Convergence Accelerator Portfolio: Active Tracks

The Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure Phase 2 projects in this track are near completion and include:

• AVOID — Led by Johns Hopkins University, Automated Verification of Internet Data-paths (AVOID), secures 5G communications by restructuring communication paths to avoid adversary-controlled base stations, networks and locations, ensuring that critical 5G communications remain invisible to even the most sophisticated adversaries.
• GHOST — Led by the University of Colorado, Boulder, the 5G Hidden Operations through Securing Traffic (GHOST) team proposes a solution to operate securely through untrusted 5G networks by securing user devices, preventing pattern-of-life analysis, impeding traffic analysis and injecting false information.
• INDIGO — Led by the AT&T Corporation, the Intelligent 5G Networks Designed and Integrated for Globalized Operations (INDIGO) project ensures secure, resilient, and quality 5G communications for warfighters and first responders by employing human-centered artificial intelligence, integrating several zero trust capabilities, and leveraging the Open Radio Access Network architecture.    
• SE-RAN — Led by SRI International, the Security-Enhanced Radio Access Network (SE-RAN) project is developing a multi-layered sensor and enforcement platform for managing security services for Open Radio Access Network-compliant 5G+ mobile infrastructure.
• ZTX — Led by the University of Kansas, the Zero Trust X (ZTX) team proposes an end-to-end software solution, the Zero Trust Chain, designed to securely share situational awareness through 5G networks for military operations.

The completed Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure Phase 1 projects include:

• 5G Hidden Operations through Securing Traffic, or GHOST, led by the University of Colorado Boulder.
• 5G Traffic Sovereignty: Operating Through an Adversarial Internet, led by the University of California San Diego.
• Autonomously Tunable Waveform-Agnostic Radio Adapter for Seamless and Secure Operation of DoD Devices Through Non-Cooperative 5G Networks, led by Florida International University.
• Building Resilient and Secure 5G Systems, or BRASS, led by Red Balloon Security.
• Combating Vulnerability and Unawareness in 5G Network Security: Signaling and Full-Stack Approach, led by the University of Kansas.
• Feasible Cooperative Zero Trust Framework for 5G, led by Blackberry Corporation.
• Intelligent 5G Networks Designed and Integrated for Globalized Operations, or INDIGO, led by AT&T Corporation.
• Lightweight Scalable Secure 5G and Beyond Networks, led by Novowi.
• Security Services for the 5G Software-Defined Edge, led by SRI International.
• Programmable Zero-Trust Security, or PETS, for Operating Through 5G Infrastructure, led by Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
• Privacy-preserving Intrusion-resilient Secure Multiparty-computation-based Overlay for Secure and Resilient Communication Through 5G, led by SRI International.
• Proactive End-to-End Zero Trust-Based Security Intelligence for Resilient Non-cooperative 5G Networks, led by the University of Michigan.
• Secure Censor-resistant Overlay Resilient Networks, or SCORE, led by Peraton Labs.
• Secure Texting over Non-cooperative Networks and Anti-jamming Enhancement in 5G, led by George Mason University.
• Securely Operate through 5G Networks with Informed Control, or SONIC, led by the University of Utah.
• SMART-5G: Secure Multichannel Automated opeRations Through 5G Networks, led by IBM, Consulting Federal.

The Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Phase 2 projects include:

• HeardAI — Led by Michigan State University, HeardAI's vision is to transform voice-AI technology accessibility for 80 million people who stutter, eventually benefiting all users. The solution's extensible sociotechnical framework offers accessibility guidance for compliance checking, a realistic stuttered speech testbed for product evaluation, an application and an application programming interface to make voice-activated products and services accessible.  
• Inclusio — Led by Saint Louis University, Inclusio is reimagining accessibility by transforming how people create and consume content in classrooms, workplaces and homes. The project aims to provide an end-to-end software platform that enables rapid sourcing and generation of content that can be felt, heard, and seen across multiple platforms, with a core mission of serving those with low vision and blindness.
• MABLE — Led by Lehigh University, Mapping for Accessibility in Environments (MABLE) is providing people with disabilities independence to experience large events, conferences and educational programs. Using crowdsensing, AI and robotics, MABLE empowers individuals with a responsive map and turn-by-turn instructions through a digital app to help them navigate indoor environments successfully.
• Project DRIVE — Led by Northwestern University, Project DRIVE imagines a future where power wheelchairs are available to everyone who needs one. By connecting current and future technologies, the solution enables safe, independent, power wheelchair operations using intelligent robotic assistance.
• Reachable — Led by Harvard University, Reachable is creating an at-home rehabilitation solution to restore arm function after a stroke. Reachable is a wearable technology that supports a user to practice reaching with their affected arm during daily activities while remotely monitoring recovery and providing feedback to encourage behavioral change.   
• UNav — Led by the New York University Medical Center, UNav revolutionizes navigation for visually impaired users through precision localization technology that maps and provides wayfinding for indoor and outdoor environments. As a mobile application or hands-free wearable technology, UNav communicates directions and hazards using multisensory feedback. The solution improves travel equity by cutting travel time, reducing injuries and increasing environmental awareness.

The completed Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Phase 1 projects include: 

• Advancement of Driving Technology for Vocational Enablement, led by Mississippi State University.
• AI-based Tools to Enhance Access and Opportunities for the Deaf, led by Rutgers University.
• Appropriate Rehabilitation Technology via Passive Tactile Stimulation, led by Stanford University.
• Automating Transportation Affordances for People Living with Disabilities Using a Machine Learning Approach, led by Utah State University.
• Bridging the Fragmentation of Information Access — An Integrated, Multimodal System for Inclusive Content Creation, Conversion, and Delivery, led by Saint Louis University.
• Convergent, Human-Centered Design for Making Voice-Activated AI Accessible and Fair to People Who Stutter, led by Michigan State University.
• Determining Community Needs for Accessibility Tools that Facilitate Programming Education and Workforce Readiness for Persons with Disabilities, led by the University of Southern California.
• Developing Experiential Accessible Framework for Partnerships and Opportunities in Data Science for the Deaf Community, led by Purdue University.
• Leveraging Human-Centered AI Microtransit to Ameliorate Spatiotemporal Mismatch Between Housing and Employment for Persons with Disabilities, led by Wayne State University.
• Making Virtual Reality Meetings Accessible to Knowledge Workers with Visual Impairments, led by Cornell University.
• Mobility Independence Through Accelerated Wheelchair Intelligence, led by Northwestern University.
• Next Generation Augmentative and Alternative Communication Technology Powered by Artificial Intelligence, led by the University of Arkansas.
• Rapid Fabrication of Custom-Fit Reshapable Prosthetic Devices with Electronic Skin Sensors, led by Rocky Tech, Ltd.
• Restoring Arm Function After Stroke, led by Harvard University.
• Smart Wearables for Expanding Workplace Access for People with Blindness and Low Vision, led by New York University Medical Center.
• Towards a Community-Driven Framework for the Creation and Impact Analysis of Digital Accessibility Maps with Persons with Disabilities, led by Wichita State University.

The Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges Phase 2 awardees include:

• FUTUR-IC — Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, FUTUR-IC is building a global microchip sustainability alliance to establish a common ground for future "green" businesses. Composed of the semiconductor industry, academia and government experts, FUTUR-IC defines barriers and potential solutions by nurturing interdisciplinary expertise for innovative, interconnected, and sustainable technology and workforce solutions. The project provides a neutral ground for precompetitive research.
• PFACTS — Led by IBM Corporation — Almaden Research Center, PFACTS will accelerate efforts to replace, redesign and remediate fluorine-containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or "forever chemicals," used in many products and processes such as non-stick coatings, compostable food containers and semiconductor manufacturing. The PFACTS knowledge base and AI tools enable stakeholders to assess PFAS hazards, prioritize replacements and identify remediation materials to find faster solutions for forever chemicals.
• ReCreateIt — Led by re:3D Inc., ReCreateIt, a net-zero manufacturing lab, is building a more circular economy to reduce landfill waste. Partnered with the Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStores, ReCreateIt enables homeowners to design sustainable home goods using recycled plastic waste through 3D-printing. This team is co-funded by Australian partner CSIRO and includes Australian researchers from the University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University.
• SOLAR — Led by Battelle Memorial Institute, Securing critical material supply chains by enabling phOtovoltaic circuLARity (SOLAR) is developing the technology needed to achieve sustainable solar recycling while helping to secure domestic supply chains of advanced materials. SOLAR enables circularity for end-of-life panels by developing decision-making tools for panel owners and recyclers, reducing recycling costs to rival landfilling and ensuring repurposing of valuable critical materials.
• SpheriCity — Led by the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc., SpheriCity is a cross-sector tool that examines how plastics, organics and construction and demolition materials flow through local communities. Through SpheriCity, community members are trained in how to collect baseline data that can inform circular solutions, while accessing a global database to compare and connect with other communities around the world.
• Topological Electric — Led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Topological Electric aims to accelerate topological materials toward low-cost next-generation energy and information devices with environmental sustainability, scalability and superior performance. The project will develop electronic and energy harvesting device prototypes based on topological materials.

The completed Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges Phase 1 projects include:

• A Tale of Two Cities Optimizing Circularity from Molecules to the Built Environment, led by the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc.
• Accelerating Use of Geologically-driven Engineering and Reclamation, or AUGER – A Predictive Approach to a Sustainable Critical Minerals Industry, led by Cornell University.
• Building a Sustainable, Innovative Ecosystem for Microchip Manufacturing, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Designing for Circular Economies – Creating Impact from Local Plastic Waste Using Off-Grid Containerized 3D Printers & Practice Based Learning, led by re:3D Inc., featuring Australian partners University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University.
• Economically Sustainable Polypropylene Recycled Plastics Enabled by Compatibilizer Additives, led by Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc.
• Energy-efficient MetaConductors for Convergence of Sustainable Electronics, or E-MC2 of Sustainable Electronics, led by the University of Florida.
• Enhanced Biobased Textiles and Composites Via Microbially Produced Silk Proteins, led Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
• Mind Over Matter: Socioresilient Materials Design: A New Paradigm For Addressing Global Challenges in Sustainability, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• OpenMatFlo: A Platform for Designing, Producing, and Supplying Greener Inks for Additive Construction under Uncertainties, led by the University of Florida.
• PFASTIR: PFAS Toolkit for Innovating Replacements, led by IBM Corporation – Almaden Research Center.
• Revolutionizing the Manufacture of Portland Cement Concretes Towards a Circular and Carbon-negative Future, led by The University of Alabama.
• Securing Critical Material Supply Chains by Enabling phOtovoltaic Circularity, or SOLAR, led by Battelle Memorial Institute.
• Sustainable Materials for Global Challenges: Recycled Textile and Apparel Manufacturing Ecosystems, or RETAME, led by the University of Delaware.
• Sustainable Nature-based Nanomaterials for Remediation Solutions to Climate Change, led by the Research Foundation for The State University of New York, featuring Australian partner, the University of Queensland.
• Sustainable Recycling and Remanufacturing of Clean Energy Products from Electronic Waste, led by Ames National Laboratory.
• Sustainable Topological Energy Materials, or STEM, for Energy-efficient Applications, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Toward Water Circularity: Mining Green Hydrogen and Value-Added Materials from Hypersaline Brines, led by Oregon State University.

The Food & Nutrition Security Phase 2 projects include:

• AquaSteady— Led by the Pratt Institute, AquaSteady, a seaweed-based water absorbent, is solving the water scarcity challenge by helping the nation's farmers retain moisture in soil between irregular rainfalls and irrigations. AquaSteady absorbs water from soil when it is wet and gradually returns it when the soil dries. It can be formed into an anti-erosion net or other shapes.
• CropSmart — Led by George Mason University, the CropSmart digital twin provides on-demand, decision-ready solutions optimized to users' cropping goals. The technology will be available to users through both web portals and smartphone apps. The optimal solutions are derived from near-real time remote observations of cropping systems with physics and AI or machine learning-based modeling and simulations.
• Cultivate IQ — Led by the University of Arkansas, Cultivate IQ, an AI data transformation platform, integrates sales and production data from across the farm-to-market supply chain to help plan and manage regional food supplies. Local food buyers, including aggregators and distributors, host their growers on the platform, extending access to market insights, production planning tools and purchase orders.
• Dairy NutriSols — Led by Boise State University, Dairy NutiSols is a research and innovation consortium committed to enhancing nutrition security and quality across the dairy supply chain. NutriSols was assembled to address industry challenges and to meet the global demand for nutrient-dense foods. The consortium will improve quality control and production efficiency.
• NOURISH — Funded by USDA and led by the University of California, San Francisco, NOURISH, an AI-powered platform, addresses food insecurity by enabling small businesses in food deserts to provide convenient, affordable fresh food to people in their communities. Leveraging knowledge assimilation and geospatial technologies, NOURISH connects business owners with capital, supply chains and knowledge resources from government, investors and community organizations. 
• NourishNet — Led by the University of Maryland, College Park, NourishNet provides connections between producers, donors, distributors and those experiencing food insecurity. The NourishNet toolbox includes a portable and user-friendly food quality sensor and a real-time app that optimizes surplus food distribution and allows for direct input from those who are experiencing food insecurity.
• SENS-D — Led by the University of Missouri, Columbia, SensD, a sensor-enabled decision support system, empowers multi-sector stakeholders to build safe, equitable and resilient food systems. Through collaboration with the farm-to-fork supply chain, food banks and educators, SensD leverages rapid pathogen sensors to provide data-driven solutions for mitigating food-borne pathogen risks with visualization, prediction and optimization capabilities to create a safe food supply for all.

The completed Food & Nutrition Security Phase 1 projects include:

• Accelerating commercial marine fish production in US: developing sustainable feeds, establishing feed suppliers and enhancing market acceptance, led by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
• Aqua Sacs for Sustainable Agriculture in a Changing Climate, led by Pratt Institute.
• Artificial-Intelligence-Based Decision Support for Equitable Food and Nutrition Security in the Houston Area, led by the University of Houston.
• Building a digital twin for national-scale field-level crop monitoring, prediction, and decision Support, led by George Mason University.
• Convergence Towards a Disaster Resilient Food System, led by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
• Dairy Protein Product Research and Innovation Hub, led by Boise State University.
• Data-driven Agriculture to Bridge Small Farms to Regional Food Supply Chains, led by the University of Arkansas.
• Food EducatioN for Nutritional security and Empowerment in Local communities, or FENNEL, led by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
• Food, Land, Water Environmental OpenSource Risk Intelligence Synthesis Model, or FLOWER-ISM, led by Mesur.io.
• Increased Take-Up of Food Benefits and Consumption of Locally-Sourced Nutrient Dense Food among Vulnerable Populations, led by University of California, Los Angeles.
• MidAtlantic Food Resiliency Network: Securing the Future of Food through a Multi-Mindset Approach, led by the University of Maryland, College Park.
• Network Of User-engaged Researchers building Interdisciplinary Scientific infrastructures for Healthy food, or NOURISH, led by the University of California, San Francisco.
• Optimizing sustainable delivery of local fresh produce in Puerto Rico to mitigate nutrition insecurity, led by George Washington University.
• Precision Agriculture for a Resilient Vegetable Supply Amidst Climate Change, or Precision Ag4Veggie, led by Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation.
• Predicting the effect of climate extremes on the food system to improve resilience of global and local food security, led by the University of California, Santa Barbara.
• Rapid detection technologies and decision-support systems to mitigate food supply chain threats, led by the University of Missouri.

The Future Water Systems Phase 1 projects are near completion and include: 

• Advancing Equitable and Circular Water Solutions Through Source Separation, led by Regents of the University of Michigan.
• AI Copilot for Rural Water Quality, led by Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence Inc.
• COMPASS: Comprehensive Prediction, Assessment, and Equitable Solutions for Storm-Induced Contamination of Freshwater Systems, led by the University of South Carolina.
• Equitable in Water Information for Community Capacity Building, led by Boise State University.
• Electrokinetic Water Purification System for Point-of-Use Applications, led by Iowa State University.
• Improving Water Quality and Fairness through Sensor Data and Machine Learning Models, led by the University of Kansas Center for Research.
• Living Matter, Artificial Intelligence, and Water Nascency (LAWN) for Regenerative Environments and Equity, led by the University of California, Berkeley.
• Mapping the Nation's Wetlands for Equitable Water Quality, Monitoring, Conservation, and Policy Development, led by the University of Washington.
• Measuring and Mitigating Land Management Impacts on In-Stream Water Quality with Sensor-Informed Data Fusion and Community-Led, Climate Financed Riparian Restoration, led by Virridity Inc.
• Passive Samplers for Equitable Monitoring of Drinking Water Quality, led by The Washington University.
• Prototyping Decision Support and Monitoring Tools for Equitable Management of Salt Contamination of Water Supplies in Tidal Rivers, led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences.
• Remote Sensing Tools for Catalyzing Equitable Water Outcomes, led by the University of Pittsburgh.
• Spatially Resolved Solutions for Field to Regional Irrigation Water Management to Promote Equitable Sharing of Limited Water Resources, led by the University of California, Los Angeles. 
• Towards Resilient, Equitable, Safe and Sustainable Water for Islands (RESSI-H2O), led by the University of South Florida.
• Unraveling the Benefits, Costs, and Equity of Tree Coverage in Desert Cities, led by The University of Texas, El Paso.
• Water for Small And Very Small Systems (WaterSAVerS) - A Convergence Framework for Expediting Equitable Water Systems Deployment, led by Cornell University.

The Real-World Chemical Sensing Applications Phase 1 projects are near completion and include: 

• Accelerating VOC Sensor Advances and Translation by Machine Learning and Bioinspiration, led by North Carolina State University. 
• AI-SLAMS: AI-driven Smart Low-cost Ammonia Sensor, led by the Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation.
• An Integrated and Miniaturized Opioid Sensor System: Advancing Evidence-Based Strategies for Addressing the Opioid Crisis, led by Auburn University.
• An Optoelectronic Nose for Toxic Gas Detection by First Responders, led by Iridescent Sensors Inc. 
• Engineered Microbial Sensors for Assessing Water Quality, led by Columbia University.
• Field-Adaptable Chemosensor Solutions with Local Neuromorphic Intelligence, led by Teledyne FLIR, LLC.
• Field-Ready Sensing Device for Early-Stage Infectious Diseases, led by University of Notre Dame.
• HEADLINE: HEAlth Diagnostic eLectronIc NosE, led by the University of South Florida, with Swedish researchers from Linköping University and VOC Diagnostics AB.
• Innovative Approach to Monitor Methane Emissions from Livestock Using an Advanced Gravimetric Microsensor, led by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
• Innovative Chemical Microsensor Development for Real-time Monitoring of Priority Water Pollutants to Protect Water Quality, led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
• iNOSES: Intelligent Nature-inspired Olfactory Sensors Engineered to Sniff, led by Harvard University.
• Nose Computer Interfaces for Narcotics and Weapons Detection, led by Canaery Inc.
• Portable Quantum-Enhanced Sensing and Species Identification of Bioaerosols, led by UCLA.
• Smartphone Time-Resolved luminescence Imaging and DEtection (STRIDE) for Point-of-Care Diagnostics, led by the University of Nevada, Reno.
• Translating Insect Olfaction Principles into Practical and Robust Chemical Sensing Platforms, led by Washington University in St. Louis.
• UAV-assisted Dual-comb Spectroscopic Detection, Localization, and Quantification of Multiple Atmospheric Trace-gas Emissions, led by Princeton University.

The Bio-Inspired Design Innovations Phase 1 projects are near completion and include: 

• A New Biomanufacturing Process for Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Inspired by Whiting Events, led by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. 
• AI-Designed Microbes for Efficient Food Protein Production, led by Terraferma Foods Inc. 
• Bio-Inspired and Biocatalytic Degradation of 'Forever Chemicals,' led by Geosyntec Consultants. 
• Bio-Inspired Design of Robot Hands for Use-Driven Dexterity, led by Carnegie Mellon University. 
• Bio-Inspired Scalable Colloidal Materials for Improving Crop Productivity on the Path to Climate Smart Sustainable Agriculture, led by Benanova Inc. 
• Bio-Inspired Surface Design for High-Performance Mechanical Tracking Solar Collection Skins in Architecture, led by Cornell University. 
• Biofilm-Based Corrosion Control Using 3D-Printed Biotechnology, led by Iowa State University. 
• Bio-Inspired Multispectral Imaging Technology for Intraoperative Cancer Detection, led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 
• Distributed Flexible Strain Sensors to Enable Proprioceptive Cochlear Implant Electrodes, led by Carnegie Mellon University. 
• Enabling Novel Photonic Neuromorphic Devices Through Bridging DNA-Programmable Assembly and Nanofabrication, led by Columbia University. 
• Nature-Inspired Biomanufactured Terminal Hydroxylated Fatty Acid Copolyesters, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 
• Slime Mold-Inspired Self-Assembling Conveyor System for Flood Response, led by New Jersey Institute of Technology.
• Soft Growing Robots for Mobility Support, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
• TANDEM: Tensegrity-based Assistive and rehabilitation Exosuits to Complement Human BioMechanics, led by The University of Alabama. 
• Targeted Insect Sensing and Control, led by FarmSense Inc.
• Water-Responsive Materials for Evaporation Energy Harvesting, led by the City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center.