IUCRC Planning Grant George Mason University: Center for Wireless Innovation Towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient and Resilient Next G Networks (WISPER)

拟议中的面向安全、普及、高效和弹性的下一代网络的无线创新中心（WISPER）将协调学术界、工业界和政府，为关键行业的垂直领域开创变革性的下一代（NextG）无线技术。我们的使命包括：（1）提高美国在下一代无线网络方面的创新能力;（2）促进实现NextG无线通信的突破性竞争前研究;（3）为北美新兴的下一代无线网络愿景做出贡献;（4）为标准化机构和合作伙伴提供指导;以及（5）培养一支准备好应对复杂的下一代无线挑战的员工队伍。WISPER将专注于开发变革性的无线创新。研究领域包括但不限于：（1）在NextG中探索动态频谱共享和资源分配算法，考虑性能，效率，弹性以及安全性和隐私;（2）使用可重新配置的智能表面进行安全的毫米波通信;（3）通过协调实现可靠的毫米波无线局域网;（4）为虚拟网络开发高级信任管理功能，使用蝶形密钥方案、可信计算基础和后量子密码进行信任管理和调用，以支持NextG无线通信;（5）NextG中基于ML的弹性RAN切片管理;以及（6）在下一代无线网络的背景下开发行业指导的劳动力开发计划。拟议中的WISPER中心将为该国未来的通信基础设施做出重大贡献，对多样性和包容性、劳动力发展和技术转让产生更广泛的影响。将成立一个多元化和包容性委员会，审查目前的多元化和包容性状况，并制定具体措施和计划，鼓励代表性不足的群体参与。 WISPER将帮助学生熟练掌握NextG技术，从而为无线工作人员的准备状态带来变革性的变化。WISPER将使该中心的新发现无缝集成到NextG无线系统中，加速技术转让，提高工业成员的能力，并为国家在NextG技术方面的领导地位做出贡献。根据标准的机构安全和隐私实践和政策，该项目中产生的所有数据，软件和工件将被存档和保存至少五年。该奖项反映了NSF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。

The proposed Center for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient, and Resilient Next Generation Networks (WISPER) will coordinate academia, industry, and government to pioneer transformative next generation (NextG) wireless technologies for key industry verticals. Our missions include: (1) growing the U.S. innovation capacity in the next-generation wireless networks; (2) catalyzing breakthrough pre-competitive research for enabling NextG wireless communications; (3) contributing to the emerging North American vision for the next generation wireless networks; (4) providing guidance to standardization bodies and cooperation partners; and (5) producing a workforce prepared to tackle complex next-generation wireless challenges.WISPER will focus on developing transformative wireless innovations. Areas of research include but are not limited to: (1) exploration of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing and Resource Allocation algorithms in NextG considering performance, efficiency, resilience, and security and privacy; (2) Secure mmWave Communications with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces; (3) Reliable mmWave wireless LANs through coordination; (4) development of advanced trust management functionality for virtual networks, trust management and invocation using butterfly keying schemas, trusted computing bases and post- quantum cryptography to support NextG wireless communications; (5) resilient ML-based RAN Slice Management in NextG; and (6) development of an industry-guided workforce development program in the context of next-generation wireless networks. The proposed WISPER Center will contribute significantly to the country's future communication infrastructure, with broader impacts on diversity and inclusion, workforce development, and technology transfer. A Diversity & Inclusion Committee will be formed to review the current diversity and inclusion profile and develop specific measures and plans for inspiring the participation of underrepresented groups. WISPER will prepare students to become proficient in NextG techniques, leading to transformative changes in the state of wireless workforce preparedness. WISPER will enable seamless integration of the center's new discoveries into NextG wireless systems, accelerating technology transfer, enhancing the competence of the industrial members, and contributing to the Nation’s leadership in NextG technologies. All data, software, and artifacts produced in this project will be archived and preserved, according to standard institutional security and privacy practices and policies, for at least five years.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.