CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): Cyber Defender Program

这项提案是为了续签北卡罗来纳农业技术州立大学(NC A&A；T)提供的网络捍卫者奖学金计划，该大学是美国最大的HBCU(历史上的黑人学院和大学)。北卡罗来纳大学的网络保卫者奖学金项目致力于培养高素质的网络安全专业人才，增加网络安全劳动力的多样性，并增加拥有博士学位的精英网络安全研究人员和领导者的多样性。项目组致力于开展外联活动，鼓励更多的学生，特别是在网络安全领域任职人数不足的少数群体成员在该领域从事职业。该项目将加强NC A&A；T的网络防御研究中心项目，以及NC A&A；T与政府机构和私营企业之间的合作关系。它将通过课程创新、体验式学习体验和学生指导来改进NC A&T的网络安全计划。拟议的计划还有助于了解网络安全工作人员中代表性不足的少数群体的招聘、指导和职业发展的最佳做法。拟议的计划将支持北卡罗来纳大学24名服务奖学金(SFS)学者(20名硕士学生和4名博士生)，旨在为学生提供坚实的网络安全知识基础。SFS学者将有机会解决现实世界的网络安全问题，并参与研究和经验学习经验，以便在毕业后，他们做好充分准备，迎接保护美国人安全和保卫我们国家关键基础设施的挑战。北卡罗来纳大学目前的研究计划和来自政府机构和私营企业的积极资助，为学生提供了一个丰富的环境，让他们可以研究前沿的网络安全挑战。该项目团队还提供学生职业发展，包括简历审查、面试技能准备、NSF SFS校友的指导以及学生与政府合作伙伴之间的网络联系。这些活动旨在帮助SFS学者成功地在政府实习和工作，并帮助SFS学者在联邦工作人员中保留他们最初的义务。该项目得到CyberCorps®服务奖学金(SFS)计划的支持，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 proposal is for the renewal of the Cyber Defender Scholarship Program offered at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), the nation's largest HBCU (Historically Black College and University). The Cyber Defender Scholarship Program at NC A&T is committed to producing high-quality cybersecurity professionals, increasing the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce, and increasing the diversity of elite cybersecurity researchers and leaders with Ph.D. degrees. The project team is committed to outreach activities that will inspire more students, especially members of minority groups who are underrepresented in the cybersecurity field to pursue careers in that area. This project will strengthen the Center for Cyber Defense research programs at NC A&T and the partnership between NC A&T and government agencies and private corporations. It will improve the Cybersecurity program at NC A&T through curriculum innovation, experiential learning experiences, and student mentoring. The proposed program also contributes to the knowledge of best practices for recruitment, mentorship, and career development of underrepresented minorities for the cybersecurity workforce. The proposed program will support twenty-four Scholarship for Service (SFS) scholars (20 M.S. students and 4 Ph.D. students) at NC A&T and is designed to provide students with a solid foundation of cybersecurity knowledge. SFS scholars will have the opportunity to solve real-world cybersecurity problems and participate in research and experiential learning experiences so that upon graduation, they are well-prepared to meet the challenges of protecting the security of Americans and defending our nation's critical infrastructures. The current research initiatives and active funding from government agencies and private corporations at NC A&T provide a rich environment where students can work on cutting-edge cybersecurity challenges. The project team also provides student career development, including resume review, interview skill preparation, mentorship from NSF SFS alumni, and networking between students and government partners. These activities are designed to help SFS scholars be successfully placed in government internships and jobs, as well as help the retention of SFS scholars in the federal workforce beyond their initial obligation.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.