Simons Institute to Host Research Pods in Machine Learning and Quantum Computing

We are delighted to announce that the Simons Institute will host two small research pods beginning in Spring 2021 — one in machine learning and one in quantum computing. Each pod will feature sustained research over several years conducted by a small number of junior and senior researchers to be in residence at the Institute for the duration. Sustained effort will be articulated by intense shorter convenings, including summer clusters and semester-long research programs. 

The quantum pod will be led by Simons Institute Research Director for Quantum Computing Umesh Vazirani and will be supported in part by the newly established Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA). Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, QSA is the recipient of a new grant of $115 million over five years from the Department of Energy. This multi-institutional project will advance quantum information science, accelerating the translation of fundamental research into transformative technologies. The pod will also be supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) via the Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes (CIQC) award. 

The machine learning pod will be led by Simons Institute Associate Director Peter Bartlett and will be funded by the NSF via the Foundations of Data Science Institute (FODSI) and Collaboration on the Theoretical Foundations of Deep Learning as part of a multi-institutional effort that includes Stanford, MIT, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, Hebrew University, and EPFL. Berkeley faculty members Martin Wainwright, Bin Yu, Michael I. Jordan, and Joshua Hug are also key participants in these NSF-funded initiatives.