The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program is a joint effort by the National Science Foundation and a wireless Industry Consortium to create city-scale testing platforms to accelerate fundamental research on wireless communication and networking technologies. The PAWR Project Office (PPO) is managing this $100 million public-private partnership to stand-up and oversee these eventual testing platforms. The PPO is run by US Ignite, Inc., and Northeastern University.

The PPO will collaborate closely with NSF, the wireless research community, local communities, and industry in the design, development, deployment, and initial operations of the research platforms. PAWR will enable experimental exploration of robust new wireless devices, communication techniques, networks, systems, and services that will revolutionize the nation’s wireless ecosystem, thereby enhancing broadband connectivity, leveraging the emerging Internet of Things (IoT), and sustaining US leadership and economic competitiveness for decades to come. Once deployed, the platforms will address pre-competitive research challenges on at-scale research platforms, increasing education about wireless technologies and data networking, increasing academic-industry cooperative partnerships, and accelerating technology commercialization and transfer from academia to industry. In short, PAWR is designed to help overcome the so-called “valley of death” that sometimes limits breakthrough technology advancements.

Prof. Kaushik Chowdhury acts as "Director for Academic Outreach", and provides leadership, guidance, and outreach to academic wireless researchers nationwide to solicit feedback on platform design, and integrate the needs of research into PPO operations. He oversees the development of technical capabilities and encourage experimentation with awarded platforms.