Methods and apparatuses for CSI reporting mechanisms are provided. A user equipment (UE) includes a transceiver configured to receive configuration information for channel state information (CSI) calculation and reporting. The configuration information includes settings comprising at least one CSI reporting setting, at least one reference signal (RS) setting, and a measurement setting. The UE also includes a processor operably connected to the transceiver. The processor is configured to decode the configuration information and calculate CSI according to the settings, The transceiver is further configured to transmit the calculated CSI on an uplink (UL) channel.