Oregon State University receives $1.7 million federal grant for cybersecurity scholarships

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron
Wyden announced Monday that Oregon State University (OSU) is receiving
$1,727,359 from the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s CyberCorps Scholarship
for Service (SFS).

The grant is an attempt to train highly qualified
cybersecurity professionals to serve in federal, state, local, and tribal
governments, according to a joint press release.

“We must be prepared to take on the threat of cyber
attacks on our critical infrastructure, as they pose a significant security
risk to our nation,” said Senator Merkley. “This program will help
train the cybersecurity professionals of the future, help strengthen and
safeguard our infrastructure systems to stand up to this growing challenge, and
prepare OSU students to enter a well-paid and in demand job field.”

“The constant and ever-evolving threat to cybersecurity
from bad actors demands a rigorous and unflinching commitment to protect
individuals’ privacy and communities’ safety,” Wyden said. “I’m glad
OSU has earned this federal investment to prepare students for good-paying jobs
in this crucial field that defends our state and country from
cyberattacks.”

This project is supported by the CyberCorps 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.

“The U.S. is facing a massive shortage of qualified
cybersecurity professionals. In Oregon alone, there are over 7,500 openings for
cybersecurity and related jobs. This NSF grant will allow OSU to provide
scholarships to students in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science’s cybersecurity program, and provide support for OSU’s new CyberClinic,
which is an innovative program where students participate in a series of
professionally guided clinical rotations to provide cybersecurity services to
underserved organizations across the region. We thank Senators Ron Wyden and
Jeff Merkley for their support for this grant opportunity, and for their
efforts to improve US cybersecurity workforce development.” said Rakesh
Bobba, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University.

NSF intends to award a total of $4,799,707 over five years
to support scholarships of 29 undergraduate and graduate students in four
cohorts, emphasizing recruitment, retention, and placement of underrepresented
and underserved groups in cybersecurity including women, first-generation
college students, and low-income students.

For more information, visit the National Science
Foundation’s website.

en_USEnglish