Cyberspace has transformed the daily lives of people. Society’s overwhelming reliance on cyberspace, however, has exposed the system’s fragility and vulnerabilities: corporations, agencies, national infrastructure, and individuals continue to suffer cyber-attacks. Achieving a truly secure cyberspace requires addressing both challenging scientific and engineering problems involving many components of a system, and vulnerabilities that stem from human behaviors and choices. Examining the fundamentals of security and privacy as a multidisciplinary subject can lead to fundamentally new ways to design, build, and operate cyber systems, protect existing infrastructure, and motivate individuals to learn about cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Acts for 2018 and 2021, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, authorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF), in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to offer a scholarship program to recruit and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission of federal, state, local, and tribal governments. The goals of the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program are aligned with the U.S. strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. The program goals are to: (1) increase the number of qualified and diverse cybersecurity candidates for government cybersecurity positions; (2) improve the national capacity for the education of cybersecurity professionals and research and development workforce; (3) hire, monitor, and retain high-quality CyberCorps® graduates in the cybersecurity mission of the Federal Government; and (4) strengthen partnerships between institutions of higher education and federal, state, local, and tribal governments. While all three agencies work together on all four goals, NSF’s strength is in the first two goals; OPM’s in goal (3); and DHS in goal (4). The SFS Program welcomes proposals to establish or to continue scholarship programs in cybersecurity. A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing academic program in cybersecurity. In addition to information provided in the proposal narrative, such evidence can include ABET accreditation in cybersecurity; a designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE), in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) or in Research (CAE-R); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity.
Service Obligation: All scholarship recipients must work after graduation in the cybersecurity mission of a federal, state, local, or tribal government organization, or certain other qualifying entities, for a period equal to at least the length of the scholarship.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $20,000,000
The estimated number of awards and the anticipated funding amount listed above is for new awards in FY 2024. The number of awards and funding levels in future years are anticipated to be similar to FY 2024. Funding amounts and the number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
Letters of Intent: Not Required
Preliminary Proposals: Not Required
For this limited submission opportunity, the office of the VCR is soliciting white papers. White paper guidelines are available at http://www.uaf.edu/ogca/resources/regulations/limited-submissions/.
For additional details, please visit the NSF site link provided above and note the following dates:
April 28, 2023, 5:00 p.m. AKST: White paper submission for UAF-wide competition. White papers with budgets must be received by 5:00 p.m. on or before the internal submission deadline. White papers should be submitted through the UAF Limited Submission & White Paper Application form available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7ehN3tsgVg78-XAMmZlvjqMf4mC6EuLwzRDRfQaSJLOCMbA/viewform?usp=sf_link
May 12, 2023: Based on recommendations of the Limited Submission Committee, the VCR will notify the selected PIs. OGCA will also communicate this decision to the relevant department fiscal/proposal staff.
June 30, 2023, 5:00 p.m. AKST: Full Proposal is due to OGCA.
July 17, 2023, 5:00 p.m. AKST: Full Proposal is due to NSF.