A National Spectrum Center to Conquer, Program, and Protect the Wireless Spectrum

  

NASCE: A National Spectrum Center to Conquer, Program, and Protect the Wireless Spectrum creates transformative approaches for future exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum for commercial use, social benefit, national security, and scientific research. The NASCE vision is to develop the intellectual and educational foundations, practical technologies, policy recommendations, and agile spectrum-educated workforce to enable a flexible spectrum future: more spectrum for all, dynamic and predictable use of the spectrum, with security and protection for spectrum users. NASCE will: (i) develop a new spectrum science and a broad set of transformative spectrum technologies by bringing together expertise in wireless communications and networks, electromagnetism, radar, circuits, radio astronomy, space exploration, information theory, AI, policy, law, security, philosophy and technoeconomics to surpass traditional disciplinary approaches to leverage the wireless spectrum; (ii) conduct technology transfer activities in support of the commercial sector, science, defense and public good, in cooperation with industry and government; (iii) ensure U.S. leadership in spectrum and become a national focal point of spectrum-related activities and discussion, providing a much needed liaison between federal agencies, the private sector, academia, and the general public on “everything spectrum,” and (iv) train the next generation of talent for a diverse spectrum workforce through innovative approaches to education and workforce development (EWD).

Intellectual Merit: Through four convergent interdisciplinary research thrusts, NASCE develops new approaches to (1) explore new spectrum bands unavailable today, including the mmWave and THz spectrum bands; (2) develop new AI methods to “softwarize” spectrum access and “learn to share” portions of the spectrum among different systems and applications; (3) develop new approaches to protect the operations of incumbent users of the spectrum, even against adversarial actions or other disruptions; and (4) provide innovative recommendations and expertise on spectrum policy and regulations and their economic, ethical, and legal implications for the U.S. ecosystem. Thrusts are enhanced by a cross-cutting Federated Spectrum Observatory to support the real-time creation of spectrum datasets and tools to access and visualize existing datasets produced by the community. Research activities are integrated with rich programs in EWD, broadening participation, and community outreach/knowledge transfer that are structured to provide meaningful development of broad spectrum awareness, deep spectrum knowledge, and a connected spectrum community. NASCE is uniquely prepared to develop the spectrum ecosystem, with some 50 leading interdisciplinary researchers across 11 partner sites (including 4 Minority-Serving Institutions, MSIs, and 3 pursuing MSI designation), dozens of industrial and EWD collaborators, strong relationships with key standardization/policy bodies, and one-of-a-kind facilities. A rigorous management approach ensures progress towards goals.

Broader Impacts: NASCE will galvanize nationwide achievements in spectrum for quality of life, national security and high-quality employment. The EWD team, in partnership with school districts and community colleges nationwide, has planned activities and programs---including experiences for middle and high school students, new college degrees, re-skilling workshops and a public art initiative---that will impact many thousands of “K-to-gray” learners, ultimately producing an agile spectrum workforce with the knowledge and skills needed by leading industries of the future. EWD goals include the creation of a diverse, clearly identifiable spectrum workforce and broader spectrum awareness. Broadening participation plans, tied directly to EWD goals, focus EWD in communities with large numbers of residents from underrepresented groups (URGs) with the intent to increase URG presence in the future spectrum workforce to match the diversity of the nation. Collaborations with URG engineering societies, e.g., the National Society of Black Engineers, accelerate this impact. Knowledge transfer activities leverage NASCE’s vast network of relationships and expertise to unite the community around collaborative spectrum activities through convening events and communications, as well as technology transfer through direct collaboration, standardization, and spinoffs. Intentional opportunities for transfer of students into professional placements provide synergy in support of the spectrum ecosystem.