Spectrum Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, and Security (SpecEES): Enabling Spectrum for All | 19 529

SpecEES (Spectrum Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, and Security): Enabling Spectrum for All - FAQs

What is the SpecEES: Enabling Spectrum for All opportunity?

SpecEES is a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant program focused on advancing new ideas that improve how wireless radio spectrum is used. In addition to spectrum efficiency, the program explicitly centers two closely connected priorities in modern wireless systems: energy efficiency and security.

Which NSF directorates are leading this solicitation?

The solicitation is jointly driven by NSF's Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). This joint leadership signals an interest in research that blends engineering, computing, and communications in ways that do not fit neatly into a single traditional program area.

What is the main goal of the program?

The overall goal is to enable spectrum access for all users and devices by developing bold new concepts that significantly improve spectrum utilization while also accounting for energy use and security. The program also emphasizes ensuring that historically underserved populations can benefit from wireless-enabled services and technologies.

Why is NSF funding research in spectrum efficiency right now?

SpecEES is motivated by a growing mismatch between demand for wireless connectivity and the limited amount of usable spectrum. The program description highlights that many older spectrum management approaches rely on static allocation or assumptions that no longer match today's densely connected environments, including smartphones, Wi-Fi, the Internet of Things (IoT), and emerging low-latency applications.

What kinds of technical advances does SpecEES seek?

The program seeks "bold new concepts" that can substantially improve spectrum utilization. Examples of the kinds of improvements described include increasing capacity, reducing interference, supporting more simultaneous users, and enabling more dynamic and intelligent spectrum sharing.

Does the program focus only on spectrum efficiency?

No. SpecEES makes clear that spectrum efficiency alone is not enough. Energy efficiency and security are called out as central concerns, not optional add-ons, and the program encourages research that accounts for the tradeoffs among performance, energy use, and security.

Why is energy efficiency included as a core part of SpecEES?

Energy efficiency matters because wireless systems increasingly involve massive numbers of battery-powered devices, and because network infrastructure has real operational and environmental costs. The program encourages research that takes these constraints seriously while pursuing better spectrum utilization.

Why is security included as a core part of SpecEES?

Security is emphasized because more dynamic and software-driven wireless access can introduce new vulnerabilities. The program description points to risks such as attacks on sensing and sharing mechanisms, spoofing, jamming, privacy leakage, and manipulation of control signals used to coordinate spectrum access.

What does "enabling spectrum for all" mean in this solicitation?

NSF frames the societal motivation as expanding access and benefits for traditionally underserved Americans. In practical terms, the description points toward innovations that help close connectivity gaps, improve the affordability and reach of wireless services, and support robust operation across diverse settings, including rural areas, dense urban neighborhoods, and communities with limited infrastructure.

What research approaches are suggested by the program description?

The description suggests approaches such as new architectures, protocols, and cross-layer designs that treat spectrum as a resource to be sensed, negotiated, shared, and protected rather than simply assigned. It also implies interest in dynamic and intelligent spectrum sharing strategies.

Is SpecEES intended for single-investigator projects or team-based research?

A defining feature of SpecEES is an emphasis on collaborative team research that "transcends the traditional boundaries of existing programs." This points toward multi-investigator and potentially multi-institution efforts integrating multiple areas of expertise.

What disciplines or expertise areas does NSF expect teams to integrate?

The solicitation positioning highlights integration across domains such as communications and signal processing, networking, embedded systems, cybersecurity, machine learning, and systems engineering, with the intent of producing research that is technically ambitious and integrative.

What types of outcomes is NSF signaling it wants from funded work?

The program is positioned to support research that creates new directions for wireless access and spectrum use, rather than incremental improvements limited to a single layer of the technology stack or a single discipline. The emphasis is on integrated progress across spectrum efficiency, energy efficiency, and security.

How many awards were anticipated under this opportunity?

The opportunity summary indicated that around 15 awards were anticipated.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the funding category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.

Are there CFDA numbers associated with this program?

Yes. The listing includes CFDA numbers 47.041 and 47.070.

Is there an award ceiling listed?

The listing shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates the ceiling is not specified in the summary record and that applicants would need to consult the full solicitation for budget guidance and expected award sizes.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on November 16, 2018, and the original closing date was February 13, 2019.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification noted as being provided in the solicitation's additional eligibility text. This is commonly used for NSF programs that may allow proposals from a range of institution types while still following NSF's standard eligibility rules and proposal requirements.

What makes this solicitation different from a typical single-program NSF call?

SpecEES is described as intentionally crossing traditional program boundaries, jointly led by ENG and CISE, and aimed at integrated work spanning hardware, communications, networking, algorithms, and computing. It also requires that energy efficiency and security be treated as central design and research constraints alongside spectrum efficiency.

Does the program explicitly connect technical research to societal impact?

Yes. NSF explicitly connects the program to expanding access and benefits for historically underserved populations, emphasizing more inclusive wireless systems and improved reliability and trustworthiness in real-world environments.