Quantum Computing Summer School Fellowship

Developing new leaders in the theory, application, and programming of quantum computers

The school will be held from June 8th to August 14th 2026.

The Quantum Computing Summer School is an immersive 10-week curriculum that includes tutorials from world-leading experts in quantum computation as well as one-on-one mentoring from LANL staff scientists who are conducting cutting-edge quantum computing research. Summer school fellowship recipients will be exposed to the theoretical foundations of quantum computation and will become skilled at programming commercial quantum computers, such as those developed by IBM, Quera, IonQ, Quantinuum, DWave. Roughly twenty students (with the precise number determined based on the applicant pool) will be awarded a fellowship from LANL for the summer school. The fellowship amount ranges from $10,000 to $20,000, based on academic rank. All students (undergraduate and graduate) are encouraged to apply. 

For additional information please contact Marco Cerezo, Luis Pedro Garcia Pintos and Cinthia Huerta Alderete.

Application link

Curriculum

In the first 2 weeks, students will attend lectures given by world-leading experts – from academia, industry and national laboratories – in quantum computing research.

Following the 2-week lecture period, each student will work on a research project in quantum computing for the remaining 8 weeks. For this research project, each student will be paired with a LANL mentor who will propose project topics and provide guidance. Each project will involve some hands-on programming of a quantum computer (IBM’s, Quantinuum’s, Quera, D-Wave’s, as available). If time permits, the students will begin preparing their results for publication.

Students

This highly-selective program is designed for all students (undergraduate and graduate). We encourage students from all STEM majors (physics, computer science, engineering, math, chemistry, etc.) to apply. Ideally, students should have some familiarity and research experience with quantum information sciences, as well as some basic programming skills (e.g., in Python). We note that both US citizens and non-US citizens are eligible to apply (citizenship is not a requirement).

Duration

The program will begin on June 8th, 2026 and will last 10 weeks.

Applications

Application deadline: January 11th, 2026

Who can apply?

Upper division undergraduate students and early graduate students in all scientific disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Application process

Submit:

• Current resume (Please state citizenship in your application)
• Letter of intent describing your
  • research interests and experience,
  • familiarity with quantum mechanics and/or linear algebra,
  • programming experience,
  • interest in this summer school, and
  • overall strengths and goals.

Begin the application process and submit your materials.

Those selected will be required to reply stating their acceptance and provide official transcripts.

Highlights from 2025 School

Invited speakers:

Misha Lukin (Harvard, Quera), Scott Aaronson (University of Texas), Maria Schuld (Xanadu), Michael Foss-Feig (Quantinuum), Denny Dahl (IonQ), Elie Gouzien (Alice & Bob), Torin Stetina (Xanadu), Ryan LaRose (Michigan State University), Michael Gullans (NIST), 

Finished Projects from past schools

• Characterizing quantum resourcefulness via group-Fourier decompositions
• Uncovering and Circumventing Noise in Quantum Algorithms via Metastability
• Block encoding the 3D heterogeneous Poisson equation with application to fracture flow 
• Real classical shadows
• Random ensembles of symplectic and unitary states are indistinguishable

Additional Highlights Projects from Previous Schools

• 2024: Gate-based quantum simulation of Gaussian bosonic circuits on exponentially many modes
• 2023: More buck-per-shot: Why learning trumps mitigation in noisy quantum sensing 
• 2023: Optimal Coherent Quantum Phase Estimation via Tapering
• 2023: Quantum Tensor Product Decomposition from Choi State Tomography
• 2022: Mixed Quantum-Semiclassical Simulation
• 2022: Large-scale simulations of Floquet physics on near-term quantum computers
• 2021: On the universality of sn-equivariant k-body gates
• 2021: Analyzing the quantum approximate optimization algorithm: ansätze, symmetries, and Lie algebras