Vuran earns NSF grant to continue wireless spectrum sharing research

Aug 27, 2020      By Victoria Grdina

Mehmet Can Vuran
Mehmet Can Vuran

Computer Science and Engineering Susan J. Rosowski professor Mehmet Can Vuran and his team recently received a new grant from the National Science Foundation to continue wireless research as part of their DYNAmmWIC mmWave project. 

mmWave is a new wireless technology that provides gigabit per second data rates. The team will be investigating novel approaches that allow will public safety communication solutions to operate on bands in harmony with other commercial entities such as vehicles or pedestrians. 

The $920,000 grant will be used to study dynamic mmWave spectrum sharing for public safety communications. Vuran and his team will be working in collaboration with colleagues Demet Batur and Jennifer Ryan at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Business and Eylem Ekici from Ohio State University. 

This is the third grant the group has received for its spectrum sharing research. Formerly, the group was supported by NSF’s Enhancing Wireless Access to the Radio Spectrum (EARS) and Spectrum Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, and Security (SpecEES) programs, and will now be supported through the NSF Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies program. All three programs were created based on the Presidential Memorandum on Expanding America's Leadership in Wireless Innovation, a directive from the White House focused on national interest in making more efficient use of the wireless spectrum.

Vuran and his team will also be working with the City of Lincoln on some aspects of the project thanks to support from CIO David Young and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. The project will also utilize and enhance iLNK’s remotely accessible wireless testbed that was built in collaboration with the City of Lincoln and with support from NSF, US Ignite, ORED, COE, CAS, and City of Lincoln. iLNK testbed supported University of Nebraska–Lincoln students’ remote learning activities in wireless networking classes during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Congratulations to Dr. Vuran and his research team on this exciting achievement!