for the research opportunity represents about 20 percent of the computer’s total available run time during that period. Successful projects will also be permitted to remotely access the quantum computer, as well as to run multiple jobs up to the maximum allocated usage.
The D-Wave Two allows for mapping, decomposition, and embedding techniques for quantum annealing.
Requests for proposals can be submitted here.