NYU and IBM launch quantum postdoc program as demand grows for advanced computing skills
IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta walks onstage at IBM Think 2026 in Boston. Image credit: IBM
New York University and IBM have launched a joint postdoctoral research program in quantum computing, giving selected NYU researchers access to IBM quantum computers, IBM Research teams, and facilities at both NYU’s Quantum Institute and the Thomas J. Watson Research Center.
The collaboration places NYU inside the IBM Quantum Network, a group of academic institutions, enterprises, startups, and government labs working on quantum computing research and applications. The postdoctoral projects will focus on quantum algorithms and applications across chemistry, computer science, engineering, materials science, physics, and optimization.
The program adds another industry-linked research route for advanced computing talent as universities and technology companies compete to build skills in quantum, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and applied science.
Postdocs will work across NYU and IBM Research
NYU postdoctoral researchers selected for the program will work on quantum-related projects sponsored and supported by IBM and its quantum researchers.
The work will take place at NYU’s Quantum Institute and IBM Research headquarters, the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. Researchers will use IBM’s quantum computers as part of the program.
NYU says the collaboration follows an earlier NYU-IBM program that trained undergraduate and graduate students in quantum information physics. The new postdoctoral program moves the relationship further into applied research, with work connected to quantum-centric supercomputing architectures that combine quantum and classical high-performance computing workloads.
Javad Shabani, Professor at NYU and Director of NYU’s Quantum Institute, who will oversee the university’s role in the postdoctoral program, says: “Quantum computing’s potential to understand and address engineering, mathematical, and scientific barriers is unmatched. But maximizing its contributions requires developing a network of quantum pioneers across academia and industry who can reach beyond today’s technological boundaries. NYU welcomes the opportunity to work with IBM to help postdocs with their innovative and comprehensive approaches in meeting these challenges.”
IBM links program to quantum-centric supercomputing
IBM has been positioning quantum computing around hybrid systems that combine quantum and classical computing. The company says this approach is intended to support both current quantum-centric supercomputer architectures and future large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
The research areas named by NYU and IBM include drug development, materials discovery, chemistry, and optimization. Those fields require complex simulations that classical computers can struggle to process efficiently.
Jamie Garcia, Director, Growth & Strategic Partnerships at IBM, says: “This postdoctoral research sponsorship will give some of NYU’s top talent an opportunity to push IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing architecture not just for immediate application development, but to lay the groundwork for the algorithms that will power tomorrow’s fault-tolerant quantum computers—all while engaging with the broader quantum community of students, researchers, and industry professionals.”
IBM’s latest quantum messaging has also focused on practical use cases rather than lab-only experimentation. In a recent IBM Research blog linked to its Think 2026 conference, the company highlighted work with Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Q-CTRL in areas including protein simulation, fusion-related chemistry, and materials science.
IBM Research Director and IBM Fellow Jay Gambetta says in the blog: “Useful quantum is real right now, and we’re seeing interesting work coming in from our clients and partners. And they’re just getting started.”
NYU builds out Quantum Institute role
NYU established its Quantum Institute last fall, with research focused on quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing. The university describes the institute as a hub for academic research, industry collaboration, and engagement with New York’s startup ecosystem.
Juan J. de Pablo, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Executive Vice President for Global Science and Technology at NYU and Executive Dean at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, posted on LinkedIn that NYU postdoctoral researchers chosen for the program will conduct quantum-related projects supported by IBM and its researchers.
He added that the collaboration will be led by Javad Shabani, Sarah Sheldon, Jeannette Garcia, and Jerry M. Chow.
De Pablo says in the NYU announcement: “When we launched the Quantum Institute at NYU, its success was to be based on the ingenuity of the outstanding faculty and students leading innovation at NYU, but of equal importance was the collaboration with industry leaders—such as IBM. Together we can help make New York a vital part of the quantum universe.”
