Circ: grand/ENS: COSMOS3: enhancing and sustaining the cosmos platform

The National Science Foundation Division of Information and Intelligent Systems awarded Rutgers, The State University a $3.8 million cooperative agreement on October 1, 2025, to enhance and expand the COSMOS platform, a city-scale testbed for advanced wireless, networking, and sensing technologies deployed in New York City under the NSF Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program.

The award funds three primary thrusts: design and deployment of advanced hardware nodes supporting a wider range of wireless frequencies (FR1/FR2/FR3) and multi-modal sensing capabilities; development of open-source software tools for managing experiments and processing real-time data; and creation of educational materials and hands-on tutorials to support learning and experimentation. The COSMOS³ infrastructure enables research on next-generation wireless network scenarios including joint communication and sensing (JCAS), dynamic spectrum sharing, edge artificial intelligence (edge AI), and smart intersections. Work integrates programmable radios, multi-modal sensors (cameras, LIDARs, radars), and high-performance edge computing deployed across key intersections in New York City to support experimentation beyond the scope of existing urban testbeds.

The award period runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029, with place of performance at New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) provides the funding authority.

Rutgers distributes sub-awards to Columbia University (awarded January 8, 2026) and Duke University (awarded December 5, 2025) for collaborative research on enhancing and sustaining the COSMOS platform as part of the broader CIRC ENS/Grand initiative.

Abstract

The cosmos^3 project is to enhance and expand the cosmos platform, a city-scale testbed for advanced wireless, networking, and sensing technologies, deployed in new york city (NYC). Cosmos is one of the projects under the NSF platforms for advanced wireless research (pawr) program. The project aims to enable studying smarter and safer urban environments by deploying new wireless nodes and sensors?such as cameras, lidars, and radars?across key intersections in new york city. These tools will enable inventing and testing new technologies that could improve everyday life. The cosmos^3 platform is designed to be open and accessible for a wide range of users to learn, experiment, and create technology that shapes the future of cities. The project is organized into several thrusts: (i) design and deployment of advanced hardware nodes that support a wider range of wireless frequencies (FR1/FR2/FR3) and multi-modal sensing; (II) development of open-source software tools for managing experiments and processing real-time data; and (III) development of educational materials and hands-on tutorials to support learning and experimentation. The cosmos^3 infrastructure enables research on a wide range of next-generation wireless network scenarios including joint communication and sensing (jcas), dynamic spectrum sharing, edge artificial intelligence (edge AI), and smart intersections. By integrating programmable radios, multi-modal sensors, and high-performance edge computing, cosmos^3 provides a flexible platform for experimentation and development that goes beyond what existing urban testbeds can offer, driving the advancement of next-generation wireless technologies. In terms of broader impacts, the cosmos^3 testbed will accelerate wireless technology innovation, benefiting both the industry and end-users of mobile services. The project will also help to foster a growing community of research users and to encourage the use of the platform at local, regional, national, and global scales. The cosmos^3 team hosts workshops, internships, and training programs to expand access to the testbed?s resources. By sharing all data, code, and training materials, the project is designed to accelerate discovery, foster collaboration, and enable new research and educational opportunities across many fields. Project information, software, datasets, and experimenter resources for cosmos^3 are made available at https://cosmos-lab.ORG/. The project team is committed to maintaining the repository and website for the duration of the award and for at least two years beyond its completion. Long-term sustainability will be pursued through partnerships, community engagement, and integration with other research and education programs, ensuring cosmos^3 remains a valuable resource into the future. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.