WISER Research Fellowship – Finance

The Washington Institute for STEM, Entrepreneurship and Research offers a WISER Research Fellowship focused on translating frontier research into real-world applications. The Finance track applies quantum computing to financial optimization, including portfolio optimization, risk modeling, derivative pricing, and post-quantum security.

Responsibilities:

• Develop/ Implement Quantum Algorithms: Design, implement, and benchmark quantum algorithms (e.g., QAOA, Quantum Monte Carlo, Quantum Kernel methods) tailored for core financial use cases
• Benchmark Classical vs. Quantum: Formulate rigorous comparative frameworks to evaluate quantum and hybrid quantum-classical algorithms against state-of-the-art classical optimization and Machine Learning solvers
• Prototype & Implement: Utilize leading quantum SDKs (Qiskit, Pennylane, Cirq, Classiq) and hardware access platforms to deploy prototypes on state-of-the-art simulators and actual QPUs
• Collaborate with Industry: Work directly with financial engineers, risk analysts, and technology stakeholders to translate messy, real-world market datasets into quantum-compatible mathematical formulations
• Publish & Present: Document methodological breakthroughs, release open-source code repositories,and publish findings in top-tier journals or present at major quantum computing and quantitative finance symposia