NSF SpectrumX’s Summer School on wireless communications is designed to promote early research by engaging undergraduate students in fun and interactive learning about wireless networks and the radio spectrum they use.
During this four-day in-person camp, students will learn from spectrum experts through a combination of lectures and hands-on activities. Planned lecture topics include spectrum history, principles and challenges of wireless network design, popular commercial technologies, emerging technologies and coexistence issues, and more. Planned hands-on activities include a WiFi lab on how to make and break networks, a spectrum scavenger hunt, and a hackathon. Upon completion of the school, students will receive a certificate of participation.
Summer School 2026
Dates: Thursday, August 20 – Sunday, August 23, 2026
Locations: The National Radio Observatory (NRAO), Northwestern University, the University at Albany, and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
Travel grants will be made available to a maximum of 30 students.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this camp. Students will perform multiple wireless network measurement activities, instructions for which will be posted before the camp begins. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops to install measurement tools and participate in all activities.
Registration: Applications will open on March 30, 2026. The application deadline is April 30, 2026. Those interested in applying are encouraged to complete this Expression of Interest form.
Registration for this program is free.
Contact: If you have any questions about the Summer School program, please contact Mariya Zheleva or Anja Fourie.
Student Testimonies
“[The SpectrumX Summer School] truly opened my eyes to a whole new industry that I am seriously considering pursuing as a career.”
“This experience has solidified my experience with pursuing higher education.”
“The in person lectures were fantastic and really engaging. I also especially loved the panel – getting to hear multiple perspectives as opposed to a straight lecture was really engaging and I enjoyed it a lot.”
“[The SpectrumX Summer School] definitely sparked an interest in me that I would not have had prior. It was also inspiring that we were able to go over so much content so quickly. It makes me feel confident that by engaging with programs like SpectrumX, I might learn more than I expected in a short period of time.”
To review programming and materials from SpectrumX’s 2025 Summer School, please visit the Summer School Resources 2025 page.
