Highlights
- Arizona State University received $199,998 from the NSF to develop noise-tolerant optimization algorithms for hybrid quantum computing.
- Principal investigator Baoyu Zhou will run the project from July 2026 through June 2029 under the NSF Computational Mathematics program.
- The grant funds open-source software, benchmark test problems, and undergraduate and graduate training in quantum computing and optimization.
- ASU is simultaneously running the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest, which has attracted more than $24 million in public and private investment across Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Arizona State University's Scottsdale campus secured a $199,998 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop optimization algorithms capable of training quantum computing systems reliably under high-noise conditions, according to NSF Award 2608762 posted to the agency's public database.
Principal investigator Baoyu Zhou will lead the work under the NSF's Computational Mathematics program. The award period runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
The project targets a specific bottleneck in near-term quantum computing: variational quantum algorithms, which are among the most promising approaches for current-generation hardware, rely on classical optimization routines that degrade when quantum measurements are noisy or when problem size grows. The NSF abstract states the research will develop "mathematically rigorous and scalable optimization frameworks that remain effective under severe noise and computational uncertainty."
Deliverables include open-source software, benchmark test problems, and educational materials, with training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in computational mathematics, optimization, and quantum computing.
The grant is titled a collaborative research award, meaning ASU is one of multiple institutional recipients on the broader project. The NSF filing does not identify the collaborating institutions or name the total award across all recipients.
The award adds to ASU's growing federal quantum portfolio. The university also leads the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest, a regional innovation initiative spanning Arizona, Nevada, and Utah with more than 180 partners that has attracted more than $24 million in public and private investment and accelerated eight startups that collectively raised more than $16 million in additional funding.
Who is the principal investigator?
The NSF filing names Baoyu Zhou as principal investigator at Arizona State University's Scottsdale location. The award record does not include Zhou's departmental affiliation, prior NSF funding history, or industry ties.
The NSF filing does not specify a public comment period or next milestone date; the project start date is July 1, 2026.
Sources
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Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 12/07/2026 01:22. Every claim traces to a source.
