CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Cybersecurity Talent Development in Kentucky

The security and prosperity of the United States have become increasingly dependent on its technological superiority and competitiveness in the cyberspace. The University of Louisville’s CyberCorps®: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program will prepare master’s students with superior cybersecurity skills for entry into the government workforce. As the first SFS program in Kentucky, this project will make advanced cybersecurity education and financial, academic, and student support more accessible to diverse students in Kentucky and beyond. This project builds on the existing graduate certificate in cybersecurity program, which is designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, to provide students with rigorous training in advanced cybersecurity knowledge and skills to defend against current and emerging cyberattacks. Scholarship recipients will also participate in a variety of academic and student support activities, such as personalized curriculum planning and mentoring, cohort-based peer meetings and advising, a federal internship program, and other professional development activities to promote their success in the program. Additionally, this project will help the University of Louisville broaden participation in cybersecurity education and strengthen partnerships with government agencies in cybersecurity. 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.