KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 8, 2021

Kennesaw State University computer science professor Tu Nguyen has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to address the massive service demand placed on cellular networks.

The $174,971 NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative (CRII) award, also known as a “mini-CAREER” award, is a highly competitive grant specifically for early-career faculty members. Nguyen’s accepted proposal is titled: “Towards Robust RAN Slicing: Theories, Algorithms and Applications.” With the rapid growth of new services and internet applications, Radio Access Network (RAN) slicing has become one of the most promising architectural technologies for the forthcoming 5G era.

According to Nguyen, RAN slicing allows physical infrastructure resources to be shared across many virtual networks. Each network is built on top of the underlying physical RAN and provides a set of services. This technology is key to unlocking new opportunities for the next generation of network systems.

“This project will bring positive impacts to not only internet users and service providers but also society at large,” said Nguyen, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. “For example, if you are at home, you may be watching YouTube, someone else may be watching Netflix and you may have children using video chat. There are many different types of applications running at the same time and this technology promises to deliver high-quality services for a wide variety of applications.”

Nguyen, who joined KSU’s College of Computing and Software Engineering in July 2021, plans to use the funding to explore new schemes and algorithms to address fundamental challenges in RAN slicing and will do so with a research team of graduate and undergraduate students. This proposed research will lay the foundation for his team’s overarching goal which is to develop fundamental mathematical tools, algorithms, and principles to design smart, secure and self-organizing systems with applications to network systems.

“I want to expand student participation in my research projects,” Nguyen added. His team is currently working on additional projects involving cyber-physical manufacturing systems and quantum networks. Nguyen hopes this grant will serve as a springboard for future research and funding at KSU.

– Abbey O’Brien Barrows

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.