To support the development of a robust and resilient cybersecurity workforce and address the challenges of recruiting and retaining cybersecurity professionals for careers serving in local, state, federal or tribal governments, 9 U.S. universities will be receiving more than $29 million in new funding in 2023 from the the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (CyberCorps SFS) program.

This year’s new grantees join 89 academic institutions that are currently part of the program across 39 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The investment is aimed at increasing the size and strength of the nation's cybersecurity workforce, which is critical to national security, as well as addressing the demand for dedicated cybersecurity professionals, particularly in government organizations.

Awardees will focus on interdisciplinary cybersecurity, ethics and strategy, developing the cybersecurity workforce of tomorrow and emerging disciplines like artificial intelligence (AI) and next generation wireless. The projects these awardees undertake will shape the current and future cybersecurity workforce and landscape. 2023 awardees include:

• University of Louisville in Kentucky in Louisville, Kentucky, which will use their $3.4 million grant to bolster recruiting and curriculum for their cybersecurity M.A. program.
• Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which will use their $3.5 million grant to recruit and develop talent in the existing cybersecurity program to engage students in research, ethical training and mentoring with faculty mentors and government professionals.
• Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, which will use their $2.7 million grant to educate and train students in different aspects of cybersecurity, such as computer science, cybersecurity and digital forensics.
• University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, which will use their $3.5 million grant to combine education and applied experiences to increase understanding of cybersecurity and workforce opportunities in the government.
• Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which will use their $2.6 million grant to support students across the accelerated and traditional Computer and Information Science M.S. programs, with a specialization in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense, and the Computer Science PhD program with cybersecurity-focused research.
• University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, which will use their $4.4 million grant to recruit and mentor graduate and undergraduate students to serve as cybersecurity professionals in federal, state and local governments, as well as other public sector organizations. Participating students will receive coaching and mentoring on public service ethos from former military and federal civilian leaders.
• Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, which will use their $2.4 million grant to provide program students with opportunities to participate in mentored research while completing a cybersecurity degree and conduct research in areas such as biometrics, cyber-physical system security, mobile security and wireless network security.
• Bowie State University in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which will use their $2 million grant to increase the quantity and diversity of new entrants to the government cybersecurity workforce by awarding two-year scholarships to highly motivated students specializing in cybersecurity. The program will allow students to enhance their knowledge and develop technical skills by participating in undergraduate research.
• Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, which will use their $4.8 million award to offer a program based on clinical rotations in an effort to produce professionals capable of protecting the nation's infrastructure against cyber adversaries.

Awardees are selected from a nationwide cadre of institutions with innovative interdisciplinary programs in cybersecurity education and professional development. The planned projects will support the education, recruitment and development of future cybersecurity professionals.

For more information about recipients and their programs, click here.