CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (Renewal): A Continuation Program at Mississippi State University

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Mississippi State University (MSU) proposes to continue and expand its participation in the CyberCorps(R): Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. As a designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE CD), Cyber Research (CAE-R), and Cyber Operations (CAE-CO), MSU is uniquely positioned to prepare highly qualified cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. The project will have an immediate impact on the information assurance and forensics capabilities of the federal workforce by developing well-trained cybersecurity professionals. MSU will continue a strong working relationship with several universities, two-year colleges, and the law enforcement community. The program at MSU will offer students innovative technical research opportunities, highly qualified faculty, opportunities for professional exposure, and productive institutional assistance for internships and job placement. The SFS program funds projects that address cybersecurity education and workforce development, including funding to award scholarships to students in cybersecurity. MSU will leverage their extensive operational experience and program maturity to graduate approximately 12 SFS students a year for the government. Students will be selected from several degree programs including Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Management Information Systems. All students will take courses in Information and Computer Security including a lab with a strong emphasis on penetration testing; Software Reverse Engineering techniques; Digital and Computer Forensics focusing on computer crime and the study of evidence for solving such crimes; and Cryptography and Network Security with a strong emphasis on network protocol vulnerabilities. SFS students will apply their knowledge in computer security laboratories, advanced cyber operations laboratories, and in isolated labs to complete an intensive, team-oriented research experience.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.