NSF STTR NSF 11-561 1

The fundamental mission of NSF is to promote discoveries and to advance education across the frontiers of knowledge in science and engineering. Consistent with that mission, NSF encourages and supports a wide range of proposals from the research and education community and from the private small business sector. These proposals are reviewed under NSF's merit review criteria, which cover both the quality of research (intellectual or technical merit) and its potential impact on society (broader impacts or commercial potential).

The STTR program solicits proposals from the small business sector consistent with NSF's mission. The program is governed by Public Law 112-17. A main purpose of the legislation is to stimulate technological innovation and increase private sector commercialization. The NSF small business program is therefore in a unique position to meet both the goals of NSF and the purpose of the STTR legislation by transforming scientific discovery into both societal and economic benefit, and by emphasizing private sector commercialization. NSF has formulated a solicitation topic for STTR that conforms to the legislation. The STTR Topic for this solicitation is Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum (EARS). Proposals must address one of the subtopics that are outlined below. Proposals that are not responsive to the subtopics outlined below will be returned without review. When submitting a proposal to the Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum topic, code the proposal to the corresponding subtopic under which you are submitting the proposal, e.g., subtopic B. Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum (EARS) should be coded with the acronym "EARS" in the subtopic box on the cover page. In addition, use the code as the first item in the key words/phrases portion of the Project Summary of your proposal.

NSF expects synergy in the proposed research. An interdisciplinary and interdependent team approach is required in response to this STTR topic. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation should explicitly explain the educational value of the product to be developed. The subtopics for this solicitation are as follows:

Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum for Learning:

1. Spectral efficiency. This includes (but is not limited to) innovations that improve spectral efficiency on an "instantaneous" basis, such as mitigation of unwanted emissions, filter technology, interference cancellation, etc., and improvements on a "system-wide" basis, such as dynamic spectrum access and frequency re-use.

2. Reconfigurable wireless platforms, including, but not limited to, cognitive radio, software-defined radio, adaptive antennas, etc.

3. Security of wireless systems.

4. Legacy: Backwards and forward interoperability and compatibility. A major challenge of moving to a new and more efficient spectrum-use model will be a lengthy and complex transition period that will allow for the co-existence of novel new systems and regulations with the multitude of existing legacy systems and regulations.

5. Special-purpose wireless systems may be difficult to accommodate within bold new spectrum-use models because of fundamental limitations on frequency agility due to basic operational requirements, extreme sensitivity to interference, or potentially drastic consequences due to failure of an RF link. Innovative solutions for accommodating such systems are needed. These systems may include (but are not limited to) medical devices, surveillance, remote sensing, and passive systems such as radio telescopes.

6. Wireless system tests, measurements, and validation. New technology that can result in improvements in spectrum efficiency and access will require new test & measurement solutions and standards and regulatory validation. In addition, measurements and metrics required to establish existing and future levels of spectrum occupancy and efficiency will be required.

7. Economic models for spectrum resource sharing. There exists a need for interdisciplinary research in the areas of market and non-market-based mechanisms for spectrum access and usage to efficiently organize the sharing of scarce spectrum resources. Research themes include - but are not limited to - real-time auctions, market design, spectrum valuation, spectrum management for the home user and managing mixed-rights spectrum.

Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (NSF 11-561) in the program solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.