This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project provides funding for 10-week summer research experiences in physical-layer security at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Over the three-year project duration, the three yearly unifying topics of student projects will be network protocols for secrecy, intentional jamming techniques for secrecy, and novel error-correcting codes for secrecy in wireless networks. Students will implement projects on a software radio platform where appropriate. The disseminated results will aid system designers in adding a completely new layer of security at the physical-layer of modern networks.
This project will increase the understanding of physical-layer security for communications in real-world sensor networks. Over the three-year grant period, fifteen students (including at least twelve undergraduates) will conduct research in Coimbra, Portugal. The Portuguese research mentors are experts in physical-layer security and coding theory. Stronger collaborations between the universities will develop, leading to advanced results in physical-layer security. The research results may alter secure system design across many platforms to produce modern data security solutions. Recruitment of student participants will be performed at several diverse institutions throughout Southern Colorado, and will allow the development of effective mechanisms for attracting underrepresented groups to STEM research.
