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Center for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient, and Resilient Next G Networks (WISPER)

Center Overview

The WISPER research center will coordinate a concerted effort between academia and industry to bring transformative research on 6G wireless and networking technologies, founded on world-class faculty, cutting-edge research facilities, and workforce development.

The WISPER partnership aims to:

Grow U.S. competitiveness and innovation capacity in next-generation (Next G) wireless by developing close, sustained partnerships among leading industry innovators and world-class academic researchers.
Identify key drivers and barriers across societal and technological requirements and catalyze breakthrough pre-competitive research to enable secure, pervasive, efficient, and resilient Next G.
Contribute to the emerging North American vision for the next generation of networks, currently being coordinated by the Next G Alliance.
Train a workforce that's prepared to tackle complex Next G challenges.
Conduct breakthrough, pre-competitive research with social and economic impact in four key research thematic areas.

Universities

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
George Mason University
University of Arizona

View Center Website

Center Personnel

Luiz A DaSilva
Center Director / VT Site Director

ldasilva@vt.edu

Marwan M Krunz
Center Deputy Director / UA Site Director

krunz@arizona.edu

Brian L Mark
GMU Site Director

bmark@gmu.edu

Jacek Kibilda
VT Site Co-Director

jkibilda@vt.edu

Michael H. Wu
UA Site Co-Director

mhwu@arizona.edu

Bob Gazda
IAB Chair

Ric Navarez
IAB Vice-Chair

Jim Gigrich
IAB Vice-Chair

Jenny Feller
Center Program Coordinator & Industry Liaison

jlf2014@vt.edu

Dana Hunter
Grants Support

Jefferson Abreu
Web Support

Research Focus

OpenG: using 6G that leverages virtualization, disaggregation, open interfaces, and open-source software to spur innovation, achieve efficiencies, and increase reliability through network sharing.
SmartG: crafting an AI-native and more sustainable 6G, in which some network management and functions are initially supported by, and eventually fully replaced with, AI.
SpectrumG: a 6G that embraces various forms of spectrum sharing and reconfiguration, with access to new millimeter-wave and sub-THz bands.
SecureG: a 6G that incorporates new technologies and spectrum bands in a secure-by-design and resilient manner.

Awards

2413168

IUCRC Phase I George Mason University: Center for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient, and Resilient Next G Networks (WISPER)

We are on the verge of the development of the next generation of wireless networks, variously referred to as 6G, Next G, or Future G. Over the past decades, mobile networks have become part of the country’s critical infrastructure, and it is vital for the U.S. to maintain technological leadership in this area. This industry-university research center, WISPER, forms a partnership between industry and academia in the research and innovation that will drive Next G. WISPER stands for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient and Resilient Next G Networks, reflecting a consensus that the next generation of networks needs to be secure by design, efficient and sustainable in the use of resources, and resilient to both failures and attacks. Our goals with WISPER include: (1) to grow the U.S. competitiveness and innovation capacity with Next G wireless technologies; (2) to deliver breakthrough pre-competitive research for enabling secure, pervasive, efficient, and resilient Next G; (3) to contribute to the emerging North American vision for the Next G, currently coordinated by the Next G Alliance; (4) to guide the R&D effort on Next G; and (5) to train a workforce prepared to tackle complex Next G challenges. Researchers from Virginia Tech, the University of Arizona, and George Mason University will work together with a large array of industry members to develop this technology under the four major themes of: open software and interfaces; artificial intelligence-native network operation; spectrum innovation; and security. George Mason University will leverage its Open RAN and Next G testbed facilities within its Wireless Cyber Center in this research. WISPER aims to impact the 6G development and pre-standardization activities by leveraging its strong alignment with key 6G stakeholders. Furthermore, WISPER will respond to the urgent need for a diversified and skilled Next G workforce. The WISPER leadership has extensive experience recruiting students from underrepresented groups in computing; to this end, we will leverage the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) consortium, which includes three HBCUs and dozens of community colleges. Developing our solutions on open-source platforms, such as Open RAN, will increase the accessibility of advanced Next G techniques, methods, tools, and platforms by professionals, trainees, and students. At George Mason University, we will leverage the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research and the Office of Diversity, Outreach, and Inclusive Learning to engage a broad representation of students in WISPER through faculty-mentored research projects and internship opportunities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2413009

Center: IUCRC Phase I University of Arizona: Center for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient, and Resilient Next G Networks (WISPER)

We are on the verge of the development of the next generation of wireless networks, variously referred to as 6G, Next G, or Future G. Over the past decades, mobile networks have become part of the country’s critical infrastructure, and it is vital for the United States (U.S.) to maintain technological leadership in this area. This industry-university research center, WISPER, forms a partnership between industry and academia in the research and innovation that will drive Next G. WISPER stands for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient and Resilient Next G Networks, reflecting a consensus that the next generation of networks needs to be secure by design, efficient and sustainable in the use of resources, and resilient to both failures and attacks. Our goals with WISPER include: (1) to grow the U.S. competitiveness and innovation capacity with Next G wireless technologies; (2) to deliver breakthrough pre-competitive research for enabling secure, pervasive, efficient, and resilient Next G; (3) to contribute to the emerging North American vision for the Next G, currently coordinated by the Next G Alliance; (4) to guide research and development efforts on Next G; and (5) to train a workforce prepared to tackle complex Next G challenges. Researchers from Virginia Tech, the University of Arizona, and George Mason University will work together with a large array of industry members to develop this technology under the four major themes of: open software and interfaces; artificial intelligence-native network operation; spectrum innovation; and security. The University of Arizona will capitalize on its extensive partnerships and collaborative projects with the wireless industry, as well as experience in managing industry/academic centers. WISPER aims to impact the 6G development and pre-standardization activities by leveraging its strong alignment with key 6G stakeholders. Furthermore, WISPER will respond to the urgent need for a diversified and skilled Next G workforce. The WISPER leadership has extensive experience recruiting students from underrepresented groups in computing; to this end, we will leverage the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) consortium, which includes three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and dozens of community colleges. Developing our solutions on open-source platforms, such as Open RAN, will increase the accessibility of advanced Next G techniques, methods, tools, and platforms by professionals, trainees, and students. As an Minority Serving Institution, UA is strongly committed to broadening participation of under-represented groups (URGs) in STEM fields, and will work with the Director of Engineering Access, Gender Equity, and Diversity (ENGAGE) at the UA’s College of Engineering to facilitate URGs recruiting into WISPER activities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

2412872

IUCRC Phase 1 Virginia Tech: Center for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient, and Resilient Next G Networks (WISPER)

We are on the verge of the development of the next generation of wireless networks, variously referred to as 6G, Next G, or Future G. Over the past decades, mobile networks have become part of the country’s critical infrastructure, and it is vital for the U.S. to maintain technological leadership in this area. This industry-university research center, WISPER, forms a partnership between industry and academia in the research and innovation that will drive Next G. WISPER stands for Wireless Innovation towards Secure, Pervasive, Efficient and Resilient Next G Networks, reflecting a consensus that the next generation of networks needs to be secure by design, efficient and sustainable in the use of resources, and resilient to both failures and attacks. Our goals with WISPER include: (1) to grow the U.S. competitiveness and innovation capacity with Next G wireless technologies; (2) to deliver breakthrough pre-competitive research for enabling secure, pervasive, efficient, and resilient Next G; (3) to contribute to the emerging North American vision for the Next G, currently coordinated by the Next G Alliance; (4) to guide the R&D effort on Next G; and (5) to train a workforce prepared to tackle complex Next G challenges. Researchers from Virginia Tech, the University of Arizona, and George Mason University will work together with a large array of industry members to develop this technology under the four major themes of: open software and interfaces; artificial intelligence-native network operation; spectrum innovation; and security. Virginia Tech serves as the lead site and will leverage its extensive Next G testbed facilities in this research. WISPER aims to impact the 6G development and pre-standardization activities by leveraging its strong alignment with key 6G stakeholders. Furthermore, WISPER will respond to the urgent need for a diversified and skilled Next G workforce. The WISPER leadership has extensive experience recruiting students from underrepresented groups in computing; to this end, we will leverage the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) consortium, which includes three HBCUs and dozens of community colleges. Developing our solutions on open-source platforms, such as Open RAN, will increase the accessibility of advanced Next G techniques, methods, tools, and platforms by professionals, trainees, and students. At Virginia Tech, we will also partner with the VT Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity to engage a broad representation of students in WISPER; all WISPER students will benefit from the array of internships and project-based learning opportunities provided through CCI. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.