Dr. Ali Hamza, PhD, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Widener University, has been awarded approximately $200,000 in grant funding from the prestigious Engineering Research Initiation program from the National Science Foundation, or NSF.

The grant will support Hamza’s research, which aims to revolutionize cognitive sensing technologies for radar and wireless communication systems.

By enhancing interference mitigation, using artificial intelligence techniques, Hamza’s pioneering work promises improved signal detection with applications spanning wireless communication, aerospace, healthcare, and automotive industries.

These contributions will significantly advance the radar imaging for self-driving cars, weather and military radar, radar-based human activity monitoring, fall detection, and remote vital sign estimation.

“Radar sensing faces challenges due to environmental factors such as noise and jamming signals. Our project integrates AI and sensor-switching technologies into cognitive radar/radio, strengthening interference rejection capabilities,” said Hamza.

With the integration of machine learning and AI algorithms, the project seeks to optimize radio frequency spectrum utilization, alleviate congestion, and expand bandwidth, ultimately enhancing quality of service and regulatory capabilities.

This highly selective grant is designated by the NSF’s Directorate for Engineering to bolster emerging academic investigators and their contributions to engineering research. Additionally, the funding, which marks the first NSF grant for the university’s electrical engineering department, will support undergraduate and graduate research at Widener.

“Given that securing funding is extremely competitive and challenging, I am truly honored and thrilled to continue to bring the exciting opportunities for our students to conduct research in the new era of AI and cognitive sensing. My mission is to empower students through collaborative projects and immersive hands-on experiences, and I am confident that they will make significant contributions in the future,” said Hamza.

Widener University in Chester, is a private institution where industry-shaping faculty provide close, personal mentorship and share powerful connections that help students build professional networks.

Recognized as one of the Philadelphia region’s leading universities, Widener offers programs and experiences that empower its community of learners to discover and create better futures as scholars, leaders and globally engaged citizens.