2146498

CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): Cyber Defender Program

This proposal is for the renewal of the Cyber Defender Scholarship Program offered at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), the nation's largest HBCU (Historically Black College and University). The Cyber Defender Scholarship Program at NC A&T is committed to producing high-quality cybersecurity professionals, increasing the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce, and increasing the diversity of elite cybersecurity researchers and leaders with Ph.D. degrees.

The project team is committed to outreach activities that will inspire more students, especially members of minority groups who are underrepresented in the cybersecurity field, to pursue careers in that area. This project will strengthen the Center for Cyber Defense Research programs at NC A&T and the partnership between NC A&T and government agencies and private corporations. It will improve the cybersecurity program at NC A&T through curriculum innovation, experiential learning experiences, and student mentoring. The proposed program also contributes to the knowledge of best practices for recruitment, mentorship, and career development of underrepresented minorities for the cybersecurity workforce.

The proposed program will support twenty-four Scholarship for Service (SFS) scholars (20 M.S. students and 4 Ph.D. students) at NC A&T and is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of cybersecurity knowledge. SFS scholars will have the opportunity to solve real-world cybersecurity problems and participate in research and experiential learning experiences so that upon graduation, they are well-prepared to meet the challenges of protecting the security of Americans and defending our nation's critical infrastructures.

The current research initiatives and active funding from government agencies and private corporations at NC A&T provide a rich environment where students can work on cutting-edge cybersecurity challenges. The project team also provides student career development, including resume review, interview skill preparation, mentorship from NSF SFS alumni, and networking between students and government partners. These activities are designed to help SFS scholars be successfully placed in government internships and jobs, as well as help the retention of SFS scholars in the federal workforce beyond their initial obligation.

This project is supported by the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a federal, state, local, or tribal government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

North Carolina Agricultural And Technical State University

THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "CYBERCORPS(R) SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF21580

47.076 - Education and Human Resources

Division of Graduate Education (DGE) [NSF]

Greensboro, North Carolina 27411-0001 United States

Single Zip Code

CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (21-580)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/31/27 to 05/31/28 and the total obligations have increased 173% from $1,338,098 to $3,648,054.