Federal Cybercorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) http://www.ciao.gov/education/scholarships.html Program Information: The program was initiated with $11.2 million in the FY 2001 budget for the National Science Foundation. Colleges and universities with an excellent academic program in information assurance (IA) applied for the grant funds in January 2001. These applications were evaluated and grant awards were announced at the National Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in May 2001, and student applications for scholarships through the grant universities were awarded for Fall Semester 2001. The program will provide grants to colleges and universities for capacity building and for scholarships to students. After graduation, students are required to complete service in the Federal Government. All colleges and universities with mature information security curricula or an active partnership with an institution with a comprehensive program are invited to apply for participation in this program and receipt of a Federal grant to defray costs. Program Objectives: Recruit up to 300 students annually, beginning with a start-up year goal of up to 50 students, who are studying in multi-disciplinary IA programs Enable the selected students to participate in summer work and internship programs at Federal departments/agencies, and Federal Government laboratories Sponsor periodic conferences to encourage sharing of academic and technical experiences Provide training opportunities for participants to maintain their proficiency in information assurance and develop new skills Recognize educational institutions that have well-developed IA curricula Provide opportunities for colleges and universities to develop IA programs by partnering with recognized programs, participating in faculty development and mentorship programs, developing curriculum mapped to Federal government standards, and increasing student interest The scholarship portion is designed as an undergraduate program for the junior and senior years of college, or two years of graduate school, where a student will include a focus on security/information assurance as part of their degree program. Basic concepts of the plan are: Tuition, books, and stipend paid in return for work commitment. Summer employment with a Federal agency. Full time employment with a Federal agency upon graduation Due to the importance of the program, there is strong emphasis on its performance. The target implementation schedule of the SFS is to recruit the initial participating institutions in 2000, recruit the first students 2001 and graduate the first group of students in 2003. The Process: 1. The National Science Foundation (NSF) will issue an annual, nationwide announcement of the grant program for colleges and universities to compete for funding listing the curricula and capability requirements that must be met to receive consideration for the grant. Educational institutions have a set time to submit a proposal responding to the criteria. The proposals are then evaluated, a process which averages 6-months. 2. Schools selected to participate in the program receive block grants from the NSF and contract with the NSF to administer the program. The contract includes maintenance of their information assurance programs through the ongoing development of curriculum and faculty, identification and selection of students, distribution of scholarship funds, as well as student monitoring and evaluation, assuring completion of the program, meeting the requirements of the grant, and student selection criteria. 3. Schools receiving grant funds select the initial scholarship recipients and submit the names to the SFS Program Office, in Office of Personnel Management (OPM) San Antonio Service Center. 4. OPM evaluates applicants and makes the final determination of scholarship recipients. 5. Once selected, students sign service commitments to the Federal government; thereby the scholarship recipients become Federal employees upon graduation. 6. OPM monitors and evaluates students in relation to their professional development including participation in periodic conferences, summer work experiences, and internship programs at Federal departments, agencies and laboratories. 7. Upon successfully fulfilling the program requirements, graduates are placed in Federal information assurance positions. 8. While fulfilling his or her service to the Federal government, each program participant has the opportunity to receive further IA training 9. The OPM monitors participants to ensure their service commitment to the Federal government is fulfilled. Applying to the Program: Students must apply through a grant college or university. Matriculated students can file applications with the 6-grantee universities receiving funds in FY2001: Carnegie Mellon University, Iowa State University, Purdue University, U. S. Naval Postgraduate School, University of Idaho, and University of Tulsa. Applications can also be filed with the FY2002 grant recipient institutions. These institutions will be announced at the National Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in June 2002. The FY2002 grant opportunity for colleges and universities has been announced on the National Science Foundation's web site. More specific information on the application process can be viewed on their website. Frequently Asked Questions General Information 1. What is the Cybercorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS)? 2. How do I find out more information about the program? 3. When will the first students enter the program? 4. Who will be allowed to participate in the program? 5. Does this program benefit anyone else besides the Federal government? 6. Is there a similar program with the Department of Defense? Student Information 7. How can I apply for a scholarship? 8. Can students apply for the program if they are not enrolled in an SFS?designated college or university? 9. What are the student eligibility requirements? 10. What student's costs does the program pay? 11. Will students be allowed to select the Federal department and location where they will work? 12. Will students be required to work at a Federal agency while receiving the scholarship? 13. Do students have to intern for the same Federal agency that will employ them after graduation? 14. How long must a student serve at a Federal agency? 15. Do students become employees of the Federal government? If so, would students receive Federal benefits (e.g., health, training, etc.)? 16. Are government employees eligible for scholarships? 17. Will military reservists not on active duty be eligible for scholarships? 18. What professional development opportunities exist for students? 19. What happens if a student does not fulfill the academic or service requirements of the program? 20. Will students be required to meet specific requirements above and beyond those of the college or university? 21. Will the program prepare students for career opportunities with advancement potential? 22. What resources will be made available to students to help them succeed? 23. If I am a high school student interested in computer science, what are steps to become eligible for a scholarship? Educational Institution Information 24. How are colleges and universities selected to participate in the program? 25. How does the National Security Agency designation as a Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) relate to the program? 26. How can non?certified CAE/IAE institutions demonstrate equivalency on their proposals? 27. Are programs in studies other than computer science eligible for the grants? 28. Will the program include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Institutions? 29. Are colleges or universities that do not currently have information or infrastructure assurance programs or are developing programs able to participate? 30. Are community or two?year colleges eligible for the grants? Federal Government Information 31. How do Federal departments and agencies participate in the program? 32. What organization manages the program? __________________________________________ General Information 1. What is the Cybercorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS)? The SFS program is designed to strengthen and increase the number of security professionals in the government. This program provides capacity building grants to selected 4-year colleges and universities to develop or improve their capacity to train information assurance professionals. It also provides selected 4-year colleges and universities scholarship grants to attract students to the information assurance and computer security fields, in return for their service to the Federal Government. The student portion of the program is referred to as the "Cybercorps." 2. How do I find out more information about the program? Students who are interested in learning more about this program and how to participate are encouraged to contact the six universities having scholarship funds in 2001-2003 school years. These six universities are Carnegie Mellon University, Iowa State University, Purdue University, U. S. Naval Postgraduate School, University of Idaho, and University of Tulsa. For additional information and grant calls, please visit the National Science Foundation website. We anticipate additional institutional awards by late Spring 2002. 3. When will the first students enter the program? Approximately 35 students joined the program in the 2001 fall semester. Approximately half are graduate students. Virtually all of these students will receive scholarships for a full two-year program. Therefore, the majority will begin serving their Federal employment commitment in May 2003. 4. Who will be allowed to participate in the program? All students who are U.S. citizens and are enrolled in academic programs at colleges or universities that have been designated by the National Science Foundation to receive grant funds are eligible to apply for the program. The scholarship is conferred during an undergraduate's junior and senior years. Graduate students are conferred the scholarship while pursuing a master's degree. Scholarships may be conferred for up to two years. 5. Does this program benefit anyone else besides the Federal Government? Aside from benefiting the Federal Government, the program benefits our nation in a variety of ways. The program: · Fosters public?academia partnerships to increase expertise, increase public and private availability of skilled IT professionals and increase security literacy among all citizens · Encourages outreach to underrepresented and disadvantaged students, and offers professional opportunities and experiences to students who would have otherwise never been afforded such opportunities. 6. Is there a similar program with the Department of Defense? A similar program is being developed within the Department of Defense. More information will be available shortly. __________________________________________ Student-Related Issues 7. How can I apply for a scholarship? The program makes awards to institutions rather than to individuals. The institutions receiving the awards establish a competitive process whereby qualified students apply for the scholarships. Students should check with awarded institutions on the criteria and application process. Six universities (Purdue University, Iowa State University, University of Idaho, University of Tulsa, Carnegie Mellon University, and Naval Postgraduate School) are participating in the SFS program in the 2001-2003 school years. 8. Can students apply for the program if they are not enrolled in an SFS?designated college or university? Students are only eligible to apply for the program if they are enrolled in an SFS?designated college or university, or are enrolled at an institution that is a member of an approved consortium or partnership involving an SFS?designated college or university. 9. What are the student eligibility requirements? The student must meet all of the following: · Be pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree at an institution that has been awarded an National Science Foundation grant under the SFS program; · Be attending school on a full-time basis while receiving a scholarship under the program; · Be willing to pursue studies with an emphasis in information assurance and computer security; · Be a United States citizen; · Meet criteria for Federal employment; and · Be able to obtain a security clearance, if required. Individual schools may have additional criteria. 10. What student's costs does the program pay? The program offers tuition, room and board, and books for junior and senior academic years of undergraduate study or two years master level study, a living stipend, and payment for summer employment. Undergraduates receive an annual stipend of $8,000. The stipend for graduate students is $12,000. 11. Will students be allowed to select the Federal department and location where they will work? The goal of the program is to provide personal choice to students while offering Federal departments and agencies flexibility in selecting students. Students may request the Federal departments and agencies for which they would like to work. The final selection and placement of students within the Federal government is dependent upon the student having the qualifications necessary to meet specific jobs, interviews with the departments and agencies, and the specific job openings and needs of the departments and agencies. The program office will try to best match student requests with Federal needs. However, if agency needs greatly exceed the number of students available, the SFS Program Office within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), will limit the number that may be hired by an individual agency. This may require that students not yet placed accept employment at an agency not identified as their initial choice. 12. Will students be required to work at a Federal agency while receiving the scholarship? Students who receive funding for more than one academic year will be required to serve a full-summer internship at a Federal agency during the intervening summer. 13. Do students have to intern for the same Federal agency that will employ them after graduation? The student may serve the summer internship at another Federal agency. However, the nature of the work assignments must meet program requirements. Moreover, it is strongly recommended that the summer internship be served at the agency that will ultimately hire the student. The summer internship provides the environment that helps create a bond between the student and the employer. It also helps create in the student a sense of belonging, of being a part of that agency's cadre of information assurance professionals. More importantly, the summer internship should be an integral part of a mentoring process that should span throughout the entire academic and employment phases of the program. 14. How long must a student serve at a Federal agency? A student must serve for a period equivalent to the length of the scholarship. An academic year (i.e., the fall and spring semesters) is equivalent to a calendar year of employment. If the student is funded for two academic years, he or she must serve at a Federal agency in a covered position for two calendar years. If the student is funded for one academic year, he or she must serve for one calendar year. 15. Do students become employees of the Federal government? If so, would students receive Federal benefits (e.g., health, training, etc.)? All program participants sign a contract with the Federal government upon acceptance of their offers to participate in the scholarship program. However, while they are students, they are not actively working within a Federal Department or Agency and are not receiving wages, therefore, they do not receive Federal benefits. Upon graduation and employment with the Federal government benefits are received as with any other Federal employee. 16. Are government employees eligible for scholarships? Civilian Federal government employees could be eligible for the scholarships. However, there would be serious employment decisions that the employee would need to make at the time a scholarship was offered. These relate to permanent employment status, fulfilling program requirements such as the summer internship, and eventual placement in a Cyber Service position. Training opportunities in the information assurance specialty are currently available to government employees. Please check with your agency human resources officer or OPM about the available programs. 17. Will military reservists not on active duty be eligible for scholarships? Military reservists not on active duty are eligible for scholarships provided they meet the requirements of the program, which include enrollment at an institution that is participating in the scholarship program, U.S. citizenship, and meeting the internship requirements. Additional eligibility requirements may be imposed by the educational institutions or employing agencies. 18. What professional development opportunities exist for students enrolled in the program? The program offers a number of different professional development opportunities to students ranging from summer internships to participation in conferences and seminars. Additionally, students will be assigned a mentor from within the Federal government to guide and advise them on their professional development. 19. What happens if a student does not fulfill the academic or service requirements of the program? All programs that provide education in return for a service commitment confront the non?graduation problem. SFS will be consistent with the successful repayment practices of other service programs. The student must repay a prorated amount equivalent to the length of the period not served. For example, if the student received funds for two years and serves for one-and-a-half years, he or she must repay 25% of the funds received. 20. Will students be required to meet specific requirements above and beyond those of the college or university? Students will have professional development requirements to fulfill including participation in internships, attendance at Federally sponsored conferences and/or seminars, and the fulfillment of training courses providing training in specialized IA fields. Also, students receiving two-year scholarships will have summer employment at a Federal agency in a related security position. 21. Will the program prepare students for career opportunities with advancement potential? The students participating in the program are considered an elite part of IA professionals within the Federal government. Participants will have the opportunity for continuous training and development of skills, providing each student with career advancement potential. 22. What resources will be made available to students to help them succeed? Colleges or universities are required to provide student resources at the college/university site. Grantee institutions provide the student?support infrastructure that is necessary for the successful graduation of scholarship recipients. Such an infrastructure includes, for example: · Recruitment of students, with special consideration to groups underrepresented in information assurance specialty fields (e.g., women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities) · Academic support and mentoring to support the student in making progress toward the degree, and to prepare the student for the workplace · Application?oriented experiences to increase the student's understanding of information assurance needs and how those needs relate to their education preparation. 23. If I am a high school student interested in computer science, what are steps to become eligible for a scholarship? Institutions award scholarships in the program for students in the last two years of their program of study. They are awarded on a competitive basis from a pool of applicants to the university. Six universities (Purdue University, Iowa State University, University of Idaho, University of Tulsa, Carnegie Mellon University, and Naval Postgraduate School) are participating in the program in the 2001-2003 school years. More universities are expected to enter the program in 2002. Students interested in entering programs with a specialization in information assurance/computer security can check the National Security Agency's website for a listing of programs certified as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) to locate some institutions that offer programs in this area. (However, there is no guarantee the CAE/IAE universities will have SFS funds available.) In addition, students might also check the Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid for general information on financial aid and scholarships for college studies. __________________________________________ Education Institutions Information 24. How are colleges and universities selected for participation in the program? The National Science Foundation (NSF) issues a grant program announcement in late summer. Academic institutions have the opportunity to submit a proposal, in response to the criteria in the program announcement, to receive funding from the NSF. A peer review team comprised of individuals representing NSF and the Federal IA community performs the review of university applicants and recommends grant award winners. The NSF makes the award decision. Colleges and universities may participate if they are certified by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE), or their information assurance programs are deemed "equivalent" to those of certified schools. 25. How does the National Security Agency designation as a Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) relate to the program? The CAE/IAE program is a separate, ongoing program that identifies educational institutions with academic programs in information assurance that meet Federal standards. (There are 23 CAE/IAE-certified colleges and universities at present.) The CAE/IAE program is recognized as the best model currently available that the SFS program can use to develop its processes and criteria for selecting universities. 26. How can non?certified CAE/IAE institutions demonstrate equivalency on their proposals? Institutions that are not CAE/IAE certified must include documentation of equivalency in their proposals. They should check the National Security Agency's website for the CAE/IAE criteria and formulate their documentation to respond to the criteria as listed. The proposals will be subject to peer review by individuals who have expertise in the information assurance field. These individuals determine if equivalency is met based on the documentation provided in the proposal. 27. Are programs in studies other than computer science eligible for the grants? Yes, there are already programs in areas other than computer science that have CAE/IAE certification. Information Assurance specialists are now needed in many fields, such as accounting, criminal justice, and management information systems. Proposals from fields other than computer science are eligible if an emphasis on information assurance is integral to the program. 28. Will the program include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Institutions? Partnerships of other institutions with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges are encouraged in order to include these schools in the program. Additional grant funds are available for such partnerships. 29. How can colleges or universities that either do not currently have IA programs or are currently developing programs participate? Colleges and universities that do not currently have IA programs or are in the process of developing programs are encouraged to participate through partnerships or consortiums with institutions that have existing programs. National Science Foundation must approve such partnerships and consortium proposals for inclusion in the program. Also, capacity building funds are available as part of the program. 30. Are community or two?year colleges eligible for the grants? No, community or two?year colleges are not eligible for grants. The program focuses on the last two years of undergraduate study and graduate study. This includes institutions with four?year undergraduate degrees or graduate degrees in computer security and information assurance. __________________________________________ Federal Government Information 31. How do Federal Departments and Agencies participate in the program? Federal organizations participate through interagency committees such as the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, the CIO Council, and the Human Resource Technology Council (HTRC). Federal organizations are involved in an on-going dialogue with the OPM program office to successfully implement the program through summer employment and internship opportunities as well as placement of the graduates. 32. What organization is responsible for managing the program? The National Science Foundation administers the issuance of the grants process and the capacity building component. The SFS Program Office in OPM's San Antonio Service Center administers the scholarship component (including the placement and tracking of participants). Questions about the student component may be addressed to the SFS Program Manager, at sfspo@private or (210) 805-2423, extension 506.
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