Opportunity Information: Apply for 20 537
The Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies (SWIFT) opportunity is a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant program designed to spark new, cross-disciplinary advances in how wireless systems share and use radio spectrum. NSF is coordinating this effort across multiple directorates Engineering (ENG), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Geosciences (GEO) to encourage teams that can combine expertise in communications hardware, signal processing, networking, electromagnetics, remote sensing, and related areas. The core idea is to move past incremental improvements and instead develop breakthrough concepts that reshape spectrum use in ways that deliver real societal benefit.
A defining focus of SWIFT is spectrum coexistence, especially coexistence involving passive spectrum users. Coexistence means two or more systems operating in the same frequency band at the same time and/or in the same place without causing harmful interference to each other. This becomes particularly challenging when one user is passive, such as radio astronomy or Earth-observing sensors, because passive systems do not transmit radio frequency energy and therefore cannot easily coordinate or "negotiate" access the way active transmitters sometimes can. The solicitation highlights examples like radio astronomy coexisting with 5G wireless services, or active-active sharing scenarios such as weather radar operating alongside Wi-Fi. By emphasizing passive uses, SWIFT targets a technically difficult and comparatively underexplored area where new methods could meaningfully protect critical scientific and public-safety observations while still enabling modern communications growth.
SWIFT-funded projects are expected to pursue innovation on both the physical technology side and the algorithmic/protocol side. On the hardware front, this can include advances in radio designs, receivers, front-end filtering, reconfigurable components, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and software-defined radio (SDR) approaches that make systems more aware, agile, and resilient. On the algorithms and protocols front, the program is looking for new approaches to sensing, interference identification and mitigation, dynamic access, spectrum awareness, coordination mechanisms, and AI-enabled decision-making that can manage real-world complexities. The emphasis is on synergistic teamwork where the hardware and software/networking perspectives are developed together, rather than treated as separate layers.
The program framing also makes clear that the intended impact is broader than simply improving "spectrum efficiency" in a narrow sense. NSF describes the goal as improving spectrum utilization, which includes practical, reliable sharing and protection strategies that can be adopted in real deployments and that address coexistence in challenging environments. This can include concepts related to dynamic spectrum access, interference avoidance, methods for reducing radio frequency interference (RFI), and approaches that support emerging applications such as IoT, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/UAV), and advanced wireless platforms. Terms and acronyms referenced in the opportunity reflect this broad scope, including items tied to spectrum policy and services (e.g., ITU, Radio Regulations, Earth Exploration-Satellite Service, Radio Astronomy Service) as well as technology themes (AI, SDR, electromagnetic considerations, and spectrum-access initiatives).
From a funding and administrative standpoint, SWIFT is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 20-537) categorized under science and technology research and development. The posted award ceiling is $1,500,000, with an expectation of about 16 awards. The original closing date listed for proposals was April 3, 2020, and the opportunity was created on January 4, 2020. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with clarification in the solicitation text, indicating applicants should consult the detailed eligibility section for specifics. CFDA numbers associated with the program include 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, and 47.070, reflecting NSF programmatic coverage across multiple research domains.
Overall, SWIFT is positioned as a team-based research program aimed at unlocking new spectrum-sharing and coexistence capabilities, with special attention to the hard problem of protecting passive scientific and sensing services while enabling continued innovation in wireless communications. It encourages proposals that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and that can plausibly lead to new technologies or major upgrades to existing wireless infrastructure, with outcomes that translate into more robust, societally beneficial spectrum use.Apply for 20 537
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 04, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 03, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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SWIFT (NSF) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the SWIFT grant opportunity?
SWIFT stands for Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies. It is a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant program focused on generating new, cross-disciplinary advances in how wireless systems share and use radio spectrum, with an emphasis on breakthrough approaches rather than incremental improvements.
What is the main goal of SWIFT?
The program aims to reshape spectrum use in ways that provide real societal benefit by improving spectrum utilization. This includes developing practical and reliable sharing and protection strategies that can be adopted in real deployments, especially in challenging coexistence environments.
What does NSF mean by “spectrum coexistence” in this program?
Coexistence refers to two or more systems operating in the same frequency band at the same time and/or in the same place without causing harmful interference to each other. SWIFT highlights coexistence as a central technical focus.
Why does SWIFT emphasize coexistence involving passive spectrum users?
SWIFT puts special attention on passive spectrum users because protecting them is technically difficult and comparatively underexplored. Passive systems (such as radio astronomy or Earth-observing sensors) do not transmit radio frequency energy, so they cannot easily coordinate or negotiate access like active transmitters sometimes can. New coexistence methods could help protect critical scientific and public-safety observations while still enabling modern communications growth.
What are examples of coexistence scenarios mentioned in the opportunity?
Examples include radio astronomy coexisting with 5G wireless services (passive-active coexistence), and active-active sharing scenarios such as weather radar operating alongside Wi-Fi.
What types of innovations does SWIFT expect projects to pursue?
SWIFT expects innovation on both the physical technology side and the algorithmic/protocol side. The program is looking for approaches that combine hardware and software/networking perspectives as part of a unified solution.
What kinds of hardware or physical-layer topics fit SWIFT?
Hardware-oriented topics mentioned include advances in radio designs, receivers, front-end filtering, reconfigurable components, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and software-defined radio (SDR) approaches that make systems more aware, agile, and resilient.
What kinds of algorithms, protocols, and software topics fit SWIFT?
Algorithmic and protocol areas mentioned include sensing, interference identification and mitigation, dynamic access, spectrum awareness, coordination mechanisms, and AI-enabled decision-making to manage real-world complexity.
Does SWIFT require “team-based” and cross-disciplinary proposals?
Yes. SWIFT is positioned as a team-based research program and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration. It is designed to bring together expertise spanning communications hardware, signal processing, networking, electromagnetics, remote sensing, and related areas.
Which NSF directorates are involved in SWIFT?
NSF is coordinating SWIFT across multiple directorates: Engineering (ENG), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Geosciences (GEO).
Is the program only about improving spectrum efficiency?
No. The solicitation frames the goal as improving spectrum utilization, which is broader than narrowly defined spectrum efficiency. It includes deployable sharing approaches and protection strategies that address coexistence in challenging real-world environments.
What technical themes and concepts are explicitly referenced in the opportunity?
The opportunity references themes such as dynamic spectrum access, interference avoidance, reducing radio frequency interference (RFI), spectrum awareness, electromagnetic considerations, AI, and SDR. It also references terms tied to spectrum policy and services such as ITU, Radio Regulations, Earth Exploration-Satellite Service, Radio Astronomy Service, and related spectrum-access initiatives.
What emerging applications does SWIFT connect to?
The program notes relevance to emerging applications such as IoT, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/UAV), and advanced wireless platforms.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for SWIFT?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 20-537.
What type of funding opportunity is SWIFT?
SWIFT is described as a discretionary NSF grant opportunity categorized under science and technology research and development.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for SWIFT?
The posted award ceiling is $1,500,000.
How many awards does NSF expect to make under SWIFT?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of about 16 awards.
When was the SWIFT opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on January 4, 2020.
What was the original proposal closing date listed for SWIFT?
The original closing date listed for proposals was April 3, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with clarification in the solicitation text. Applicants are directed to consult the detailed eligibility section of the solicitation for specifics.
Which CFDA numbers are associated with SWIFT?
The CFDA numbers associated with the program include 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, and 47.070, reflecting NSF programmatic coverage across multiple research domains.
What kind of outcomes is SWIFT trying to enable?
SWIFT seeks outcomes that plausibly lead to new technologies or major upgrades to existing wireless infrastructure, translating into more robust and societally beneficial spectrum use, particularly where coexistence and protection of passive services are difficult.
How does SWIFT relate to protecting scientific and sensing services?
A core motivation described is the protection of passive scientific and sensing services (for example, radio astronomy and Earth-observing sensors). By focusing on passive coexistence, SWIFT targets methods that can reduce harmful interference while still allowing modern wireless systems to grow.
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