CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Cybersecurity Research and Education for Service in Government (CREST)

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

The Cybersecurity Research and Education for Service in Government (CREST) program at the University of South Florida (USF) will recruit and mentor graduate and undergraduate students to serve as cybersecurity professionals in federal, state, and local governments, as well as other public sector organizations. In conjunction with USF’s cybersecurity-related academic programs, campus professional development activities, and federal, state, and local internship opportunities, the CREST program will establish a transformative community of practice to produce next-generation, national cybersecurity leaders. CREST scholars will receive extensive coaching and mentoring on public service ethos from former military and civilian federal leaders, as well as from agencies and members of a unique Advisory Council. USF’s CREST program is centered on three overarching goals: recruitment and selection, professional development and retention, and cybersecurity placement in the public sector. Students will be selected from 12 cybersecurity-related degree programs across two USF colleges. CREST scholars will complete cybersecurity-related degree programs, conduct undergraduate and graduate research in cybersecurity supervised by faculty mentors, and participate in structured USF and Cyber Florida professional development activities. The project will also develop a mock Security Operations Center (SOC) with real-world incident data for training CREST scholars to elevate their expertise in cybersecurity operations. A special focus will be placed on developing a public service motivation in students. Through volunteer activities, CREST scholars will engage the next generation of aspiring cybersecurity professionals by sharing their STEM journey as well as knowledge and passion for cybersecurity and AI with K-12 students in the greater Tampa region. 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.