Networking Technology and Systems  (NeTS)

SYNOPSIS

Future networks should be available anytime and anywhere, be accessible from any communication device, require little or no management overhead, be resilient to failures and malicious attacks, and be trustworthy for all types of communication. They must be able to evolve over time to incorporate new technologies, support new classes of applications, and meet new requirements and challenges. They also need to accommodate growth and unforeseen changes across many dimensions, including traffic load, network size and topology, physical link characteristics, different types of applications, and heterogeneity, without significant performance degradation.

The Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) program supports the exploration of innovative and possibly radical network architectures, protocols, and technologies---for wired and/or wireless environments---that are responsive to the evolving requirements of large-scale, heterogeneous networks and applications. The program will enable technological advances leading to the development of a new generation of high performance networking technologies and systems. The program scope ranges from home networks with numerous "smart" appliances to enterprise networks, core networks, and application-level networks.

Of interest are innovative ideas, algorithms, models, architectures, and protocols for core network functions and systems such as resource discovery, naming, addressing, routing and congestion control; mobility of a massive number of network elements and mobile devices; virtualization; and programmability frameworks--including wired, wireless, and optical substrates. In the area of network control and management, NeTS will entertain research and education projects focused on methods, protocols and tools that enable effective network monitoring and diagnosis. Proposed solutions are expected to bring the network closer to autonomy, where the need for human intervention is minimal. Research outcomes in the form of software and hardware technologies should be scalable, ensure robust network operation even in the most demanding and high performance environments, and be able to support automatic instantiation of protocols and facilitate their evolution. NeTS will also support the development of scalable, non-intrusive mechanisms, tools, and methodologies for measurement, traffic characterization, and simulations, including the development and distribution of benchmarks targeted at specific classes of networking research, both for wired and wireless networks and protocols.

In all areas, the program is interested in projects that address scalability, robustness and network extensibility. Investigators are also encouraged to focus on innovative holistic approaches to address the end-to-end requirements of different applications in large-scale, heterogeneous networks.

Networking research and education projects of an inter-disciplinary nature should be directed to the Network Science and Engineering (NetSE) cross-cutting program (click here for solicitation). For example, projects that take a broad social, technical and economic perspective focusing on how networks are optimally designed to meet social, economic or legal challenges should be directed to the NetSE program.

For more information on the types of projects supported by the NeTS program, please visit the following web site http://www.nsf.gov/cise/cns/nets_pgm.jsp.

Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) Staff

Funding Opportunities for the Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) Program:

Computer and Network Systems (CNS): Core Programs.  NSF 08-576

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF

Computer and Network Systems (CNS): Core Programs