NSF invites cybergrants

NSF Scholarship for Service solicitation

The National Science Foundation has invited colleges to develop grant proposals

for a new federal initiative to bring information security professionals

into the government.

NSF released its solicitation last month for the Scholarship for Service

(SFS) initiative, one of several security training and education projects

under President Clinton's Federal Cyber Services program. The main thrust

of the initiative is to provide scholarships to students pursuing information

security degrees in return for a period of service in the federal government.

The scholarship track of the initiative will set up funding to provide $8,000

per year for undergraduate students and $12,000 per year for graduate students.

Colleges can request up to $50,000 per year for faculty and resources to

support SFS programs.

Proposals are due to NSF by Jan. 24, and the agency expects to award

the grants in June. By the fall of 2001, students should be entering the

programs, and the first students potentially would be taking summer jobs

at agencies by 2002.