"FSU Department of Computer Science Receives $4.2M to Boost Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce"
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program has awarded Florida State University (FSU) a $4.2 million grant to support students pursuing careers in the field of cybersecurity in order to help meet the growing demand for cybersecurity experts. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings for information-security analysts are expected to grow 33 percent between 2020 and 2030, much faster than the average rate for all occupations. The FSU Computer Science Department's grant-winning project aims to address the cybersecurity workforce shortage while also improving diversity in the cybersecurity field. Scholarships, tuition waivers, and professional development funding will be provided to 32 graduate and undergraduate students in FSU's cybersecurity degree program as part of the project. The program's goal is to recruit and train the next generation of information-technology professionals, industrial-control-system security professionals, and security managers to meet the federal, state, local, and tribal governments' cybersecurity needs. The program offers scholarships funded by NSF grants for up to three years of support for undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity education. Students in the cybersecurity program will have the opportunity to explore internships with qualifying agencies over the summer. Scholarship recipients can agree to work in cybersecurity-related positions with the US government after graduation. A portion of the grant will be used to conduct research on the factors that influence students to work in the government sector. Part of the grant will go to developing ways to encourage people from underrepresented groups to major in cybersecurity. The grant will also enable the department to purchase security penetration testing software and testbeds, allowing researchers to replicate real-world scenarios and identify potential flaws in cybersecurity systems. This article continues to discuss the $4.2 million grant awarded to FSU by the NSF's CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program to build and strengthen the nation's cybersecurity workforce.