CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Building the Next Generation Cybersecurity Engineering Workforce

网络安全威胁是数字时代信息技术基础设施面临的最大挑战。2021年春季对Colonial Pipeline的勒索软件攻击只是一个例子，凸显了对训练有素的网络安全工作人员的迫切需求。该CyberCorps®奖学金服务（SFS）项目在印第安纳州普渡大学印第安纳波利斯（IUPUI）将为不同的学生提供教育经验，结合跨学科的学术课程与现实世界的网络安全研究和实习经验。此外，该项目将通过利用大学正在进行的各种倡议和利益集团，以及与当地社区学院合作，针对在网络安全领域代表性不足的群体进行招聘工作，促进网络安全劳动力的多样性。重要的学术准备与应用网络安全工程经验的结合将产生下一代网络安全工程师，以加强美国政府员工应对国家安全需求和保护其关键基础设施的能力。在过去的两年中，IUPUI已经建立了两个新的创新学位课程的基础上，在计算机和信息技术和工程的现有优势，导致学士学位。网络安全专业硕士学位网络安全和可信系统这两个项目都是印第安纳波利斯大都市区的第一个。在IUPUI的SFS项目将提供22个不同的学生追求学士学位，医学硕士，或者是加速的胡扯M.S.该计划可获得广泛的网络安全课程，协同课外活动，基于队列的导师制和实习经验。该计划将通过IUPUI的一系列正在进行的举措积极招募和推广，促进多样性，包括：1）NSF REU网站增强本科生在移动的云和数据安全的经验; 2）NSF S-STEM城市STEM合作项目; 3）NSF扩大参与计算（BPC）称为STARS计算军团的倡议; 4）其他现有的网络安全研究和教育项目; 5）与普渡大学信息保障和安全教育研究中心（CERIAS）和印第安纳州大学应用网络安全研究中心（CACR）合作;和6）与印第安纳州的常春藤技术社区学院现有的合作伙伴关系。该计划还将与IUPUI的多样性，公平和包容性副校长办公室合作;黑人学生会，IU-Minority服务机构STEM倡议;以及技术女性卓越中心。该项目由CyberCorps®服务奖学金（SFS）计划支持，该计划为建立或继续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，以培养一支上级网络安全人才队伍。毕业后，奖学金获得者需要在联邦，州，地方或部落政府组织的网络安全工作与他们的奖学金支持相同的时间。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Cybersecurity threats are the most significant challenge to information technology infrastructure in the digital age. The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline in Spring 2021 is just one example that highlights the urgent need for a well-trained cybersecurity workforce. The CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) project at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) will provide diverse students with an educational experience that combines an interdisciplinary academic curriculum with real-world cybersecurity research and internship experiences. In addition, the project will promote diversity in the cybersecurity workforce by leveraging a variety of ongoing initiatives and interest groups at the university, and by partnering with a local community college in recruitment efforts targeting groups who remain underrepresented in the cybersecurity field. The combination of vital academic preparation with applied cybersecurity engineering experience will produce next-generation cybersecurity engineers uniquely situated to strengthen the U.S. government workforce's ability to respond to national security needs and protect its critical infrastructure. Over the past two years, IUPUI has built two new innovative degree programs based on existing strengths in computer and information technology and engineering, leading to a B.S. in Cybersecurity and a M.S. in Cybersecurity and Trusted Systems. Both programs are the first in the Indianapolis metropolitan region. The SFS project at IUPUI will provide 22 diverse students pursuing the B.S., M.S., or an accelerated B.S./M.S. program with access to a broad curriculum in cybersecurity, synergistic co-curricular activities, cohort-based mentorship, and internship experiences. The program will engage in active recruitment and outreach that promotes diversity through an array of ongoing initiatives at IUPUI, including: 1) an NSF REU Site on Enhancing Undergraduate Experiences in Mobile Cloud and Data Security; 2) an NSF S-STEM Urban STEM Collaboratory project; 3) an NSF Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) initiative called STARS Computing Corps; 4) other existing cybersecurity research and education projects; 5) a collaboration with Purdue University’s Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) and Indiana University’s Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research (CACR); and 6) an existing partnerships with Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. The program will also collaborate with IUPUI’s Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Black Student Union, the IU-Minority Serving Institutions STEM Initiative; and the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology. 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.