Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies | 22 571

SWIFT (NSF 22-571) Grant Opportunity FAQs

What is the NSF SWIFT program?

Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity that supports research and development to improve how radio spectrum is used and shared as wireless technologies become more capable and more crowded.

What problem is SWIFT trying to solve?

SWIFT focuses on the growing difficulty of using limited spectrum efficiently while avoiding harmful interference. The program aims to enable practical, real-world coexistence of multiple wireless and sensing systems, rather than only demonstrating narrow laboratory gains in spectral efficiency.

What does "spectrum coexistence" mean in the SWIFT context?

In SWIFT, spectrum coexistence refers to enabling two or more systems to operate in the same frequency band at the same time and/or in the same place without causing harmful interference.

Why does SWIFT emphasize real-world coexistence instead of lab-only spectral efficiency improvements?

The solicitation highlights that modern spectrum challenges are often system-level and operational: many different technologies must share the same environment under uncertainty and constraints. SWIFT is designed to surface new concepts that translate to real deployments and meaningful advances in wireless systems and spectrum policy/engineering, not just incremental bits-per-hertz improvements in controlled settings.

Why are passive users of spectrum a special concern for SWIFT?

Passive services receive radiofrequency (RF) energy but do not transmit. Because they cannot "talk back" or coordinate in conventional ways, and often rely on extremely sensitive receivers, they are especially vulnerable to relatively small increases in noise or interference. SWIFT explicitly notes that protecting passive use and developing practical coexistence techniques for passive users has historically received less research attention, and encourages innovations that close that gap.

What are examples of passive services mentioned or implied by SWIFT?

Examples include radio astronomy (RAS) and certain Earth-observation measurements, including those associated with Earth Exploration-Satellite Service (EESS). These applications can be disrupted by radio frequency interference (RFI) even at low levels.

Which NSF organizations are leading SWIFT?

SWIFT is led jointly by NSF directorates in Engineering (ENG), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Geosciences (GEO).

How broad is the technical scope of SWIFT?

The solicitation is broad and invites work across wireless communications, sensing, electromagnetic theory, algorithms, hardware, and systems, particularly where the work advances coexistence, reliability, robustness, sustainability, and system integration.

What kinds of wireless technology approaches does SWIFT mention?

Example areas include large-scale communications approaches such as massive or large-scale MIMO and intelligent surfaces, reconfigurable transceivers and RF front ends, and energy-efficient or low-power communication methods that reduce interference footprints and improve sustainability.

Does SWIFT include research on spectrum use and management, not just physical-layer techniques?

Yes. SWIFT seeks advances in spectrum use and management, including joint communication and sensing and resilient spectrum sharing strategies that can continue to work under uncertainty, adversarial conditions, or rapidly changing environments.

What is "joint communication and sensing" as described in the opportunity?

Joint communication and sensing refers to systems that combine radar-like sensing capabilities and data communications, with the goal of improving overall spectrum utilization and enabling more capable shared-spectrum behaviors.

What does SWIFT mean by "resilient spectrum sharing strategies"?

The opportunity describes resilient spectrum sharing as approaches that still function effectively when conditions are uncertain, adversarial, or rapidly changing, so coexistence does not break down in realistic operational environments.

Is SWIFT only about increasing spectral efficiency?

No. The program explicitly states an intention to drive technology that improves spectrum utilization while also addressing related challenges such as reliability, energy use, robustness, and system-level integration, rather than focusing only on incremental improvements in bits-per-hertz.

What timely coexistence issue does SWIFT call out involving astronomy?

SWIFT highlights the growing coexistence challenge between ground-based astronomy and large constellations of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, noting that impacts extend beyond traditional RF interference concerns.

What non-RF impacts from LEO satellites does SWIFT mention for astronomy?

The opportunity notes issues such as sunlight reflections that create bright streaks in astronomical images, thermal emissions that can contaminate observations, and effects associated with optical/infrared inter-satellite links.

Why are LEO constellation impacts becoming more acute for observatories?

As modern ground-based optical and infrared observatories push toward higher sensitivity and wider sky coverage, the cumulative effect of many satellites in view at once becomes a more significant constraint on observations.

What kinds of mitigation approaches for astronomy impacts does SWIFT invite?

SWIFT invites projects that could mitigate satellite impacts through (1) satellite design changes, including approaches that balance reflectivity reduction with thermal and power constraints at constellation scale, (2) improved astronomical instrumentation, (3) better data processing and post-processing algorithms to identify and remove artifacts, and (4) new coordination methods relying on telemetry or orbital information sharing so observatories can plan around or correct for satellite impacts.

What types of outcomes does SWIFT want projects to produce?

SWIFT is oriented toward research outcomes that create new technology or significantly enhance existing wireless infrastructure and practices. Examples include new architectures, hardware, algorithms, spectrum-access methods, coexistence frameworks, or coordination mechanisms that can translate into measurable societal benefit.

What societal benefits are emphasized in the opportunity?

The program frames benefits such as more reliable connectivity, better use of scarce spectrum, reduced interference to critical scientific or environmental observations, and more resilient wireless ecosystems.

Does SWIFT encourage cross-disciplinary or collaborative teams?

Yes. SWIFT emphasizes collaborative, cross-disciplinary team research, reflecting that coexistence problems often span RF engineering, networking, sensing, astronomy, policy constraints, and applied mathematics.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for SWIFT?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 22-571.

What type of NSF opportunity is SWIFT?

It is described as a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the science and technology research and development (R&D) category.

Which CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The posting associates SWIFT with CFDA numbers 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, and 47.070.

How many awards does the posting expect to make?

The expected number of awards is around 18.

Is there a fixed maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed?

The posting lists an award ceiling of 0. In NSF listings, that typically indicates budgets are governed by program guidance rather than a single fixed cap in the summary field.

What was the original closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original closing date shown is May 11, 2022.

When was the opportunity created (as listed in the posting)?

The creation date shown is February 11, 2022.

Who is eligible to apply based on the posting summary?

Eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," which is a common NSF format indicating that the full solicitation text governs which institution types and collaboration structures can apply.

What acronyms are associated with the SWIFT ecosystem in the posting?

The opportunity lists acronyms including AI (Artificial Intelligence), EARS (Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum), RAS (Radio Astronomy Service), EESS (Earth Exploration-Satellite service), RFI (Radio Frequency Interference), ITU (International Telecommunication Union), and PAWR (Platform on Advanced Wireless Research), among others.

What does the acronym RFI refer to, and why does it matter here?

RFI stands for Radio Frequency Interference. It is central to SWIFT because coexistence aims to prevent harmful interference when multiple systems share spectrum, especially when sensitive passive receivers are involved.

How does SWIFT relate to spectrum stewardship?

Based on its emphasis on coexistence, protection of passive services, and resilient sharing strategies, SWIFT sits at the intersection of advanced wireless innovation and responsible spectrum stewardship where commercial growth and sensitive scientific uses must operate successfully in the same environment.