CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Cyber Defense of Intelligent Systems

从电子投票到无人驾驶飞行，自主系统和自动化的复杂性和能力正在增加。此外，人工智能(AI)在此类关键系统的运行中发挥着重要且日益增长的作用。保护这些智能系统并将人工智能用于网络安全和网络防御系统需要一支具有多学科培训和经验的劳动力。国家对这类网络安全专业人员的需求远远超过了供应；在政府部门，这种需求尤其关键。此外，对于新的专业人士来说，通往政府职位的道路不那么清晰，而是商业领域更明显的机会。该项目将为奥克兰大学(OU)网络安全专业的本科生和研究生提供奖学金。招聘女性和少数族裔学生将是优先事项，目前她们在网络安全工作队伍中的比例不足。作为为密歇根州东南部雇主提供服务的使命的一部分，俄亥俄州拥有一批在自主系统和人工智能方面拥有专业知识的教职员工，这些雇主中的大多数都拥有全国性(如果不是全球性的)触角。这个项目将为学生提供一条看得见的、有竞争力的途径，在为美国政府服务的网络安全和网络防御方面找到令人兴奋、有回报的职业。OU的网络安全项目为本科生和研究生提供参与课程的机会，课程包括实践活动和信息技术、计算机科学、工程、管理和伦理方面的多学科课程。课程与国家网络安全教育倡议(NICE)劳动力框架保持一致。欧的网络安全中心汇集了来自计算机科学、工程、数学、政治学、社会学、社会工作和刑事司法六个系的17名教职员工。该中心为学生提供身临其境的网络防御生态系统，包括研究经验、项目、俱乐部、组织、夏令营，以及与K-12学生和教师的长期接触。学生将与教师和政府导师一起完成一个项目，内容包括安全策略、系统漏洞和对策、法律和社会问题、移动安全和无线安全中的人工智能、保护机器学习算法以及大数据安全。该计划还将包括一个专门针对政府网络安全的多层次咨询和指导计划。该项目得到了CyberCorps®服务奖学金(SFS)计划的支持，该计划为设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。

The complexity and capabilities of autonomous systems and automation, ranging from e-voting to unmanned flight, are increasing. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant and growing role in the operation of such critical systems. Protecting these intelligent systems and using AI for cybersecurity and cyber-defense systems requires a workforce with multidisciplinary training and experience. The national demand for such cybersecurity professionals far exceeds the supply; and the demand is particularly critical in government. Moreover, pathways to government positions are less clear to new professionals than more visible opportunities in the commercial sector. This project will provide scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students studying cybersecurity at Oakland University (OU). Recruitment of women and minority students, who are currently underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce, will be prioritized. OU has a concentration of faculty with expertise in autonomous systems and AI as part of its mission in serving employers in southeastern Michigan, most of whom have a national, if not global, reach. This project will provide students with a visible, competitive pathway to exciting, rewarding careers in serving the United States government in cybersecurity and cyber-defense.OU’s cybersecurity program offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to engage in a curriculum with hands-on activities and multidisciplinary courses in information technology, computer science, engineering, management, and ethics. Courses are aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework. OU’s Center for Cybersecurity brings together seventeen faculty from six departments covering computer science, engineering, mathematics, political science, sociology, social work, and criminal justice. The Center provides an immersive cyber-defense ecosystem for students, including research experiences, projects, clubs, organizations, camps, and a long history of outreach to K-12 students and teachers. Students will complete a project with a faculty and government mentor with activities including security policies, system vulnerabilities and countermeasures, legal and social issues, artificial intelligence in mobile security and wireless security, protecting machine learning algorithms, and security in big data. The program will also include a multi-level advising and mentorship program specifically for cybersecurity in government. 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.