The NEAR-Lab focus is on the modeling and analysis of electromagnetic and acoustic wave phenomenon for development of advanced signal processing techniques. The understanding of wave scattering provides a basis to devise and evaluate advanced signal processing algorithms for applications such as radar, sonar, and biomedical imaging.

NEAR-Lab research projects have applications to a broad range of critical problems including underwater passive and active sonar systems, terahertz detection of explosive devices, port and coastal security networks, biomedical sensors for patient monitoring, and monitoring of critical environmental components such as salmon population, coral reefs and water resources.