Argo Cyber Emerging Scholars (ACES): Developing a Cybersecurity Community of Practice

该项目将建立一个网络安全实践社区，通过奖学金、专业和领导力发展、高影响力的学习做法、基于能力的网络安全技能发展和社区伙伴关系，培养和维持一支优秀的网络安全工作队伍。西佛罗里达大学(UWF)Argo网络新兴学者(ACE)项目将在五年内为网络安全、计算机科学和信息技术学术项目的四名本科生和研究生提供奖学金。该项目将作为一种可复制和可推广的模式，培养一支高技能的网络安全工作队伍，并强调招聘、留住和提升任职人数不足和服务不足的人口，包括妇女和退伍军人。威斯康星大学是一所军事友好型大学，在全国排名第五。UWF在阿拉巴马州、佛罗里达州、佐治亚州、密西西比州、南卡罗来纳州和波多黎各的学院和大学中领导推进网络安全教育，并将利用这一角色扩大和传播该项目。UWF被指定为国土安全部和国家安全局网络防御教育学术卓越中心(CAE)，并被指定为美国东南部的CAE区域资源中心。该项目将利用这一区域资源中心的角色来传播项目，分享最佳实践模式和资源，并建立一个可扩展的实践社区。将使用基于多学科团队的方法来指导学生，并为他们担任政府网络安全工作角色做好准备。学生将通过高影响力的学习实践参与网络安全职业准备活动。这些将包括使用佛罗里达网络范围进行研究、实习和基于能力的技能发展，该范围将映射到CAE知识单元和NICE网络安全劳动力框架。该项目将通过佛罗里达州妇女网络安全分支机构为女学生建立专业的指导和网络计划，从而促进妇女的参与。项目团队将招募退伍军人并提供培训机会，以吸引他们加入UWF网络安全项目，并为他们担任政府网络安全工作做好准备。该项目还将在佛罗里达州的一所社区学院和UWF之间开发一条试点转移路径。UWF将利用和扩大与联邦、州、地方和部落政府组织的合作关系，帮助学生找到网络安全职业机会。该项目由CyberCorps®服务奖学金(SFS)计划支持，该计划为建立或继续开展网络安全奖学金计划的提案提供资金，并与美国国家网络战略保持一致，以培养一支优秀的网络安全劳动力队伍。毕业后，奖学金获得者被要求在联邦、州、地方或部落政府组织的网络安全工作中工作，时间与他们的奖学金支持相同。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will establish a cybersecurity community of practice to grow and sustain a superior cybersecurity workforce through scholarships, professional and leadership development, high-impact learning practices, competency-based cybersecurity skills development and community partnerships. The University of West Florida (UWF) Argo Cyber Emerging Scholars (ACES) program will provide scholarships to four cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students from the Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and Information Technology academic programs over five years. This project will serve as a replicable and scalable model to develop a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce, and emphasize the recruitment, retention and advancement of underrepresented and underserved populations, including women and veterans. UWF is ranked fifth in the nation as a military-friendly university. UWF provides leadership to advance cybersecurity education among colleges and universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Puerto Rico, and will leverage this role to scale and disseminate this project.UWF is designated as a Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education, and as the CAE Regional Resource Center for the Southeast United States. The project will leverage this Regional Resource Center role to disseminate the project, share best practice models and resources, and build a scalable community of practice. A multidisciplinary team-based approach will be used to mentor students and prepare them for government cybersecurity work roles. Students will participate in cybersecurity career readiness activities through high impact learning practices. These will include research, internships and competency-based skills development using the Florida Cyber Range, which will be mapped to the CAE Knowledge Units and NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The project will promote the participation of women by establishing professional mentoring and networking programs for female students through the Women in Cybersecurity Florida Affiliate. The project team will recruit veterans and provide training opportunities to attract them to UWF cybersecurity programs and prepare them for government cybersecurity work roles. The project will also develop a pilot transfer pathway between a community college in Florida and UWF. UWF’s partnerships with federal, state, local and tribal government organizations will be leveraged and expanded to help students find cybersecurity career opportunities.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.