CAREER: Utilizing Principles of Energy Recovery Computing for Low-Energy and DPA-Resistant IoT Devices

NSF Award Search · 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $568,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This project will develop circuit design techniques for energy-recovery circuits and a library of such design cells to facilitate low-power implementation of block cipher for mobile Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, where reducing power consumption is critical. The design challenge is to produce low-energy, lightweight, and secure devices, which are also resistant against malicious attacks that use power consumption traces to extract private or sensitive information. This project will provide a set of energy recovery (ER) principles for low-energy and differential power analysis (DPA)-resistant IoT devices. The research objectives are: (i) to investigate information leakage in ER circuits and propose mitigation methodologies; (ii) to investigate and develop a low-energy and DPA-resistant ER standard cell library and semi-custom design flow for lightweight cryptographic circuits; and (iii) to investigate and develop power clock generation and distribution, and silicon prototyping to evaluate energy dissipation and the DPA-resistance of ER-based crypto circuits. Outcomes and results from this project should make a strong case for industry adoption of ER computing for the design of low-energy and secure IoT devices. Another integral goal of this project is to broaden graduate, undergraduate, and minority and underrepresented participation in cyber and hardware security research and education. The project will develop new courses in hardware security for undergraduate

Key facts

NSF award ID
2607625
Awardee
Southern Methodist University (TX)
SAM.gov UEI
D33QGS3Q3DJ3
PI
Himanshu Thapliyal
Primary program
01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
SaTC: Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace, CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, CNCI, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
Estimated total
$568,000
Funds obligated
$225,312
Transaction type
Continuing Grant
Period
10/01/2025 → 08/31/2027