HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering Awarded NATO Grant for Internet of Things Research

Dr. Marwa Qaraqe (lead principal investigator) and her team members, Dr. Gabriele Oligeri (co-principal investigator) and Dr. Saif Al-Kuwari (co-principal investigator) all assistant professors at the College of Science and Engineering’s (CSE) Information and Computing Technology Division, were recently awarded a substantial three-year grant from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Emerging Security Challenges Division. The grant, estimated at 390,000 Euros, will propose lightweight security mechanisms tailored for Internet of Things (IoT) networks considering physical-layer security approaches. The project takes into account the many applications of IoT in security and military operations. Commenting on the grant, Dr. Marwa said: “The achievement of this award is a clear testimony of the CSE’s research potential, which is being recognized by an important global alliance. The grant will help us develop our national and international research capacity, deepen our footprint as we work with our partners, and engage in a mutually rewarding endeavor.” The project is in partnership with Barzan Holdings and will also benefit from the contributions of partner universities in NATO member states, Portugal and affiliated states, and Jordan. It will seek to find remedies for challenges posed by conventional distributed nodes in IoT networks.

CSE’s focus areas include Sustainable Development, Information and Computing Technologies, and Engineering Management and Decision Sciences. It offers 13 pioneering degrees at the forefront of national, regional, and global needs. The college’s growing body of alumni continues to contribute to local and international scientific fields.