HBCU-RISE: Enhancing Cybersecurity Research and Education Infrastructure

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With support from the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (RISE) program, this project aims to develop a new paradigm to securing connected smart systems and contribute to the development of skilled cybersecurity professionals. While the world is getting more interconnected than ever before with the recent advances in information and semiconductor technologies, the new emerging “smart” networked society also exposes the nation’s critical infrastructures to an elevated risk of cyberterrorism. This project at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) seeks to help address the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. To address the security threats facing modern connected computing systems, this project aims to develop a strong graduate program that will complement current capacity building efforts in cybersecurity at Prairie View A&M University by: (1) developing novel security architectures for computing systems that will address software and hardware-level vulnerabilities in tandem; (2) training a new cohort of experts with vertical knowledge across the whole system design stack, including hardware, operating system, firmware and software; (3) increasing the production of highly qualified doctoral graduates from groups underrepresented in STEM in a rapidly growing field; (4) establishing a sustainable pathway to doctoral programs at PVAMU through an outreach plan to Inclusive Engineering Consortium member institutions; and (5) developing a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved graduate certificate program in cybersecurity. The project outcomes will contribute to security enhancements in critical applications such as energy, financial, health, education, transportation, and defense sectors. The CREST HBCU-RISE awards support the development of research capability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines.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.