# CICI:RSSD: SCOPE-X Optimizing Merit's Network Telescope for High-Quality Large-Scale Datasets

> **NSF 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Merit Network, Inc. (MI) · $545,269

## Abstract

SCOPE-X (Scalable Cyberinfrastructure for Observatory Pipeline Enhancement) advances the cyberinfrastructure of ORION (Observatory for Cyber-Risk Insights and Outages of Networks), one of the oldest and largest operational network telescopes in the United States, operated by Merit Network. ORION provides visibility into unsolicited and potentially malicious Internet traffic and supports shared cybersecurity research through both its live traffic feed and its 20-year archive. Rising traffic volumes, extreme bursts, and evolving attack behaviors require transformation of the end-to-end pipeline to preserve data fidelity, operational reliability, and long-term usability.

This project develops transferable methods for modern network telescope operations through three integrated activities. First, resilient capture to improve high-speed packet collection using adaptive, multi-threaded processing architectures that maintain fidelity during large traffic bursts and dynamic attack patterns. Second, artificial intelligence-ready curation to create high-quality research-grade datasets through improved cleaning, feature engineering, partial labeling, and enrichment with contextual metadata and external threat intelligence. Third, FAIR-aligned access to modernize dataset delivery using application programming interfaces, code-to-data environments, and sustainable release mechanisms that improve reproducibility, accessibility, and long-term stewardship.
The project advances scalable p

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2612015
- **Awardee organization:** Merit Network, Inc. (MI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** PKJAPGJJ95T2
- **PI:** Shereen Ismail
- **Primary program:** 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** Nat Security, Secure Border & Pub Safety, NETWORKING RESEARCH, CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE
- **Estimated total:** $545,269
- **Funds obligated:** $545,269
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2026 → 08/31/2029

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2612015

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2612015, CICI:RSSD: SCOPE-X Optimizing Merit's Network Telescope for High-Quality Large-Scale Datasets. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2612015. Licensed CC0.

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