National Science Foundation: CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service

Cyberspace has transformed the daily lives of people. The rush to adopt cyberspace, however, has exposed its fragility and vulnerabilities: corporations, agencies, national infrastructure and individuals have been victims of cyber-attacks. In December 2011 the National Science and Technology Council with the cooperation of the NSF advanced a broad, coordinated federal strategic plan for cybersecurity research and education to “change the game,” check the misuses of cyber technology, bolster education and training in cybersecurity, establish a science of cybersecurity, and transition promising cybersecurity research into practice. To achieve this strategic plan, the nation needs advanced research within and across disciplines, requiring expertise in human, statistical, mathematical, computational, and computer sciences to develop and transition new concepts and technologies to practice. It also requires an innovative and efficient cybersecurity education system that results in an unrivaled cybersecurity workforce and citizenry capable of advancing America’s economic prosperity and national security in the 21st century.

The CyberCorps(R): Scholarship for Service (SFS) program seeks proposals that address cybersecurity education and workforce development. There are two tracks for applicants:

• The Scholarship Track provides funding to award scholarships to students in cybersecurity. In return for their scholarships, recipients will work after graduation for a Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.
• The Capacity Track seeks innovative proposals leading to an increase in the ability of the United States higher education enterprise to produce cybersecurity professionals. (Separate due date, see link).

Amount: $25,000,000 total funding available; 20-30 awards will be made ranging from $200,000-$5,000,000.  This includes 10-15 Scholarship Track awards. The scholarships will provide academic year stipends of $20,000 per year for undergraduate students and $32,000 per year for graduate students. In addition, SFS scholarships cover expenses normally incurred by full-time students at the institution, including tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking); a health insurance reimbursement allowance up to $2,000 per year; a professional development allowance of $3,000 for SFS Job Fair and other travel, professional certification etc. and a book allowance of $1,000 per academic year.

Eligibility: Individuals and organizations in the following categories are eligible to submit proposals: universities and colleges; not-for-profit and nonacademic organizations; for-profit organizations; local and state governments; unaffiliated individuals; foreign agencies; and other federal agencies.

Link: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf14586

NOTE: Capacity track grants are due on November 14, 2014.

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