Next Era of Wireless and Spectrum | 24 549

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 549

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity "Next Era of Wireless and Spectrum" (Funding Opportunity Number 24-549) supports research that builds new, fundamental understanding of how the electromagnetic spectrum can be used and managed more effectively in the future. NSF frames the spectrum as an essential shared resource underpinning modern life, from scientific research and national security to commercial wireless services and emerging technologies. The program is motivated by the fact that existing spectrum management and regulatory approaches are increasingly strained as demand continues to rise, driven by constant new applications and steady advances in wireless and related technologies. In practical terms, NSF is looking for ideas that move beyond incremental improvements and instead rethink the core models and assumptions behind spectrum access, coordination, and governance.

A central theme of the program is the need to develop fundamentally new paradigms for spectrum access and management, along with enabling technologies, before spectrum scarcity and coordination costs become so severe that they slow innovation or disrupt critical services. The solicitation explicitly points to a transition away from the current "spectrum era" dominated by long-term, exclusive-use licensing and auction-based assignments. The end goal is to generate the intellectual foundation that would allow the United States to move smoothly and quickly to more effective approaches for managing both radio and optical spectrum resources, sustaining the economic, social, scientific, and national leadership benefits that depend on reliable spectrum access. The emphasis on both radio and optical spectrum signals broad scope, spanning traditional wireless communications as well as technologies that operate in optical bands.

This opportunity is coordinated across multiple NSF directorates: Engineering (ENG), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). That multi-directorate structure is a strong hint that NSF expects proposals to draw from a wide range of disciplines. In addition to the technical side (such as wireless systems, networking, signal processing, hardware, propagation, sensing, sharing mechanisms, and related foundations), the inclusion of SBE indicates interest in spectrum as a socio-technical system. That can include how policies, incentives, human behavior, market structures, governance models, and institutional constraints interact with technical designs, and how new spectrum-sharing regimes could be adopted in real-world settings.

The funding instrument is a discretionary grant under the broad category of science and technology and other research and development. The listed CFDA numbers are 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, and 47.075, reflecting NSF-wide research funding streams rather than a single narrow program area. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $800,000, with an expected total of 24 awards. The original closing date for proposal submission is May 28, 2024, and the opportunity record was created on February 22, 2024.

Eligibility to submit proposals is limited to two main applicant types. First, U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations that are directly associated with education or research activities are eligible. Examples given include independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies. Second, U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (two-year or four-year, including community colleges) that are accredited and have a campus located in the United States may apply on behalf of their faculty. If a proposal includes funding that would flow to an international branch campus of a U.S. university (including through subawards or consultants), the proposal must clearly explain why that overseas participation benefits the project and why the work cannot be performed at the U.S. campus instead. This means international components are not prohibited, but they must be justified with a strong, specific rationale tied to the project needs.

Principal Investigator (PI) and other senior/key personnel eligibility is also clearly defined. By the submission deadline, any PI, co-PI, or other senior/key personnel must hold either a tenured or tenure-track position, or a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position, at a U.S.-based campus of an eligible IHE or at an eligible non-profit non-academic organization. Limited exceptions may be granted for family or medical leave, as determined by the submitting organization. Individuals whose primary appointment is at a for-profit non-academic organization, or at an overseas branch campus of a U.S. IHE, are not eligible to serve in these roles. This is important for teams that include industry collaborators: industry participation may still occur in other capacities, but the senior/key personnel rules restrict who can formally serve as PI/co-PI/senior personnel under this solicitation.

Overall, this solicitation is aimed at shaping the next generation of spectrum use by funding foundational, cross-disciplinary research that can unlock new technical and institutional pathways for sharing and managing spectrum at scale. The program is positioned as a forward-looking investment meant to prevent spectrum constraints from becoming a bottleneck to innovation, while also helping the U.S. maintain leadership and protect the public value created by wireless and optical spectrum-dependent systems.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Next Era of Wireless and Spectrum" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.070, 47.075.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 24 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 24 549

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