CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Expanding and Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce

Suny At Binghamton, Binghamton NY

Investigators

Abstract

A key facet of securing the Nation’s cyberinfrastructure is to ensure a skilled and sustainable cybersecurity workforce. In 2020, over 350,000 cybersecurity positions remained unfilled in the United States. These unfilled positions highlight an enormous gap in the Nation’s information infrastructure defense. To help address this need, Binghamton University’s (BU) CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) project will recruit and train talented students for entry into the government workforce and long-term success in cybersecurity careers. The project team will leverage BU's cybersecurity research and education strengths to advance the Nation’s cyberdefense preparedness. An important goal of the project is to increase the size of the cybersecurity workforce through recruitment of first-generation college students and economically disadvantaged students. This project will provide scholarships to students over five years and be guided by three objectives. First is to recruit and train SFS scholars into highly skilled cybersecurity professionals. Second is to partner with government organizations for internships and recruitment of SFS scholars. Third is to advance cybersecurity education through research. Accomplishing these objectives rests on the wide-ranging cybersecurity curriculum that Binghamton University offers, from in-depth training in cybersecurity theory and practice to broader training in information assurance, privacy, risk management, and policy management. SFS scholars will undergo rigorous training through cybersecurity courses, personalized academic and research advising, cybersecurity conferences/seminars, participation in a "Capture the Flag" club and competitions, and community/K-12 outreach activities. Scholars will also be trained in critical skills needed to succeed in their careers, including ethics, communication, networking, writing, presentation, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork. Each implementation stage of this project will include formative and summative evaluations coordinated by an external evaluation specialist. This project is supported by the CyberCorps(R) 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.