Collaborative Research: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce with Integrated Learning of AI/ML and Cybersecurity

The growing nationwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals, especially in the federal government and defense critical infrastructure, has called for strategic measures to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity capacity. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Tuskegee University (TU) are continuing their successful collaborative CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. This renewal program aims to produce additional well-prepared SFS graduates with integrated cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) competencies and place them in the federal government to combat cybersecurity threats aggravated by rapidly advancing AI technologies. The overarching goal of this renewal program is to recruit and retain talented students, prepare them for cybersecurity careers, successfully mentor them through a Master of Science (MS) degree program, and place them in cybersecurity positions compliant with the SFS job-placement requirements. The collaborative SFS renewal will incorporate a series of innovations such as multiple program paths across cybersecurity and data science, enhanced cybersecurity training with embedded AI components, a novel program path for outstanding scholars from non-computing backgrounds, recruitment with emphasis on aptitude for federal service, career mentoring focused on federal employment, and teamwork building activities. These innovations, along with the complementary strengths, synergistic efforts, and accumulated experiences of UTC and TU, will ensure the renewal program achieves its three objectives: 1) Recruiting and retaining talented, capable, and diverse SFS scholars; 2) Achieving scholar success through supporting services; and 3) Increasing workforce readiness of SFS scholars. 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.