Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for defence and security
Innovation Networks
Up to $3M to stimulate the free flow of ideas critical for innovation.
The Challenge
In response to the rapid development and deployment of commercial 5G technologies, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking to stimulate the application of advances in technologies for 5G and beyond to defence and security problems.
What IDEaS Provides
Up to $3,000,000 (over 4 years) to develop a research micro-network to stimulate collaboration and build a network of expertise in support of Canada’s current and future defence and security needs.
What Innovators Bring
Led by a Canadian university, innovators bring a self-organized multidisciplinary group of researchers to collaborate and advance research in the 5G domain that have DND/CAF applications, specifically: Architectures for Defence and Security Operations; Assured Performance and Security; and Applications and Sensors.
Challenge
Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for defence and security
In response to the rapid development and deployment of commercial 5G technologies, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking to stimulate the application of advances in technologies for 5G and beyond to defence and security problems. Currently, most research and development work within academia and industry focuses on commercial applications. To leverage that work to address DND/CAF specific needs, the IDEaS program is looking to develop several research micro-nets focusing on DND/CAF applications, specifically: Architectures for Defence and Security Operations, Assured Performance and Security, and Applications and Sensors.
Formation of Innovation Networks
Recognizing that successful and sustainable research networks take time to build, this first round of calls for proposals is meant to establish the creation of small innovation networks, or micro-nets.
The benefit to Canada and DND/CAF will be the development of a critical mass of researchers, highly qualified personnel and expertise within the Canadian innovation community that supports basic and applied research. It is expected that the existing micro-nets will work together to eventually form larger and sustainable national Innovation Networks dedicated to further research on 5G technologies and beyond.
Background and context
To leverage ongoing industrial investment and advances in consumer communications technologies to enhance capabilities in the defence and security context, there are three areas where innovation is required: Architectures for Defence and Security Operations, Assured Performance and Security, and Applications and Sensors. Proposals are being sought that exploit advances made possible by the technologies within 5G and beyond in these areas.
Architectures for Defence and Security Operations
Activities in defence and security, from logistics to mobile and deployed operations, require a high degree of situational awareness to maintain efficiency and effectiveness. Modernized capabilities would benefit from architectures that integrate advanced communication concepts and technologies to take advantage of features such as rapid technology refresh, edge computing, software-defined networking, virtualization, and machine-to-machine connectivity.
Assured Performance and Security
Maintaining secure and resilient connectivity and information assurance with respect to confidentiality, integrity and availability, is essential for defence and security in all operating conditions. As more capabilities take advantage of the rapid and flexible opportunities of wireless communications, technologies are required to enhance the quality of service and security of data and user information in networked operations.
Applications and Sensors
The characteristics of 5G and beyond, such as low latency, high density and high bandwidth, open the door to new applications and use cases. The integration of new technologies, such as novel sensors and effectors, may lead to innovations that will increase the efficiency of existing capabilities and introduce new ones.
Expected Outcomes:
We are seeking proposals from micro-nets that aim to exploit the advances within 5G and beyond to develop, integrate and demonstrate technologies to improve current capabilities and to introduce new concepts. Example areas of research may include, but are not limited to:
- architectures that exploit the features of 5G and beyond to improve situational awareness;
- scalable and adaptable networks to match force requirements;
- non-cryptographic techniques to enhance information security in public networks;
- applications of machine-to-machine communications and Internet of Things;
- application of artificial intelligence to enhance network performance and security; and
- haptic, virtual or artificial reality applications for simulation, training and operational use.
Eligibility
Recognizing that successful sustainable research networks take time to build, Innovation Networks calls for proposals are to support the creation of smaller networks, called Micro-nets.
A Micro-net is a self-organized multidisciplinary team of at least three eligible organizations/institutions who carry out interdisciplinary research on one or more aspects of the S&T Challenge. Each Micro-Network will advance solutions from Solution Readiness Levels (SRLs) 1 to 6 inclusively,
Eligible organizations or institutions are:
- Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada;
- Incorporated for-profit organizations;
- Incorporated not-for-profit organizations;
- Provincial/territorial and municipal government organizations; and
- International universities and educational institutions.
Micro-net Team Composition
Each Micro-net must be composed of a minimum of three investigators, up to a maximum of 10 investigators, from any combination of the eligible institutions and organizations. A Canadian university must be the Applicant. Individuals from the eligible institutions and organizations who are members of existing networks, associations, groups, consortia, etc. may participate.
Read and refer to the Applicant Guide for complete details on eligibility and Micro-net composition.
Letters of Intent
Letters of Intent invited to submit Full Proposals: Faster, Stronger, More Secure: Advancing 5G capabilities and concepts for defence and security
Applicants listed below have been invited to submit a Full Proposal to IDEaS no later than 14:00 Eastern Time, February 15, 2022. Submission information appears in the language in which received.
| Project Title | Keywords | University | Lead Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5G as a Signal of Opportunity for Low-Cost, Radio-Silent, and Scalable Passive Radar Remote Sensing | Remote Sensing; Passive Radar; Signal Processing; Beamforming Antennas; 5G/mmWave Spectrum Monitoring; Machine Learning | University of Calgary | Hatem Abou-Zeid |
| 5G Digital Campus | Human-Machine Interface (HMI); Extended Reality (XR); Aviation industry; Simulation; Metaverse; Haptics | Ryerson University | Joon Chung |
| 5G Digital Identity (5GDID) | 5G; Digital Identity; Blockchain architecture; Defence; NFT Non-fungible Tokens; Cybersecurity | The University of New Brunswick | David McGee |
| 5G Exploitation at scale: Intelligent Dynamic Layered Decentralized Networking | Artificial Intelligence; Distributed Networks; Fragmented Networks; Meshable Networks; Edge Computing; IDLDN - Intelligent Dynamic Layered Decentralized Net | Brock University | Naser Ezzati-Jivan |
| 5G-Assisted Marine-Air-Ground Integrated Networking for Performance and Security Enhancement | 5G and beyond communication networks; Marine-air-ground integrated networking; Data analytics and visualization; Security and privacy; AI and edge computing; Underwater communication and localization | Memorial University of Newfoundland | Octavia Dobre |
| 5G-Enabled Trustworthy Common Operational Picture with Edge Server Data Engine (5G-TCOP) | Explainable AI; Edge Analytic; Air-to-Ground, Air-to-Air 5G; Sensor Networks and Drone Networks; Channel Modeling and Interference Mitigation; Distributed Machine Learning | University of Calgary | Henry Leung |
| Aerial Sensing and Communication Using 5G and Beyond Technologies for Canadian Armed Forces | UAV Communication for 5G Systems; UAV localization Using sensing towers; Aerial Sensing Technologies; Radio over Free-Space Optical (FSO); Anti-Jamming UAV-to-UAV Communication; UAV Authentication | The University of British Columbia | Dr. Julian Cheng |
| AI for Defence and Security Systems Verification and Operation | AI for IT Operations and quality of service; AI and machine data analytics; Service reliability, availability and performance; Wireless network security; Formal hardware verification; Defence and security systems | Concordia University | Abdelwahab Hamou-Lhadj |
| AI/ML driven ad-hoc 5G tactical network | AI/ML; Decentralized; Multi-bearer; ECCM; LPI/LPD; Interoperability | Ecole de Technologie Superieure | Georges Kaddoum |
| AI-Driven Situational-Aware Security and Performance Assurance for 5G-Enabled Critical Infrastructures | Critical Infrastructures; Connected Vehicles; Cybersecurity; Artificial Intelligence; Radio fingerprinting; 5G and Beyond | University of Ottawa | Burak Kantarci |
| AI-Empowered Zero-Touch and Zero-Trust 5G Secure and Dependable Network Operation and Management | Zero-Trust Architecture; Zero-Touch Operation; Security by Design; Dependability by Design; Artificial Intelligence; 5G Automation | Brock University | Glaucio Haroldo Silva de Carvalho |
| Alert Systems for Detection and Monitoring of Chemical and Explosive Threats | Chemical or Explosive (CE) threats; Alert systems; Public Safety; Low-power MIMO wireless networks; Inertial Gas Sensors; RFID sensors | University of Waterloo | Eihab Abdel-Rahman |
| Autonomous, Reliable, Scalable and Secure Resource Management in Multi-level 5G edge | 5G; Edge Computing; Resource Optimization; Artificial Intelligence; Autonomous decision making; Predictive and remote analytics | University of Ottawa | Burak Kantarci |
| Context-aware and Robust Architectures for Defence and Security Operations | Context-aware Cybersecurity; 5G/B5G Cybersecurity; Cybersecurity Architectures; MLOps for Cybersecurity and Defence; Blockchain; Robustness | Ecole de Technologie Superieure | Chamseddine Talhi |
| Emulation Platform With Built-in Machine Learning and Optimization Framework For 5G Tactical Networks | 5G; Emulation platform; Machine Learning; Network optimization; Tactical networks; Network security | Ecole de Technologie Superieure | Kim Khoa Nguyen |
| High Performance Robustness and Security for Flexible Content Aware 5G Networks (HENRIETA 5G) | Simulation; Optimization; Machine learning (ML); Context Awareness; Flexibility, Robustness and Security; Performance, Quality of Experience (QoE) | Polytechnique Montréal | Brunilde Sansò |
| High-Power Light-Activated Reconfigurable Integrated Waveguide Switches for Secure High Speed Communications | Millimeter-wave; High power; Photoconductive switch; Integration; Waveguide; Reconfiguration | University of Alberta | Kambiz Moez |
| Integrated cryptography and physical layer protections for security and privacy in 5G and Beyond systems | Cryptography, security and privacy protection; 5G physical layer, mmwave, MIMO and OFDM; Integration of crypto and physical layer; Threats, vulnerabilities and attacks; Availability, pre-authentication and authentication; Applications in securing Internet-of-Things | University of Waterloo | Guang Gong |
| Intelligent Sensors and Electromagnetic Surfaces for Secure Networking and Cloaking in 5G Wireless Environments | Adaptive metasurfaces; Intelligent sensors; Active cloaking; Artificial intelligence; Secure networks; Compact antennas | University of Alberta | Ashwin Iyer |
| Living Lab to Promote 5G Capabilities and Concepts for Defence and Security Purposes | 5G Living Lab; Network slicing; Edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT); Security; Experiential Learning; Simulated Use Cases | Carleton University | Sandra Nichol |
| mmWave radar-based spatially comprehensive real-time monitoring capability for low flying aerial and ground targets | Cognitive radar (real-time programmable beam forming); Sensor network; Machine learning; Eerial target identification and tracking; Traffic control; Unstable ground | Simon Fraser University | Bernhard Rabus |
| NETGUARD: Side-Channel Analysis to Protect 5G Supply Chain and Network Operation From Nation State Attacks | Supply chain cybersecurity; Side channel analysis | University of Waterloo | Sebastian Fischmeister |
| Programmable Radio Environments for 5G Secure Communications | Reconfigurable intelligent electromagnetic surfaces; Space-time electromagnetic metasurfaces; Security in wireless communications; Active and passive attacks; Metasurface-aided localization; Security and privacy-aware resource allocation | University of Manitoba | Ekram Hossain |
| REACTnet – Response in Emergencies: Advanced Communications-based Tactical Network | 5G; Emergencies; Wildfire; Flood; Disasters; Satcom | Simon Fraser University | Peter Anderson |
| Real-time Threat Prevention for Cyber-physical systems on 5G Standalone Networks | Cyberphysical systems; Real-Time Threat Prevention; Artificial Intelligence; 5GCore; Anomaly detection; Service-based architecture | University of Ottawa | Burak Kantarci |
| Reliable and Secure IoT Systems for Defence and Security in the Context of 5G and Beyond | IoT for Defence and Security; 5G and Beyond Networks; IoT security; IoT reliability; Resource optimization | Carleton University | Chris Lannon |
| Reseaux resillients aeriens terrestres integres pour repondre aux besoins lies a la force | Reseaux echelonnables; reseaux adaptables; resilience; intelligence artificielle; reseaux autogeres; reseaux aeriens et terrestres | Polytechnique Montréal | Soumaya Cherkaoui |
| Secure and Dependable Hierarchical Processing over 5G Networks | 5G; Edge computing; Security; Architecture; Reliability | The Governing Council of the University of Toronto | Eyal de Lara |
| Secure and Reliable End-to-End Network Slicing for 5G and Beyond Mobile Networks | Security; Reliability; 5G Network slicing; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Software-Defined Networking (SDN); Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) | University of Waterloo | Raouf Boutaba |
| Securing the future: AI-powered predictive analytics of future security compromises | Predicting compromise; AI enabled security; 5G networks; Risk Assessment; Root Cause Analysis; Attacker's tactics | University of Saskatchewan | Leah Johnson |
| Security at all layers: communication, networking and inference techniques for secure-by-design networks | Physical layer security; Network security and latency; Distributed and secure inference; Massive MIMO; Full duplex radios; mmWave communication | McGill University/The Royal Institution for the advancement of learning | Aditya Mahajan |
| Smart and Secure Connected Architecture (SaSCA) | Connected Vehicles; Internet of Things; 5G Technology; Mesh Networks; Cyber Security; Artificial Intelligence | University of Windsor, SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence | Dr. Ikjot Saini |
| Smart, Scalable Haptic Simulation for Aviation Training | 5G Networking; Virtual and mixed reality; Simulation and training; Haptics; Aviation; Human-centered design | University of Waterloo | Oliver Schneider |
| Toward Situational-aware and Adaptive 5G Networks for Defence and Security: A Machine Learning Approach | Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled network architecture; Edge computing and software-defined networking; Sensors and Internet of things (IoT); Sensing, computation, and communications; Security, data privacy, and anomaly detection; Machine learning | University of British Columbia | Vincent Wong |
| Utilizing 5G Technology for UAV Detection | UAS detection using 5G; Counter UAV; Defence security; AI models | University of Ottawa | Miodrag Bolic |
Deadline
The application period has closed. This challenge is no longer accepting applications. For any questions, please contact the Innovation Networks team at: IDEaS-IN.IDEeS-RI@forces.gc.ca
Results
Note: Submission information appears in the language in which it was received.
| Project Title | University | Partners | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toward Situational-aware and Adaptive 5G Networks for Defence and Security: A Machine Learning Approach | University of British Columbia | University of British Columbia University of Victoria University of Quebec University of Toronto |
$1,499,934.00 |
| A Platform for Secure and Dependable Hierarchical Edge Processing on 5G | University of Toronto | University of Toronto McGill University École de Technologie Supérieure University of British Columbia |
$1,500,000.00 |
| Context-aware and Robust Architectures for Defence and Security Operations | École de Technologie Supérieure, Université du Québec | École de Technologie Supérieure StreamScan IPtoki Inc. Concordia University Memorial University McMaster University Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières |
$1,499,600.00 |
| 5G-Enabled Trustworthy Common Operational Picture with Edge Server Data Engine (5G-TCOP) | University of Calgary | University of Calgary University of Alberta University of Manitoba University of Toronto Memorial University of Newfoundland |
$1,487,300.00 |
| AI-Driven Situational-Aware Security and Performance Assurance for 5G-Enabled Critical Infrastructures | University of Ottawa | University of Ottawa BlackBerry ThinkRF |
$1,495,062.00 |
| Autonomous, Reliable, Scalable and Secure Resource Management in Multi-level 5G edge | University of Ottawa | University of Ottawa Wesley Clover Telus |
$1,486,375.00 |
| Intelligent Sensors and Electromagnetic Surfaces for Resilient Networking and Communications in 5G Wireless Environments | University of Alberta | University of Alberta University of Toronto Toronto Metropolitan University |
$1,500,000.00 |
| Secure and Reliable End-to-End Network Slicing for 5G and Beyond Mobile Networks | University of Waterloo | University of Waterloo École de Technologie Supérieure University of Regina Rockport Networks NoviFlow BlackBerry |
$1,499,838.00 |
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