Collaborative Research: CyberTraining: Implementation: Small: Train the Trainers as Next Generation Leaders in Data Science for Cybersecurity for Underrepresented Communities

Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View TX

Investigators

Abstract

A workforce with expertise in the integration of Data Science and Cybersecurity is crucial to maintaining the United States' competitiveness and security in the global arena. Trainers, including faculty and professionals, who are well equipped with both Data Science and Cybersecurity skills are in high demand in order to play leadership roles in underrepresented communities and generate data-driven, robust solutions to various challenges. The project is designed to address this immediate need with the collaborative efforts from the project team across three minority-serving universities with a strong regional presence: University of Houston (UH), Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), and Alabama A&M University (AAMU). The overarching goal of this project is to train the trainers as next generation leaders in Data Science for Cybersecurity for underrepresented communities, providing them with the knowledge and skills to impart these techniques to their students and peers. This project explores innovative approaches in teaching, materials, tools, and training environments in the Data Science for Cybersecurity field. Specifically, the contributions of this project are a) enhance the research capabilities of the participating institutions in the areas of Data Science and Cybersecurity, promoting recruitment and retention of highly qualified researchers at HBCUs; b) update undergraduate and graduate curricula with new Data Science for Cybersecurity teaching modules to reflect the latest advances and best practices; c) raise awareness among African American and other minoritizy students through trainers of the challenges and opportunities in Data Science for Cybersecurity; and d) develop new course materials and source code and facilitate the widespread dissemination of the project results. The project also expands the educational benefits through its workshop series to learners from a wide range of disciplines, leading to the potential greater adoption of Data Science in various industries such as healthcare, green energy, smart cities, and manufacturing. The project is dedicated to advancing the field of discipline-based education research in the areas of Data Science for Cybersecurity. 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.