Travel: NSF-NICT Beyond 5G/6G Research Workshop

This proposal seeks to fund U.S.-based researchers to participate in a one-day NSF-NICT workshop on Beyond 5G/6G Research, to be held in Tokyo, Japan, on May 22, 2026. Immediately following IEEE INFOCOM 2026, the workshop aims to align U.S. and Japanese research and development timelines regarding 6G architecture, use cases, and performance metrics. Key focus areas include the development of open research infrastructures and the exploration of Beyond 5G/6G technologies such as AI-RAN, All-Photonics networks, quantum networking, and Non-Terrestrial Networking. By fostering a shared understanding of 6G toolkits and standardization from different national perspectives, the activity accelerates the transition from theoretical research to practical implementation. This workshop strengthens the bilateral U.S.-Japan cooperation initiative by providing a critical platform for leading U.S. and Japanese researchers to present and synthesize findings that will define the design and operation of future wireless networks. Results will be disseminated through a publicly accessible workshop report and a dedicated project website, providing a strategic roadmap for both academia and industry to contribute to the global 6G ecosystem. 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. NSF Award ID: 2623257 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Abhimanyu Gosain | Institution: Northeastern University, BOSTON, MA | Award Amount: $30,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2623257 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2623257.html