CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): Cybersecurity meets Artificial Intelligence for preparing the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals

Rapid developments in computer and Internet-based technologies have transformed the world. However, these developments have also led to an exponential increase in cyber-attacks, which can have a disastrous impact on our society. Educating and preparing our workforce for combating cybercrime is of utmost importance to our nation.

A coordinated approach combining cybersecurity and artificial intelligence is needed to ensure the security of critical infrastructure in both the public and private sectors. This renewal project will expand the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) successful partnership between Computer Science and Criminal Justice to train an elite and diverse cadre of master's graduates, who will be ready to take up real-world cybersecurity challenges with cutting-edge knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence and data analytics.

The UAB’s Scholarship for Service (SFS) program emphasizes enhanced interdisciplinary training through which students will receive a comprehensive education in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science. Graduates of this program will possess a unique set of skills that will place them at the forefront of the cybersecurity profession, with the state-of-the-art analytical knowledge and skills that are essential for securing the nation’s cyberspace.

The program will focus on integrated problem-solving skills to ensure that students gain knowledge and practical experiences in artificial intelligence as well as other advanced analytical skills necessary to solve real-world cybersecurity problems. UAB’s successful mechanisms will be leveraged to enroll students and support their success in the program.

A key component of the program is rigorous evaluation. The program will be continuously improved using a formal evaluation strategy developed in collaboration with faculty from UAB’s College of Education. The university offers a comprehensive set of 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.

It is the home of a Center for Cyber Security and has been a Department of Homeland Security/National Security Administration HS/NSA designated Center of Academic Excellence Research (CAE-R) since 2012. In addition, UAB has a strong partnership with federal, state and local government organizations, and has a proven record of accomplishment in securing funding in both cybersecurity and data science from various funding agencies, the state of Alabama, and several multinational corporations.

With its expertise and resources, UAB is strategically positioned to achieve the vision outlined in this renewal proposal.

This project is supported by the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a federal, state, local, or tribal Government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support.  

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.