CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): Cyber Defender Program

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

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 robustness of the cybersecurity workforce, and increasing the number of elite cybersecurity researchers and leaders with Ph.D. degrees. The project team is committed to outreach activities that will inspire more students to pursue careers in cybersecurity fields. 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 students for the cybersecurity workforce. The proposed program will support Scholarship for Service (SFS) scholars 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.