CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal) - Preparing Scholars for a Career in the Government’s Cybersecurity Workforce

网络安全对社会越来越重要，无论是国防还是保护公民，因为他们利用今天的数字世界来维持他们的工作、健康和繁荣。不幸的是，有许多人准备窃取个人身份，非法窃取美国公司的知识产权，甚至通过干扰能源供应链或毒害水资源来使生活变得困难。为了确保安全，需要采取措施确保政府中有足够的高级网络安全专家来防范这种日益增长的威胁。为了最大限度地发挥网络安全人员的影响力，这些专家还必须反映社会的多样性，包括妇女、少数民族、退伍军人和残疾人。通过这种更新，玛丽蒙特大学将继续招聘、教育和安置政府服务，包括社区大学在内的各种背景的学术合格的个人。此补助金将支持他们取得学业上的成功，并为他们进入政府服务做好准备。他们将获得全额奖学金（包括课程最后两年的学费和部分生活费）以及一流的教育经历（获得网络安全学士、硕士或硕士学位）。该计划将扩展他们在网络安全方面的知识、技能和能力，使他们能够在技术使用不断增长的情况下保护整个社会。该项目以以前资助的科学基金项目的成功和经验为基础，并将以五个目标为指导。第一，继续在各个层次招收合格的、多样化的学生群体。二是确保学生为政府工作提供最高水平的发展。第三，保留并毕业所有GPA不低于3.5的学生，并促进100%的政府职位安置。第四是培养能够为新的互联世界设计、建设和管理安全信息系统的专业人员。最后，评估加强师生互动、指导、社区外展和共同参与研究对工作场所积极成果的贡献程度，特别是对于在网络安全领域参与历史上代表性不足的群体成员。为了跟上人工智能和云计算等新兴技术的步伐，马里兰大学通过实施敏捷课程流程，提高了课程的有效性和可持续性。这些课程的变化是通过劳动力研究，包括对联邦政府需求的详细了解，以及与大型公共机构的研究和资源联盟来实现的。马里兰大学是一个包容性和代表性的机构，成功地将女性、未被充分代表的少数民族、退伍军人、社区大学学生和神经多样性人士安置在政府网络安全职位上。该项目将继续培养越来越多样化的毕业生，为应对当今和未来的安全威胁做好准备，同时也对政府的多元化、公平和包容（DEI）努力做出回应。该项目由网络军团(R)服务奖学金（SFS）项目支持，该项目资助建立或继续网络安全奖学金项目的提案，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，奖学金获得者必须在联邦、州、地方或部落政府组织的网络安全部门工作，工作时间与奖学金支持时间相同。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Cybersecurity is increasingly important to society, whether for national defense or for the protection of citizens as they take advantage of today's digital world to maintain their jobs, health and prosperity. Unfortunately, there are many actors ready to steal personal identities, illegally take intellectual property from U.S. companies, and even to make life difficult through interfering with energy supply chains or poisoning water resources. To ensure safety, steps are needed to make certain that there are enough superior cybersecurity experts in the government to guard against such growing threats. To maximize the impact of the cybersecurity workforce, these experts must also reflect the diversity of society including women, minorities, veterans, and those with disabilities. By way of this renewal, Marymount University will continue to recruit, educate, and place in government service, a diverse set of academically qualified individuals from a wide set of backgrounds, including community colleges. The grant will support their achievement of academic success and readiness for their placement in government service. They will be provided a full scholarship (tuition and some living expenses for the final 2 years of their program) as well as a first-class educational experience (earning a BS, MS, or DSc in Cybersecurity). The program will expand their knowledge, skills, and abilities in cybersecurity so that they can protect all of society as the use of technology continues to grow. This project builds on the success and experience of the previously funded SFS project and will be guided by five objectives. First, is to continue to recruit a well-qualified, diverse group of students at all levels. Second is to ensure the highest levels of development of the students for government work. Third is to retain and graduate all students with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and facilitate 100% placement in government positions. Fourth is to develop professionals capable of designing, building, and managing secure information systems for the new connected world. Finally, it is to evaluate the extent to which enhanced student-faculty interactions, mentoring, community outreach, and joint involvement in research contributes to positive workplace outcomes, particularly for the members of groups historically underrepresented in their participation in the field of cybersecurity. Marymount has increased the effectiveness and sustainability of its programs by implementing an agile curriculum process to keep pace with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. These curriculum changes are informed by workforce studies including a detailed understanding of the federal government needs, and by alliances with larger public institutions for research and resources. Marymount is an inclusive and representative institution that has successfully placed women, underrepresented minorities, veterans, students from community colleges, and the neurodiverse in government cybersecurity positions. The project will continue to produce an increasingly diverse pool of graduates, prepared to combat the security threats of today and tomorrow, but also responding to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the government. This project is supported by the CyberCorps(R) 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.