NSF-SFS: Arizona Cyber Defense Scholarship

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Arizona State University (ASU), a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD), proposes to continue and expand its participation in the CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) program to prepare highly-qualified cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. A distinguished faculty and a well-funded research program in information and systems assurance, together with a well-balanced cybersecurity curriculum, result in SFS graduates that match the needs of the Federal government and the public. The PIs support a diverse Federal workforce by placing a special emphasis on recruiting and graduating highly talented students from underrepresented groups as well as students transferred from community colleges. ASU has established a strong curriculum in information assurance with emphasis on trustworthiness, security and forensics involving information systems and networks. Ten cybersecurity courses in computer science and engineering, and additional six courses in other disciplines, including electrical engineering, industrial engineering, mathematics and information systems are regularly offered. In 2015, ASU was re-designated as a CAE IA/CD with five focus areas: data management systems security, digital forensics, network security engineering, secure cloud computing, and secure software development. The proposed SFS program aims to meet the Federal government's critical need for cybersecurity professionals by graduating a cadre of undergraduate, Master's and Ph.D. students, and providing the necessary mentoring and support to place them in Federal agencies and laboratories. The program continues to strengthen cybersecurity activities through improvement of the academic programs, extracurricular activities emphasizing hands-on experiences, leadership development through collaborative work and community service, outreach activities, and extensive interactions with Federal laboratories and agencies. Collaborative research and educational activities, and communication skills development are strongly emphasized. The program also supports student organizations and peer mentoring.