SII Planning: WHISPERS: Wireless Hardware Innovations and Signal Processing for Enhanced Radio-astronomy and Scientific Spectrum Sharing

该奖项是对频谱创新计划：国家无线频谱研究中心(SII-Center)的规划拨款。频谱研究SII-Center的重点超越了5G、物联网和其他现有或即将到来的系统和技术，以绘制出一条轨迹，通过有效使用和共享无线电频谱，确保美国在未来无线技术、系统和科学和工程应用方面的领先地位。无线通信、导航和雷达系统的非凡增长导致科学、商业和国防利益的融合，争夺射频和毫米波频谱的使用权。监管机构和利益相关者面临越来越大的压力，要求他们找到互惠互利的方式来共享这一频谱，包括科学家迄今可以不受限制地进入的频段。拥有如此复杂和规模的合作伙伴关系是一个巨大的挑战。风险很高，机遇前所未有，具有潜在的变革性。该项目的目标是制定一个战略框架，并联合一个全面的中心规模的团队，该团队将参与并利用争夺这一宝贵资源的力量。该项目的愿景是催生一个由学术界、工业界、政府机构和监管机构的世界级科学家和工程师组成的充满活力的社区，创建一个持续研究、技术和创新的中心。该项目旨在制定一个全面的国家中心计划，通过有效使用和共享从低于6 GHz到远远超过100 GHz的无线电频谱，帮助保持和扩大美国在未来无线技术、系统和科学和工程应用方面的领导地位。该项目团队由弗吉尼亚大学(UVA)领导，合作伙伴包括西北大学(NU)、国家射电天文台(NRAO)中央开发实验室(CDL)和弗吉尼亚迪奥德斯公司(VDI)。他们建议使用机器学习技术，开发非线性接收计量工具，以及旨在保护恶劣信噪比和信号干扰环境中的科学应用的频谱管理方法。规划活动包括硬件开发和设计等研究课题，以及为扩大参与而建立的伙伴关系。该奖项将包括教育和劳动力发展，例如开发频谱工程证书、课程、公民科学项目，以及通过与历史上的黑人学院和大学以及其他少数群体服务机构的合作来扩大频谱的参与努力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is a planning grant for the Spectrum Innovation Initiative: National Center for Wireless Spectrum Research (SII-Center). The focus of a spectrum research SII-Center goes beyond 5G, IoT, and other existing or forthcoming systems and technologies to chart out a trajectory to ensure United States leadership in future wireless technologies, systems, and applications in science and engineering through the efficient use and sharing of the radio spectrum. The extraordinary growth of wireless communication, navigation, and radar systems has resulted in a convergence of scientific, commercial, and defense interests competing for access to RF and millimeter wave spectrum. There is mounting pressure on regulators and stakeholders to find mutually beneficial ways to share this spectrum, including bands where scientists have so far had unfettered access. A partnership comprising such complexity and scale is a grand challenge. The stakes are high and the opportunities unprecedented and potentially transformative. The objective of this project is to lay out a strategic framework and coalesce a comprehensive center-scale team that will engage and harness the forces competing for access to this precious resource. This project’s vision is to catalyze a vibrant community of world-class scientists and engineers in academia, industry, government agencies, and regulatory authorities, to create a hub for sustained research, technologies, and innovation.This project is aimed at the development of a comprehensive plan for a national center which would help maintain and extend US leadership in future wireless technologies, systems, and applications in science and engineering through the efficient use and sharing of radio spectrum from sub-6 GHz to well beyond 100 GHz. The project team is led by the University of Virginia (UVA), with partners at Northwestern University (NU), the National Radio-Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) Central Development Lab (CDL), and Virginia Diodes, Inc. (VDI). They propose to employ machine learning techniques, develop nonlinear receiving metrology tools, as well as approaches to spectrum management designed to protect science applications in poor signal-to-noise and signal-to-interference environments. Planning activities include research topics such as hardware development and design, as well as partnerships for broadening participation. This award will include education and workforce development, such as the development of a spectrum engineering certificate, curriculum, citizen science projects, and broadening participation efforts in spectrum through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.