A Scholarship For Service through the National Science Foundation
UAB CyberCorps
About Us
The National Science Foundation-funded Cybercorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) addresses the growing national need for a well-trained cyber-security workforce. The National Science Foundation has recently (2023) provided UAB with a grant totaling US $4.6 million to train the next generation of cyber-security professionals with the state of the art knowledge and skills in applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve real world cyber-security problems.
UAB has made a huge commitment to interdisciplinary education and scholarly research in cybersecurity, data science and artificial intelligence, and is strategically well positioned to realize the vision of this renewal proposal, given its strengths: (1) strong cross-disciplinary curricula in undergraduate Digital Forensics and Computer Science, MS in Cyber Security, MS in Data Science, MS in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Computer Science programs; (2) a Center for Cyber Security; (3) DHS/NSA CAE-R designation since 2012; (4) a close working relationship with and contacts in federal, state and local government organizations; (5) a strong research funding track record in both cybersecurity and data science, including support from NSF, DARPA, IARPA, ONR, DHS, NIJ, COPS, BJA, DOE and DOJ, the state of Alabama, and several multinational corporations; and sustained research and support for federal law enforcement agencies, including FBI, DHS and ICE. (6) UAB has an excellent track record in training students from underrepresented groups, with 35% of students in the current program being Black and the same percentage being women.
The SFS program at UAB will train students via a strong curriculum in both cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and data science offered by Computer Science and Criminal Justice, graduates of the program will possess unique skills that will place them at the cusp of cybersecurity profession, with the state-of-the-art analytical knowledge and skills to help secure the nation’s cyberspace. Students will be equipped with knowledge and practical experiences in how to apply artificial intelligence and other advanced analytical skills to solve cybersecurity problems.
The program is integrated with UAB’s already strong and successful Master’s program in Cyber Security, Data Science, and Computer Science, with a focus on combining AI and Cyber Security education. Students applying to or currently pursuing the Master’s programs at UAB can take the opportunity to apply to the UAB Scholarship for Service program. Each scholarship provides the following benefits:
- A stipend of $37,000 per year.
- Covers expenses normally incurred by full-time students in the institution, including tuition and education-related fees.
- A professional allowance of $6,000 per academic year for the SFS Job Fair and other approved travel, conferences, research materials and supplies, books, professional training and certifications.
All scholarship recipients are required to complete an internship and work for a federal, state, local or tribal government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship after graduation.
