Charter of the Quantum Software Alliance

Preliminary information

Purpose and objectives

The development of Quantum Technologies, namely quantum computation, quantum communications, and quantum sensing & metrology, opens the prospect of novel and disruptive information technologies impacting our Information Society.

Currently, there are huge investments at global level in Quantum Technologies, especially in hardware. However, the development of quantum software – namely quantum algorithms and quantum protocols offering significant quantum advantage, and the underlying methods, theory, and tools – key for the future practical exploitation of the quantum hardware being developed, has been challenging.

The present Charter articulates the creation of a Quantum Software Alliance (QSA) to promote the fair development of quantum software associated to quantum technologies.

The Quantum Software Alliance brings together research stakeholders to address this key challenge, leveraging expertise at global level to develop a comprehensive and technically-informed research agenda for quantum software, connecting and growing the corresponding research community, promoting ethics, and providing reliable analyses and prospects to funding bodies, industry, and the general public.

Parties involved

Quantum Software Lab (UK)
PQI – Portuguese Quantum Institute (Portugal)
Vienna Centre for Quantum Science and Technology (Austria)
Centre for Quantum Technologies (Singapore)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA)
European Quantum Software Institute (International)
Centre for the Mathematics of Quantum Theory (Denmark)
Quantum Software Consortium (Netherlands)
Sydney Quantum Academy (Australia)
IFIP Working Group on Foundations of Quantum Computation (International)
Paris Centre for Quantum Technologies (France)
Quantum Technologies National Institute for Research in Digital Science (France)
Institute for Quantum Computing (Canada)
University of Tokyo Quantum Information Group (Japan)
Free University Berlin Institute for Theoretical Physics (Germany)
University of Leiden Quantum Algorithms (Netherlands)
Technology Innovation Institute (UAE)
Centre for Quantum Information and Computer Science (USA)
National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Italy)
ETH Quantum Center (Switzerland)

Definitions

Member is an institution or company which is associated to the QSA.
Representative is a person representing a member institution in the General Assembly.
General Assembly is formed by all representatives of member institutions of the QSA.
Steering Committee is a set of representatives of 5 institutions that run the day-to-day activities of QSA.
Chairperson is one of the members of the Steering Committee that will chair sessions and have casting vote on decisions.
Host institution is the home institution of one of the members of the Steering Committee that will handle the finances of the QSA.

Goals

The goals of the Quantum Software Alliance are:

To produce, disseminate, and regularly update the Quantum Software Research Agenda.
To connect the quantum software research community at global level.
To promote ethical and responsible research on quantum software.
To provide faithful, hype-free, information on quantum software for public understanding and policy making.

Structure

Governance

The main documents that define the aims, structure and activities of the QSA are

This Charter paper
Policy papers

The supervision and implementation of the activities of QSA is done by

A General Assembly
A QSA Steering Committee
A task force for each individual project under QSA

Steering Committee

QSA. Ideally, the representatives of the Steering Committee would reflect a continental/geographical balance, giving the QSA a global dimension.

The Steering Committe will be elected in a General Assembly by vote of its public sector members.

The Steering Committe will elect a Chairperson by majority vote. In case of a draw, the most senior representative becomes the chairperson.

The Chairperson of the Steering Committee will chair the activities of the Steering Committee.

All decisions made by the Steering Committee will be decided by a majority vote. If votes are split equally between opposing sides, the Chairperson shall cast the final and deciding vote.

The responsibilities of the Steering Committee are

Providing strategic direction to QSA
Overseeing the finances of the QSA
Monitoring all the activities of the QSA
Approving new activities and assign a taskforce to run them
Facilitating communication and collaboration

The members of the Steering Committee will be appointed for 3y, renewing one or two members every year. The Steering Committee will proactively invite candidates for the renovation of its members.

QSA will try to keep a lean structure and bureaucracy.

Members

QSA is an alliance of public and private institutions devoted to high learning, and with open source research activities in quantum software:

Public universities
Research institutions that are non-profit or with a public governing board • Private universities

The inclusion of new members can be done by invitation from the Steering Committee on Behalf of the General Assembly or by application with a positive evaluation from this General Assembly. The Steering Committee will provide an evaluation stating if candidate institutions have a minimum of activity in the field of quantum software research.

QSA can be supported by:

Private companies

These supporting members must provide a letter of intent declaring as a priority line of research the development or innovation on quantum software, and accept the principle of open source output of the activities carried by the QSA.

All members of QSA are entitled to coordinate and participate in all activities of the alliance.

Initially, QSA will be created with the collaboration of a series of Founding Members, comprising public universities and institutions. Subsequently, institutions or companies can be invited to apply for membership. Unsolicited applications for membership will also be considered. Further members will be added to the alliance after their candidacy is approved by a Steering Committee.

General Assembly

All member institution will nominate a representative.

The set of all representatives will form the General Assembly.

The General Assembly will have the following responsibilities:

Vote a Steering Committee.
Accept or reject new members as proposed by the Steering Committee. • Approve new activities, or delegate this task in the Steering Committee. • Approved the financial report presented by the Steering Committee.

The General Assembly will meet once per year

Representatives from member institutions in the General Assembly will also be in charge of communications with the Steering Committee.

Supporting Members Advisory Board

The supporting members will nominate a representative to the Supporting Members Advisory Board, which will meet once a year. The Supporting Members Advisory Board will report and provide advice to the General Assembly and the Steering Committee to summarise the views of the supporting members, particularly towards the Quantum Software Research Agenda.

Communication protocol

All relevant information will be shared by the Steering Committee with the members of the QSA by mail to their respective designed representative.

Performance metrics

In case the Steering Committee does not manage to promote any activity in one year, a General Assembly will be called and a new Steering Committee will be elected.

Activities

The core activities of the QSA are initially centered in the following directions: • Publication of the Quantum Software Research Agenda

Maintain a source of truth webpage for quantum software
Organize a yearly meeting of the General Assembly
Support the exchange of scientists among its members
Support collaborations with institutions in emerging countries
Support activities for outreach on quantum software
Promote awareness on ethics in quantum technologies research

The support to other activities for the development of quantum software not mentioned above will be decided by the General Assembly and supervised by the Steering Committee.

Costs and risk sharing

Fees

The QSA will secure some core funding to cover basic costs by charging fees to its members. The initial fees are:

1.000 Euros per year for members that are academic, public, non-profit, or charitable institutions,
2.500 Euros per year for private companies with at most 20 employees, • 5.000 Euros per year for private companies with 20-100 employees,
10.000 Euros per year for private companies with more than 100 employees.

These quantities will be updated in the future as decided by the General Assembly. The QSA may raise separate funding for specific activities.

Risk sharing

The financial control of the core funding raised by the AQS will be handled by the host insti tution, that must be the home institution of one of the members of the Steering Committee. In case, the member of the Steering Committee ceases its commitment, the funds will be transfer to the new institution which is chosen among those of the renewed members of this committee.

In case of activities funded by external parties, funding may be controlled case by case by other host institutions.

Compensation

All members of the Steering Committee will work pro bono.

Specific activities may involved compensation, once approved by the Steering Committee.

Legal and compliance provisions

Termination

The QSA can be terminated in a General Meeting with a minimum participation of more than 50% of its members.

Liability and indemnification

All liability related to the financial activity of the QAS will be handled by the legal department of the host institution.

Dispute resolution

In case of conflicts, the Steering Committee will seek advice, mediation and arbitration from the legal department in the host institution handling the core funding.

Governing law and jurisdiction

The QSA shall obide by UK law and precedence, and international laws around intellectual property and copyright where applicable.

Entire agreement and amendments

This written document contains all terms. Any changes must be made in writing and signed by the Steering Committee.