Unitary Fund

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Unitary Fund is a non-profit working to create a quantum technology ecosystem that benefits the most people.

This is our blogpost announcement.

We do two main things:

• We run a microgrant program. We fund explorers across the world to work on quantum technologies. Do you have an idea for a project? Apply for a microgrant.


• We do our own research on projects that help the ecosystem as a whole. As an example, we are currently developing an open source toolchain for error-mitigated quantum programming.

Our grant program gives $4k cash grants for projects that help develop the quantum technology ecosystem. This could be open source quantum software, educational materials and workshops, a new quantum sensor prototype, or much more.

Our program is designed to be as simple as possible. No committees to convince. No organizational affiliation required. Just a short form and a two minute video.

For more information or to check on your application email [email protected].

Through our partners, applicants now have the option of getting free credits to run on Rigetti's Quantum Cloud Services and priority-tier access to IBMQ's publicly available devices.

The Unitary Fund is designed to help the quantum industry, in a small way, to cross the chasm. We started as a small microgrant program for open source quantum software projects.

Supporters

Thanks to Travis Scholten for helping source and review applications!

Unitary Fund is sponsored by: IBM, Alphabet X (formerly Google X), Microsoft, Rigetti, Xanadu, Zapata Computing, PLOS, Steve Willis & NYC Quantum Meetup, EeroQ, John Hering, Jeff Cordova, Nima Alidoust, Travis Humble, Will Zeng

Unitary Fund Team

Ryan LaRose, Andrea Mari, Nathan Shammah, Alexander Levy, & Will Zeng.

Grants Made

• To Dariusz Lasecki to build an open source QAOA library and examples using Q#.


• To Stephen DiAdamo to develop QuNetSim, a quantum network Python simulation framework which for investigating quantum network protocols. [github] [arXiv]


• To Vincent Russo to support toqito, an open source Python toolkit for quantum information theory with extra functionality to study non-local games. [Github]


• To Klementyna Jankiewicz and Piotr Migdal to develop widgets that embed visualizations of quantum states and ops into blog posts, interactive textbooks, and explorable explanations. These are extensions from their work on a new version of QuantumGame. [QuantumGame - Github] [Bra-Ket-Vue - Github


• To Abdul Karim Obeid and the QHyp project, developing research and software at the intersection of quantum contextuality and probabilistic programming. [Publication]


• To Qrack an open source, comprehensive, GPU-accelerated framework for simulating universal quantum processors. [Docs] [Benchmarks]


• To QCounsins to support their mission of welcoming a young and diverse group of programmers into quantum computing. The grant will fund more of their quantum programming workshops and educational materials. [Workshops we funded]


• To SciGym to build open source library for reinforcement learning environments in science. Examples include training a surface code decoder.


• To Gate42 to build an open source library for quantum error mitigation and dynamical decoupling: both techniques for compiling programs to reduce the effect of noise in quantum processors.


• To the NISQAI project to build a library for machine learning with near-term quantum processors. [Proposal] [Video] [arXiv]


• To Petar Korponaić to support and extend the Quantum Programming Studio, an open source in-browser IDE for multi-platform quantum programming. This project became the startup Quantastica that makes cross-platform quantum software. [Twitter] [Website]


• To Lucas Saldyt to prototype a probabilistic programming language for quantum computing. This library is called Curry.


• To Aleks Kissinger and John van de Wetering to support the development of pyZX, an optimizing quantum circuit compiler based on a diagrammatic semantics from monoidal categories. This work resulted in two publications: (i) an overview of the pyZX library and (ii) benchmarks showing that pyZX outperforms the state of the art in reducing T-Count. [arXiv1] [arXiv2] [Video] [Website]


• To Adam Kelly to extend his work on the open source QCGPU high performance quantum circuit simulator [github] [libraries] [website].


• To Ntwali Bashige to develop the Avalon quantum programming language and quantum programming communities in India and D. R. Congo.


• To Michal Stechly to build a traveling salesman solver web application and tutorials for Forest based on the quantum approximate optimization algorithm. [blogpost] [quantum TSP web app] [github tutorials]


• To Carlos Bravo Prieto to implement the Adiabatically Assisted Variational Quantum Eigensolvers in Forest, a hybrid classical-quantum algorithm for solving optimization problems. [Video] [github tutorial] [arXiv]

Project Ideas

Unitary Fund is supporting the development of QuTiP, the Quantum Toolbox in Python. Interested students can apply to propose a code project in QuTiP and be mentored by the core developers for a 3-month period, working remotely, similarly to the Google Summer of Code. A list of project ideas is available from the QuTiP wiki. Applications are open all-year-round.

Chris Granade - a senior developer on Microsoft's open source Quantum Development Kit - has some suggestions:

• Additional Q# simulators (e.g.: open systems or CHP simulators)
• New language interoperability; currently, can call into Q# from Python, C#, F#, VB.NET, or PowerShell
• Visualization and/or debugger tools (e.g.: improving the state visualizer sample)
• New libraries for quantum algorithms (e.g.: we’ve gotten requests for QRAM implementations and a Durr–Hoyer library)

F.A.Q.

Q: Can anyone apply?
Yes - any age, any country, no credentials required.

Q: What type of project qualifies?
Any project that will benefit humanity that leverages or supports quantum technology. Open source and/or open publication is not a dogmatic requirement - though we would recommend it as a starting point. It is, however, important to see a rationale for any exceptions (for example if you think it'd be best for the world to reserve the IP for a company).

Q: Is there a duration for projects?
We would prefer projects to be completed within 3-6 months. However, if there is a reason that your project should have a longer time window then include that in your application and we will consider it.

Q: What do I get if I win?
We'll give you cash 50% up front. We'll check in with you during the project before sending the second half. Then we'll do a follow-up phone call and/or email at the end to hear how it went. Payment will come by Paypal or wire transfer.

Additionally, in your application you can mark if you'd like to receive access to Rigetti QCS and IBMQ. If you are selected for a grant then you will get this access as well.

We'll publish a list of all the winners on unitary.fund after they've been selected. At completion we'll ask you to submit a short summary of the project that can be posted online. During the project, you don't need to make regular reports on your progress (though we'd be happy to hear from you).

Q: What are the key dates?
There are no key dates! Applications are rolling until all grant money has been allocated.

Q: What kind of projects are you looking for?
Quantum technology is a nascent field, so we're open-minded. Your project can be:

• contributing to an existing open source project
• creating a new framework or tool
• researching a new algorithm
• building a quantum hardware prototype
• running a new workshop or course
• applying an existing algorithm to a new problem
• creating or curating a free dataset that others can use
• educating, explaining, or otherwise helping people learn new or existing techniques

…or anything else that feels like it would help make quantum technology useful faster.

In some cases, in particular for projects involving hardware, we know that our grant likely won't be enough for the whole project. We're happen for our grant to supplement existing work, though we would like to see justification in your application for why the project could use our support.

Q: How will you select the winners?
We're looking for smart people with interesting ideas that could be useful to the world. We pay extra attention to projects that seem like they won't get funded another way.

Q: I have a job. Can I still apply?
Yes! Anyone can apply. You just need to make sure that you don't conflict with any IP contract you've signed with your employer.

Q: Can teams apply?
Yes. Multiple people can apply together as a team. Please fill out a single application, but provide background information for each person in the team. You should designate a lead person to coordinate the application as well as receive and distribute/spend the money.

Q: Can I apply multiple times?
Yes, you can apply as often as you like. You can win multiple times and we will consider repeat funding to continue to grow a project to the next level.

Q: I love this idea and I want to help! Can I provide additional funding, datasets, mentorship, or help reviewing applications?
Yes! Thank you for being awesome! If you want to contribute in any way, please email us at [email protected].

Q: Are there any strings attached?
The money is a gift. It's not an equity investment or loan, and we won't own any of your intellectual property. Our only request is that you think about how to pay it forward to others.

Q: How long should I expect a reply?
We aim to get back to applicants within two weeks.

Q: Where did you get the idea to do this?
This program is inspired by, and directly borrows from Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross and their AI Grant Program. Thanks, Nat and Daniel!

That program is inspired by, and directly borrows many elements from Nadia Eghbal and her no-strings-attached grant program. Thanks, Nadia!