Broadening Participation in the CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service Program

尽管对网络安全专业人员的需求很高，但在招募历史上在计算领域代表性不足的人群方面取得的进展仍然有限。为了满足这一需求并确保拥有一支强大的网络安全劳动力队伍，需要更具包容性和多样化的劳动力队伍。该项目旨在通过扩大对 NSF Cyber​​Corps® 服务奖学金 (SFS) 计划的参与来满足这一需求并服务于国家利益。东北大学包容性计算中心 (CIC) 将与 SFS 机构合作，打造包容性环境，并增加获得网络安全研究生学位的所有种族、民族和性别学生的代表性。具体来说，CIC 将授权 SFS 机构建立桥梁计划，将历来在计算机领域代表性不足的人群中寻求研究生学位的个人与网络安全高级学位联系起来。此类桥梁计划将使拥有计算机以外学科领域本科学位的个人能够参与，在 SFS 项目地点接受网络安全方面的高等教育。为人口和社会经济上更广泛的人群创造一条获得网络安全研究生学位课程的途径对于加强网络安全劳动力和使其多样化至关重要。在三年期间，CIC 将与两批最多 8 个 SFS 机构（即总共 16 个机构）合作，确定并实施已被证明能有效吸引、保留和毕业女性、黑人、非裔美国人、拉丁裔（a）、西班牙裔或土著学生的战略。 CIC 成立于 2019 年，旨在提高所有种族和族裔女性在计算机领域的代表性。除了为机构提供财务支持外，CIC 还提供项目管理、技术咨询、数据收集和可视化服务。该项目的目标是利用 CIC 在增加女性计算机参与方面的经验，并将其更广泛地应用，以增加参与 SFS 项目的所有学生的多样性和数量，特别关注那些寻求研究生学位的学生。为了实现这些目标，CIC 将向所有有兴趣并致力于建立桥梁计划的 SFS 机构发出征集建议书。对于选定的机构，项目团队将进行亲自实地考察，包括在校学生和 SFS 学者、网络教师、顾问、助教以及相关主席、院长或教务长。项目团队将制定一份总结报告，与该机构和 NSF 分享。该报告将总结 CIC 认为将导致人口多样性发生有意义变化的干预措施的调查结果和建议。 CIC 还将在两年内支持选定机构的实施，提供指导和支持，并将机构与在相关领域拥有深厚专业知识的顾问联系起来。顾问的专业领域包括但不限于招聘、营销、学生指导和支持、相关行业参与以及课程开发。该项目由 STEM 教育中的种族平等计划（EHR 种族平等）资助。该计划支持研究和实践项目，调查种族平等因素如何影响科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 教育和劳动力的改善。获奖项目力求集中受 STEM 企业内系统性不平等影响最大的个人、社区和机构的声音、知识和经验。该计划符合 NSF 的核心价值观，即支持来自全国不同人口群体、地区和组织类型的杰出研究人员和创新思想家。 EHR 种族平等的资金来自 EHR 的各个项目，以表彰其项目与该理事会四个部门的集体研究和开发主旨的一致性。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Despite the high demand for cybersecurity professionals, progress in recruiting members of populations historically underrepresented in the computing field has been limited. In order to meet this demand and ensure a robust cybersecurity workforce, a more inclusive and diverse workforce is needed. This project aims to address this need and serve the national interest by broadening participation in the NSF’s CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. Northeastern University’s Center for Inclusive Computing (CIC) will work with SFS institutions to build inclusive environments and increase the representation of students of all races, ethnicities, and genders earning cybersecurity graduate degrees. Specifically, CIC will empower SFS institutions to build bridge programs that connect graduate degree-seeking individuals from populations, who have been historically underrepresented in computing, to advanced degrees in cybersecurity. Such bridge programs will enable the participation of individuals, who may have their undergraduate degrees in subject areas other than computing, to pursue higher education in cybersecurity at SFS project sites. Creating a path for a demographically and socio-economically broader population to access cybersecurity graduate degree programs is critical to strengthening and diversifying the cybersecurity workforce. Over a three-year period, the CIC will work with two cohorts of up to eight SFS institutions (i.e., for a potential total of 16 institutions) to identify and implement strategies that have been shown effective in attracting, retaining, and graduating students who identify as women, Black, African American, Latino(a), Hispanic or Indigenous. The CIC was created in 2019 as a national effort to increase the representation of women of all races and ethnicities in computing. In addition to supporting institutions financially, the CIC provides program management, technical consulting, data collection, and visualization services. The objectives of this project are to leverage CIC's experience with increasing the participation of women in computing and apply it more broadly to increase the diversity and number of all students participating in SFS projects, with particular attention to those seeking graduate degrees. To achieve these objectives, the CIC will issue a call for proposals to all SFS institutions interested in and committed to building a bridge program. For selected institutions, the project team will conduct in-person site visits involving current students and SFS scholars, cyber faculty, advisors, teaching assistants, and the relevant chair(s), dean(s), or provost(s). The project team will develop a summary report to share with the institution and NSF. The report will summarize findings and recommendations on the interventions the CIC believes will lead to a meaningful change in demographic diversity. The CIC will also support the implementation of selected institutions over a two-year period, providing coaching and support and connecting institutions with consultants with deep expertise in related areas. Consultants’ areas of expertise will include but not be limited to recruiting, marketing, student mentoring and support, relevant industry engagement, and curriculum development.This project is funded through the Racial Equity in STEM Education program (EHR Racial Equity). The program supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. This program aligns with NSF’s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations. Funds for EHR Racial Equity are pooled from programs across EHR in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate.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.