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

该奖项是频谱创新倡议：国家无线频谱研究中心（SII-Center）的规划拨款。频谱研究sii中心的重点超越5G、物联网和其他现有或即将推出的系统和技术，通过有效使用和共享无线电频谱，制定轨迹，确保美国在未来无线技术、系统和科学与工程应用方面的领导地位。无线通信、导航和雷达系统的非凡增长导致了科学、商业和国防利益的融合，竞相获得射频和毫米波频谱。监管机构和利益相关者面临着越来越大的压力，需要找到互利的方式来共享这一频谱，包括科学家迄今可以自由进入的频段。如此复杂和规模的伙伴关系是一个巨大的挑战。风险很高，机会前所未有，可能具有变革性。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。该项目的愿景是促进学术界、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一个充满活力的社区，为持续的研究、技术和创新创造一个中心。该项目旨在为国家中心制定一项综合计划，该计划将通过有效使用和共享从6 GHz以下到100 GHz以上的无线电频谱，帮助维持和扩大美国在未来无线技术、系统和科学与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）、美国国家射电天文台（NRAO）中央发展实验室（CDL）和弗吉尼亚二极管公司（VDI）。他们建议采用机器学习技术，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，以及扩大参与的伙伴关系。该奖项将包括教育和劳动力发展，如开发频谱工程证书、课程、公民科学项目，以及通过与传统黑人学院和大学以及其他少数族裔服务机构的合作，扩大频谱参与努力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.