CUNY-GC ITA
International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Science
Computer Science Dept., Graduate Center, CUNY

Research Areas

The alliance will perform research in the four areas of (i) network theory (ii) security across system of systems (iii) sensor information processing and delivery and (iv) distributed coalition planning and decision making.
 

  1. In the context of network theory, we will focus on developing the basic theory for wireless networks, and extend the current theoretical understanding, which are only asymptotic and apply only to limited cases. This research will be augmented by work in the area of self-configuring, self-organizing, and self-synchronizing networks. Such networks would be efficient and interoperable, dynamically adaptable to the needs of a military coalition
  2. In the context of security across systems of systems, we will look at security issues that are unique to dynamic military environments, such as automated negotiation of security policies across coalitions, developing energy-efficient security protocols, and managing trust and risk dynamically, instead of as a design time activity, by including operational context.
  3. In the context of sensor information processing and delivery, we will focus on schemes that can characterize and improve the quality of information obtained from sensor networks and mechanisms that can allow sensor networks to adapt themselves to the operational context dynamically while reducing the human burden in managing them to best serve the objectives of military operations.
  4. In the context of distributed coalition planning and decision making, we will concentrate on schemes that could improve the shared situational awareness among coalition partners, improve the suitability of information technology infrastructure to the missions of a coalition force, and analyze the cultural and procedural differences between coalition forces and the urban context in which they operate.

Projects

  1. Theoretical Foundations for Analysis and Design of Wireless and Sensor Networks: A robust and scalable network infrastructure based on the fundamental understanding on ad hoc wireless and sensor network will significantly improve the reach of information across coalition members. We will investigate the fundamental limits of wireless and sensor networks in the military context to establish theoretical limits on capacity, scalability, reliability, detection, energy efficiency, and lifetime of networks. In addition, we will develop a mathematical framework within which coalition forces can develop robust, high performance network protocols for military wireless networks.
  2. Interoperability of Wireless Networks and Systems: Insufficient network interoperability between coalition nations and even different military units of a nation’s armed forces is a common barrier that dramatically inhibits the formation of agile mission groups. We will model and analyze the interoperability of different wireless networks and systems. We will then provide PHY/MAC/network/application layer solutions for seamless interoperation, and develop cross-layer adaptation methodologies to achieve optimal performance.
  3. Biologically Inspired Self-Organization in Networks: Self-configuring and highly adaptive networks can significantly enhance the survivability of the infrastructure critical to a military operation. Biological systems provide extensive examples of survivable self-organization. We will investigate models, theory, and algorithms for creating self-organizing wireless and sensor networks inspired by biological systems.
  4. Policy Based Security Management: This project will investigate platform independent policy frameworks to specify and analyze security and networking policies. We will develop protocols for automated policy negotiations and mechanisms for refining high-level user-specified goals and decisions into low-level settings of components and subsystems. The project will develop algorithms to detect policy conflicts and investigate strategies for conflict resolution in coalition environments.
  5. Efficient Security Architectures and Infrastructures: This project will develop and analyze lightweight and adaptive security architectures and infrastructures to facilitate formation of and operations by secure, flexible “Communities of Interest” (CoIs).We will explore how to best design joint taskforce authorities and permission management systems that exploit traditional public key infrastructures (PKIs). In addition, we will explore alternatives to traditional PKIs that are inherently more energy and bandwidth efficient and that promise to provide natural support for coalition operations.
  6. Trust and Risk Management in Dynamic Coalition Environments: In this project, we will develop (i) a trust and risk management framework that can be used to define and manage the concepts of trust, risk, and operational benefits in dynamic coalition environments; (ii) new trust models for sensor networks; and (iii) a trust management demonstrator to implement capability for ad-hoc trust extension based on an emerging disruptive commercial technology.
  7. Quality of Information of Sensor Data: This research project will study formalisms to describe, analyze and estimate the quality of information delivered by a sensor network. Knowledge of the quality of information that is derived from different data sources, expressed through a rich metadata set, which can include representations of the raw sensor data themselves as necessary, will quantify knowledge (e.g., unreliable, sufficient, superior) and allow decision making entities to appropriately weigh information derived from diverse sources and make better decisions. This project will help in improving the richness of information obtained in coalition environments.
  8. Task-Oriented Deployment of Sensor Data Infrastructures: This research project will investigate algorithms, architectures and procedures that will aid in building data source management support taking into account troop and data source mobility across a geographical terrain. Data sources and fusion elements may be proactively deployed and operated to automatically augment the information gathering experience for improved situational awareness during the execution of a task. Furthermore, the deployed assets and their operation may be repurposed based on the ever-changing operational context for the task, continuously engaging and re-engaging the best available assets for the task(s). This project will improve considerably the operational tempo of a mission, and extend information reach significantly.
  9. Complexity Management of Sensor Data Infrastructures: This research project will develop techniques to reduce the complexity of managing sensor data infrastructure. It will expose a simplified control interface for managing the multitude of disparate sensing and processing element. Furthermore, it will develop data fusion algorithms which include semantic information to reduce the burden of under-standing data sources (sensors) and how they can be effectively be deployed. This research will reduce management information overload and will significantly improve sensor network survivability, and will enable improved process synchronization among coalition partners.
  10. Mission Adaptive Collaborations: The essence of this project is to develop tools, methods and techniques to analyze and synthesize coalitions of agents (human and synthetic), to discover how these teams can understand one another and how they can most effectively adapt and redirect themselves. This will also include organizational, policy and technological means for information sharing and collaboration within the appropriate security environment. This project will exploit insights from project 11 as well as requirements from project 12.
  11. Cultural Analysis: This project focuses on developing an understanding of the command processes within coalitions as well as the processes at work determining their external interactions. It will analyze the cognitive and socio-cultural factors that facilitate or impair communication and understanding. The aim is to provide the means to monitor and automatically instantiate these processes. The work will inform and be informed by projects 10 and 12.
  12. Shared Situation Awareness and the Semantic Battlespace Infosphere: This project will research tools and methods for understanding situations unfolding in a distributed environment. The effort to enhance situation awareness will also integrate a range of planning and decision making services. The overall approach will be sensitive to the outputs of projects 10 and 11.