Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Computing and Communication Foundations, awarded $456,210 to the University of Missouri System (operating as Curators of the University of Missouri) for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on consumer networking technologies. The award, which commenced October 1, 2026, and will conclude September 30, 2029, supports an undergraduate research program that engages students in mentored research projects addressing practical applications in public safety, healthcare, nature conservation, and education. Participating students will conduct hands-on research investigations leveraging advanced networking environments, including NSF-supported AERPAW/FABRIC resources, mixed reality facilities (Mizzou CAVE), smart device equipment, and sensor-based monitoring systems.

The REU Site provides structured professional development activities designed to prepare undergraduate participants for graduate studies and careers in emerging computing fields. Research focus areas include software-defined networking and virtualization for resource control, resilient visual computing for drone network applications, secure and artificial intelligence-enabled mixed reality systems, mobile sensing and environment recognition, securing networked consumer applications, and application-aware network performance optimization. Through this program, participating students from diverse educational and geographic backgrounds will develop technical expertise while contributing to broader understanding of efficiency, performance, reliability, scalability, and security challenges inherent in contemporary consumer networking technologies. The award falls under NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070), which supports investigator-initiated research and education across computing disciplines.