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，因为他们利用当今的数字世界来维持他们的工作，健康和繁荣。不幸的是，有许多行为者准备窃取个人身份，非法获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上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工作人员的影响力，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。通过这次更新，玛丽蒙特大学将继续招聘，教育，并在政府服务的地方，从一个广泛的背景，包括社区学院的学术资格的个人多元化。该补助金将支持他们取得学术成就，并为他们在政府服务中的安置做好准备。他们将获得全额奖学金（学费和最后2年的生活费）以及一流的教育经验（获得网络安全的BS，MS或DSc）。该计划将扩大他们在网络安全方面的知识，技能和能力，以便他们能够随着技术的使用不断增长而保护整个社会。该项目建立在以前资助的SFS项目的成功和经验的基础上，将以五个目标为指导。首先，是继续招收合格的，不同层次的学生群体。二是确保学生在政府工作中的最高发展水平。第三是保留和毕业所有学生的最低GPA为3.5，并促进100%安置在政府职位。第四，培养能够为新的互联世界设计、构建和管理安全信息系统的专业人才。最后，它是要评估在何种程度上加强师生互动，指导，社区推广，并在研究中的联合参与有助于积极的工作场所的成果，特别是对群体的成员历史上代表性不足，在他们参与网络安全领域。Marymount通过实施敏捷的课程流程来提高其课程的有效性和可持续性，以跟上人工智能和云计算等新兴技术的步伐。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，并通过与大型公共机构的研究和资源联盟。Marymount是一个包容性和代表性的机构，成功地将妇女，代表性不足的少数民族，退伍军人，社区学院的学生和神经多样性放在政府网络安全职位上。该项目将继续产生越来越多样化的毕业生，准备打击今天和明天的安全威胁，但也响应政府的多样性，公平和包容性（DEI）的努力。该项目由CyberCorps（R）服务奖学金（SFS）计划支持，该计划为建立或继续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，以培养一支上级网络安全人才队伍。毕业后，奖学金获得者需要在联邦，州，地方或部落政府组织的网络安全工作与他们的奖学金支持相同的时间。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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.