David Grace received his PhD from University of York in 1999, with the subject of his thesis being ‘Distributed Dynamic Channel Assignment for the Wireless Environment’. He has been a member of staff at the University since 1994 and he is now Professor (Research). He leads the Communication Technologies Discovery Theme and Challenging Environments Translational Theme within School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. He is also Director of the Centre for High Altitude Platform Applications and pillar lead for Advanced Communications within Institute for Safe Autonomy. Current research interests include non-terrestrial networks, aerial platform-based communications, application of artificial intelligence to wireless communications; 6G system architectures; dynamic spectrum access and interference management. He is currently leads the EPSRC HiQ project, developing quantum key distribution via high altitude platforms. He is a recent lead investigator on H2020 MCSA SPOTLIGHT, UK Government funded MANY, dealing with 5G trials in rural areas. He was technical lead on the 14-partner FP6 CAPANINA project that dealt with broadband communications from high altitude platforms. He is an author of over 280 papers, and author/editor of 2 books. He is the former chair of IEEE Technical Committee on Cognitive Networks for the period 2013/4. He is a founding member of the IEEE Technical Committee on Green Communications and Computing. From 2014-8 he was a non-executive director of Stratospheric Platforms Ltd. In 2000, he jointly founded SkyLARC Technologies Ltd, and was one of its directors.
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Application of artificial intelligence to radio resource and network topology management for mixed wireless systems, including vehicular networks and 6G systems.
Radio resource management in general including, dynamic spectrum access, cognitive radio, coexistence and spectrum sharing, application of economics to spectrum assignment, and distributed dynamic channel assignment, including specialist knowledge of their application to non-terrestrial networks, including high altitude platforms and wireless ad hoc networks. System level design, interference studies and mitigation techniques for mixed wireless systems, incorporating current and future standards. Future backhaul/fronthaul architectures, including cloud RAN; Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualisation.
Ongoing and Previous Projects and Activities
Radio Networks
- ITwins: July 2022 – December 2023 Co-investigator for an EPSRC IAA Project that will establish a techno-social lab, investigating use of artificial intelligence in future 6G networks for autonomous systems.
- SPOTLIGHT Marie-Curie ITN: A four year project investigating use of massive MIMO and mm-wave communications for next generation communications.
- 5G-AURA Marie-Curie ITN: A four year project that commenced in October 2015. This examined future 5Gdeployments. York activities will include advanced MAC and Physical Layers. Leader of the training workpackage and York PI.
- GREENBACK: An 18 month project funded by Huawei, Sweden that started in January 2015, which is examining future 5G backhaul/fronthaul options for ultra-dense small cell networks. This includes the application of intelligent resource and topology management. York Principal Investigator.
- NetCoM: A 3 year EPSRC funded project that started September 2013, that will investigate the use of physical layer network coding for 5G and beyond 5G systems. Responsibility for the development of an (intelligent) MAC layer for such systems along with system level performance. Co-Investigator.
- FP7 ABSOLUTE: Aerial Base Stations with Opportunistic Links for Unexpected & Temporary Events. An integrated project that is extending the capability of of LTE-A to cover disaster scenarios and other temporaray events. York and Workpackage Leader for Cognitive Radio aspects. October 2012 - September 2015.
- FP7 BuNGee: Broadband Next Generation Access. A European project that looked at use of cooperative MIMO and cognitive radio, capable of creating self-organising backhaul networks. January 2010 - June 2012. York Co-investigator.
- MOD Competition of Ideas Project 'Cognitive Routing for Tactical Ad Hoc Networks'. Principal Investigator for the project that looked at cognitive radio and cognitive networking aspects. October 2007 - September 2008. Principal Investigator.
- The Use of Licensed Exempt Spectrum for frequencies above 30GHz (Ofcom). Consortium based project that included: Quotient Associates and Indepen. The activity took place August-September 2006. Co-Investigator.
- Nominated researcher for NEWCOM an FP6 Network of Excellence. I took part in the Department A activities on Ad Hoc Networks. The 18-month activity commenced in March 2004.
- Spectral efficiency and system capacity evaluation of ad hoc and cellular communications networks which use MIMO (Radio Communications Agency). Consortium based project that included University of Bristol, BTexact, Toshiba, and York EMC Services. The project took place May 2003 - March 2004.
- FLOWS - A European Framework 5 project ( January 2002 - December 2004) examining 4th Generation communications networks. I was part of the team evaluating the convergence benefits of different architectures and broadband standards in different usage scenarios. I acted as day-to-day project manager for York's aspects.
- Distributed Dynamic Channel Assignment for Tactical Communications (DERA) - project over 4 years, examining DCA techniques for future military multimedia communications. Schemes extensively modelled in both OPNET and MATLAB.
High Altitude Platforms
- HiQ: January 2021 – November 2022 An EPSRC project developing and testing
quantum key distribution via high altitude platforms. This project is a partnership
resource project funded by EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub. - FP7 ABSOLUTE: Aerial Base Stations with Opportunistic Links for Unexpected & Temporary Events. An integrated project that is extending the capability of of LTE-A to cover disaster scenarios and other temporary events. Includes practical trials of aerial platform based technologies. October 2012 - September 2015. York Principal Investigator.
- Principal Scientific Officer for the 3-year FP6 CAPANINA Project that started in November 2003. Responsible for the project's technical programme. The project investigated broadband delivery from several types of aerial platform network. The project had 14 industrial/academic partners spread across 7 European countries and Japan. CAPANINA is the follow-on to the Framework 5 HeliNet Project (see below).
- USEHAAS - FP6 Specific Support Action to determine the research strategy for future aeronautical development of high altitude platforms. The 18-month project commenced in March 2005.
- COST 297 - on High Altitude Platforms and Other Services - Chair of WG1 Radio Communications. This 4-year activity commenced in 2005.
- A project supported by BNSC (with SkyLARC Technologies and BTexact) looked at the implications of V-band on HAP systems that was completed in July 2003. This work included evaluating the spectral efficiency of multiple platform configurations.
- The European Framework 5 project HeliNet (January 2000 - March 2003), where I acted as project manager for the broadband communications aspects. The research included system level design tradeoffs and resource allocation strategies in providing multimedia services to urban users in the mm-wave bands. York Co-Investigator.
Other
- Propagation Modelling for Land Mobile Radio (DERA) - ray tracing techniques to model propagation in urban areas. Examined the effect of database inaccuracies on output results.
- Clock Recovery for Giga-Bit LANs (British Aerospace) - advised on the most appropriate techniques for passive star fibre LANs.
- NetCom: A 3 year EPSRC funded project that started September 2013, that will investigate the use of physical layer network coding for future wireless systems. Responsibility for the development of a MAC layer for such systems along with system level performance.
- FP7 ABSOLUTE: Aerial Base Stations with Opportunistic Links for Unexpected & Temporary Events. An integrated project that is extending the capability of of LTE-A to cover disaster scenarios and other temporaray events. York and Workpackage Leader for Cognitive Radio aspects. October 2012 - September 2015
- FP7 BuNGee: Broadband Next Generation Access. A European project that looked at use of cooperative MIMO and cognitive radio, capable of creating self-organising backhaul networks. January 2010 - June 2012.
- MOD Competition of Ideas Project 'Cognitive Routing for Tactical Ad Hoc Networks'. Principal Investigator for the project that looked at cognitive radio and cognitive networking aspects. October 2007 - September 2008.
- The Use of Licensed Exempt Spectrum for frequencies above 30GHz (Ofcom). Consortium based project that included: Quotient Associates and Indepen. The activity took place August-September 2006.
- Nominated researcher for NEWCOM an FP6 Network of Excellence. I took part in the Department A activities on Ad Hoc Networks. The 18-month activity commenced in March 2004.
- Spectral efficiency and system capacity evaluation of ad hoc and cellular communications networks which use MIMO (Radio Communications Agency). Consortium based project that included University of Bristol, BTexact, Toshiba, and York EMC Services. The project took place May 2003 - March 2004.
- FLOWS - A European Framework 5 project ( January 2002 - December 2004) examining 4th Generation communications networks. I was part of the team evaluating the convergence benefits of different architectures and broadband standards in different usage scenarios. I acted as day-to-day project manager for York's aspects.
- Distributed Dynamic Channel Assignment for Tactical Communications (DERA) - project over 4 years, examining DCA techniques for future military multimedia communications. Schemes extensively modelled in both OPNET and MATLAB.
- Centre for High Altitude Platform Applications - The establishment of a new interdiscipliniary centre through collaboration between Depts of Electronic Engineering, Environment, and Chemistry. Initial funding from an EPSRC Institutional Award. October 2016 - ongoing
- Nigeria HAP - A collaboration between York and Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria to look at delivery of HAP based wireless networks using completely renewable energy. The initial funding is part of an EPSRC GCRF Institutional Award. July 2016 - July 2017
- FP7 ABSOLUTE: Aerial Base Stations with Opportunistic Links for Unexpected & Temporary Events. An integrated project that is extending the capability of of LTE-A to cover disaster scenarios and other temporaray events. Includes practical trials of aerial platform based technologies. October 2012 - September 2015
- Principal Scientific Officer for the 3-year FP6 CAPANINA Project that started in November 2003. Responsible for the project's technical programme. The project investigated broadband delivery from several types of aerial platform network. The project has 14 industrial/academic partners spread across 7 European countries and Japan. CAPANINA is the follow-on to the Framework 5 HeliNet Project (see below).
- USEHAAS - FP6 Specific Support Action to determine the research strategy for future aeronautical development of high altitude platforms. The 18-month project commenced in March 2005.
- COST 297 - on High Altitude Platforms and Other Services - Chair of WG1 Radio Communications. This 4-year activity commenced in 2005.
- A project supported by BNSC (with SkyLARC Technologies and BTexact) looked at the implications of V-band on HAP systems that was completed in July 2003. This work included evaluating the spectral efficiency of multiple platform configurations.
- The European Framework 5 project HeliNet (January 2000 - March 2003), where I acted as project manager for the broadband communications aspects. The research included system level design tradeoffs and resource allocation strategies in providing multimedia services to urban users in the mm-wave bands.
Other
- Propagation Modelling for Land Mobile Radio (DERA) - ray tracing techniques to model propagation in urban areas. Examined the effect of database inaccuracies on output results.
- Clock Recovery for Giga-Bit LANs (British Aerospace) - advised on the most appropriate techniques for passive star fibre LANs.
People
Research Associates
Direct line management responsibility for:
Current: Dr Yi Chu
Former: Dr Farah Al Salami, Shammi Farhana Islam, Tareq al Shami Salahedin Rehan, Dr Qiyang Zhao, Dr Yunbo Han, Dr Tao Jiang, Dr Yiming Liu, Dr Pairoj Likitthanasate, Dr Guanhua Chen, Dr Konstantinos Katzis;
Direct line management responsibility for:
Current: Tareq Al-Shami (Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher), Dr Yi Chu
Former: Jialu Lun, Steve Arum, Dr Nils Morozs, Dr Salahedin Rehan, Dr Qiyang Zhao, Dr Yunbo Han, Dr Tao Jiang, Dr Yiming Liu, Dr Pairoj Likitthanasate, Dr Guanhua Chen, Dr Konstantinos Katzis
Postgraduate Students
Supervisor to several MSc, MPhil and PhD students in the group with common research interests.
Current PhD supervisees: Wijdan Alsaedi (2 nd Supervisor), Muheeb Ahmed, Qiao Wang, Shammi Farhana Islam (2 nd Supervisor), Kayode Popoola
Former supervisees: Steve Arum, Sumaila Anand Mahama, Mahmudhul Haque Kafi (2nd Supervisor), Tareq Al Shami, Sunghyun Park (2 nd Supervisor), Junfei Qui, Danial Zakaria, Shipra Kapoor, Aftab Ahmed, Nurul Sidek, Jialu Lun, Zhehan Li, Rudraksh Shrivastava, Abimbola Fisusi, Sinan Nuuman, Nils Morozs (2nd Supervisor), Salahedin Rehan, Lawal Mohammed Bello (2nd Supervisor), Selahattin Kosunalp (2nd Supervisor), Abdul Karim Oloyede, Aizat Ramli, Elizar, Qiyang Zhao, Yi Chu (2nd Supervisor), Yunbo Han, RuoFan Jin, Kunyoung Lee, Meng Fei Yang, Hai Bin Li, Tao Jiang, Bo Han, Jian Qiu (2nd Supervisor), Jingxin Chen, Pairoj Likitthanasate, YuMing Lu, Yiming Liu, Guanhua Chen, Charles Thomas Mmary, Zhiyu Peng, Zhe Yang, Yang Zhang, Konstantinos Katzis, Konstantinos Akelestos, Linjun Dong, Zijun Zhao, Maninder Jeet Kaur (1 year visiting student).