This proposal is to support planning visits by the PI, Dr. Huseyin Arslan, Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF), Tampa, Florida and two of his students to Turkey, to establish research and education collaboration between the USF and two Turkish universities as well as a Turkish government agency. The Turkish collaborators are: Dr. Halim Zaim, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Istanbul University; Dr. Adnan Kavak, Electrical Engineering Department, Kocaeli University, Izmit and Dr. Murat Apohan and Mr. Veysel Baydogan from TUBITAK- National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE) in Gebze, Turkey. A strong motivation for this collaboration is the demand and interest from both countries in wireless communications in extreme scenarios. Turkey is a country that is prone to earthquakes and some other natural disasters, and during these extreme situations, communications becomes a critical issue. Cognitive radio, which is a new concept in wireless communications, can address some of the critical communication issues and problems that have been experienced in Turkey and in the U.S. during recent events.
Intellectual Merit: The visit will allow assessment of research capabilities and responsibilities of the respective US and Turkish groups and clarify individual strengths in equipment and infrastructure required to structure an international cooperative research proposal on wireless communication systems. The primary expectation of the international collaboration is to develop new concepts and strategies in wireless communication systems, especially on cognitive radio and reliable/secure wireless communications in extreme situations. The planning visit will also help develop a program of exchange visits by graduate students of the participating laboratories. The U.S. and Turkish scientists have complementary expertise and resources.
Broader Impact: Improving the performance of wireless communication systems under severe conditions would have major benefits in the U.S., Turkey and in other regions that are disaster prone. The collaboration will directly benefit the involved academic institutions in the two countries, as U.S. students from USF will participate in these planning visits and will gain a valuable experience in initiating international research from the beginning. This project is jointly funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Electrical, Communications & Cyber Systems.
