The National Science Foundation has extended the Illinois Cyber Security Scholarship Program (ICSSP) for one year with an award of $513,000, continuing support for students in The Grainger College of Engineering's Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs and master's students in the School of Information Sciences to study cybersecurity.
A Scholarship for Service program, ICSSP aims to address shortages in the cybersecurity workforce by providing full financial support to students who agree to work for a federal, state or tribal government agency in a cybersecurity-related position upon graduation.
"When the program began in 2008, the federal government faced a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals," said Masooda Bashir, an Illinois professor of information sciences and the ICSSP principal investigator. "Our goal is to prepare students with strong cybersecurity expertise and support their transition into government service roles where their skills are urgently needed."
Since its inception, ICSSP has brought more than $15 million in external funding to the university directly supporting students through tuition, stipends, and professional development opportunities. ICSSP has over 100 alums, most of whom continue to work in cybersecurity in both government and the private sector.
The program currently supports eight scholars: five undergraduate students, two master's students and one doctoral student. "We welcome graduate students, but the program is intentionally geared toward undergraduates," Bashir said. "Because undergraduates have very few funding pathways in cybersecurity, we prioritize supporting those who want to specialize in the field and ultimately pursue careers in government service."
Scholars receive full tuition and a living stipend. Students admitted to the program must complete a 23-credit-hour course sequence in cybersecurity and complete a research project. The program also provides funding for students to present this research at conferences.
"Cybersecurity remains a critical area, and the workforce gap has not gone away," Bashir said. "Even as AI reshapes the landscape, there is still an enormous amount of work to be done and a continued need for skilled professionals who can protect our ever-growing digital systems and data."