Contact (ECS)

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Vasundara Varadan
Division Director

The Division of Electrical and Communications Systems (ECS) addresses fundamental research issues underlying component and device technologies, computation, networking technology, and control , and systems principles at the nano, micro and macro scales, and supports the integration and networking of intelligent systems for a variety of application domains in sensing and imaging, telecommunications, wireless networks, homeland security, power systems, environment, transportation, bioelectronics and biomedicine, nanomanufacturing, and other device and systems related areas. ECS envisions a research community that will address major technological challenges in devices and systems due to the convergence of micro/nano/info/bio-electronics, controls, communications, networks, and computation.

ECS has a continuing goal to integrate education into its programs to ensure the education of a diverse workforce in the 21 st Century who will continue innovative advances for the rapid development of emerging technologies as drivers of the global economy. This vision is encouraged and strengthened by the Engineer of 2020 report of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) that foresees a “bewildering array of new technologies” confronting an engineering profession that must be educated in research, development and design, as well as possessing the attributes of strong analytical skills, creativity, ingenuity, professionalism and leadership.

The strategic development of ECS programs in research and education supports NSF themes in nanotechnology, biocomplexity in the environment, cyberinfrastructure, human and social dynamics, sensors and sensor networks, information technology research, mathematical sciences and the workforce for the 21st Century.

The ECS Division is organized around three programs that focus on research and educational issues of device and component technologies, computational technologies and integrative systems:

(1). Electronics, Photonics, and Device Technologies (EPDT)

(2). Control, Networks, and Computational Intelligence (CNCI)

(3). Integrative Systems (IS)

The management of these programs involves a team approach by Program Directors of the ECS Division, to reflect the increasing convergence of traditional disciplinary topics and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to new problem areas.

New Submission Windows for Unsolicited Proposals!

Unsolicited proposals submitted to ECS programs will be accepted during a window extending from one month before the target date of October 7th in 2004 and one month before February 7th in 2005. (See the ECS Submission Requirements for futher details). These target date do not apply to workshop proposals or proposals for Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER). 

Proposals submitted before the acceptance window or after the target date  (5 p.m., local time) will be returned unreviewed. The ECS Division discourages multiple proposals by the same PI and/or Co-PI within the same submission window.

Proposal review is typically accomplished by panels of peers, and decisions about awards or declinations are made within 6 months of each deadline.  For unsolicted proposals, the NSF  Merit Criteria One (Intellectual Impact) and Two (Broader Impacts) will be addressed explicitly in the review and in considering any funding recommendations.  These criteria can be found in Section 3A of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and in other popular NSF publications. Both criteria must be explicitly addressed in the project summary, or the proposal will be returned without review.

New Position Opening: ECS Division Director

Recently Re-Opened: Wireless, RF, Electromagnetics

About ECS         Programs       People       Submission Requirements

Notice: REU constraints in FY05

The Role and Interest of ECS in Building the Cyberinfrastructure

(Note text of discussion in "Notes View".)

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Last updated:
08-Nov-2004