In the Call 2022, to be published in the fall of 2022, two emerging research topics are addressed, namely Security and Privacy in Decentralised and Distributed Systems (SPiDDS) and Machine Learning-based Communication Systems, towards Wireless AI (WAI).

The topics descriptions below are provided as draft only. The final descriptions will result from the online CHIST-ERA Conference 2022 (May 24-26, Edinburgh). Open to any interested scientist, the conference will bring together scientists and CHIST-ERA representatives in order to identify and formulate the most promising scientific and technological challenges of the call topics.

Moreover, indications on the research funding organisations considering joining the call are provided in the table below. CHIST-ERA being open to new funding organisations, interested researchers from countries not listed below are encouraged to contact their national/regional funding organisation to express their interest. The definitive list of the participating funding organisations will be published in the official Call Announcement.

Information: chistera@anr.fr

Topic 1. Security and Privacy in Decentralised and Distributed Systems (SPiDDS)

Due to several technical trends (e.g., increasing miniaturisation of computing devices and availability of massive hardware parallelism in data centers) as well as societal ones (e.g., increasing globalisation and sharing of information), more and more computer applications are decentralised or distributed these days. This shift exacerbates security and privacy issues in computer systems, especially with applications becoming more complex by spanning multiple tiers or hardware infrastructures, and integrating different subsystems and components. New approaches are needed to achieve and reason about security and privacy guarantees in a comprehensive end-to-end fashion in such applications. In particular, formal techniques for verifying properties are needed for increasing automation and rigor in the face of increasingly complex systems.

Application sectors: Blockchains, edge and fog, 5G / 6G applications and systems, IoT, cloud

Keywords: Security, privacy and trust in distributed systems; Secure mobile, edge and cloud computing; Formal models of security and privacy; Automated verification of security and privacy properties in software; Secure distributed ledgers and coordination

Topic 2. Machine Learning-based Communication Systems, towards Wireless AI (WAI)

We are facing large growth in IoT networks and data traffic. New service requirements become also more and more demanding: Higher data volumes, ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, higher reliability and lower power consumption. To meet these requirements and dynamicity of the network, next generation wireless networks push forward towards radically new approaches. Machine Learning techniques can help future networks to meet these requirements and dynamicity of the network. They have the potential to handle giant amount of information to outperform current application scenarios and deliver novel ones. A partial list of components that could be significantly enhanced using Machine Learning techniques are: Resource optimization in Radio Access Network (scheduling), physical layer signal processing, spatial (MIMO) processing & beamforming, spectrum sensing & spectrum access for Cognitive Radio Networks, learning at the edge of wireless networks. The call topic will aim at accelerating the path towards relevant Wireless AI by successfully integrating software-based solutions and hardware-oriented proof-of-concepts.

Application sectors: Communication systems, AI

Keywords: Wireless communication, Machine Learning, Radio Access Networks, signal processing, MIMO, spectrum sensing, Cognitive Radio Networks, 5G, optimization algorithms, Dynamic Spectrum Allocation

Anticipated list of participating national/regional funding organisations