January 11, 2005

The grantee is responsible for ensuring that grant funds are provided to individuals in accordance with the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (P. L. #107-305).

Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS)
A Federal Cyber Service Training and Education Initiative

The Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program seeks to increase the number of qualified students entering the fields of information assurance and computer security and to increase the capacity of the United States higher education enterprise to continue to produce professionals in these fields to meet the needs of our increasingly technological society. The SFS program is composed of two tracks:

• The Scholarship Track provides funding to colleges and universities to award scholarships to students in the information assurance and computer security fields. Scholarship recipients shall pursue academic programs in information assurance for the final two years of undergraduate study, or for two years of master's-level study, or for the final two years of Ph.D.-level study. These students will participate as a cohort during their two years of study and activities, including a summer internship in the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation. (See http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml for a list of Federal Executive Branch organizations. See http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=OF_NLTC for a list of National Laboratories.) The recipients of the scholarships will become part of the Federal Cyber Service of Information Technology Specialists whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the United States Government's information infrastructure. Upon graduation, after their two-year scholarships, recipients will be required to work for two years in the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation.                  
• The Capacity Building Track provides funds to colleges and universities to improve the quality and increase the production of information assurance and computer security professionals. Professional development of information assurance faculty and development of academic programs can be funded under this track.

The Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program provides funding to colleges and universities for scholarships and capacity building in the information assurance and computer security fields. A typical grant for scholarships will provide four years of funding to enable the institution to cover as many as three cohorts of up to 10, two-year full scholarships (30 two-year scholarships total during the grant period) for study leading to baccalaureate, master's, or Ph.D. degrees providing technical competence in the area of information assurance and security. A typical grant for capacity building will provide funds for institutional and/or faculty development in the area of information assurance and computer security. The program was established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in accordance with the Federal Cyber Service Training and Education Initiative as described in the President's National Plan for Information Systems Protection. This initiative reflects the critical need for Information Technology (IT) professionals specializing in information assurance and security. The expected outcomes of this program include:

• new entrants to the federal workforce with the education and training that will enhance the security of critical federal information infrastructure,    
• an increased national capability for the education of IT professionals in critical information infrastructure protection disciplines,     
• increased national research and development capabilities in critical information infrastructure protection, and     
• strengthened partnerships between institutions of higher education and relevant employment sectors.

The scholarship program provides funding for two-year full scholarships plus stipends for students to pursue academic programs in information assurance for the final two years of undergraduate study, or for two years of master's-level study, or for the final two years of Ph.D.-level study. Students receive both scholarship and stipend support. Upon graduation, the recipients of the scholarships will become part of the Federal Cyber Service of information technology specialists whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the United States Government's information infrastructure. After their two-year scholarships, the recipients will be required to work within the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation, for two years in fulfillment of their Federal Cyber Service commitment. (See http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml for a list of Federal Executive Branch organizations. See http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=OF_NLTC for a list of National Laboratories.)

The capacity building component of the SFS program provides funds to colleges and universities to improve the quality and increase the production of information assurance and computer security professionals through professional development of information assurance faculty and the development of academic programs.

The primary objective of the SFS program is to build information assurance capacity and to provide an educated cadre of information technology professionals who can help ensure the protection of the United States Government information infrastructure. The two tracks in this program are described below.

In order to increase information security expertise and capacity at institutions serving underrepresented populations, application by and partnerships with minority institutions, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's list at http://www.ed.gov/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html are encouraged. 

In accordance with the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (P. L. #107-305), the grantee is responsible for ensuring that no grant funds are provided directly or indirectly to:

1. any individual who is in violation of the terms of his or her status as a non- immigrant under section 101(a)(15)(F), (M), or (J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F), (M), or (J)).

2. any alien from a country that is a state sponsor of international terrorism, as defined under section 306(b) of the Enhanced Border Security and VISA Entry Reform Act (8 U.S.C. 1735(b)), unless the Secretary of State determines, in consultation with the Attorney General and the heads of other appropriate agencies, that such alien does not pose a threat to the safety or national security of the United States.

3. any institution of higher education or non-profit institution (or consortia thereof) that has:

   1. materially failed to comply with the recordkeeping and reporting requirements to receive nonimmigrant students or exchange visitor program participants under section 101(a)(15)(F), (M), or (J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F), (M), or (J)), or section 641 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1372), as required by section 502 of the Enhanced Border Security and VISA Entry Reform Act (8 U.S.C. 1762); or

   2. been suspended or terminated pursuant to section 502(c) of the Enhanced Border Security and VISA Entry Reform Act (8 U.S.C 1762(c)).

Scholarship Track

The SFS program provides funds to colleges and universities for student scholarships in support of education in information technology areas relevant to information assurance and computer security. In return for their scholarship and stipend, scholarship recipients must agree to work after graduation for two years as an information assurance specialist in the Federal Cyber Service within the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation. (See http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/Federal/Executive.shtml for a list of Federal Executive Branch organizations. See http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=OF_NLTC  for a list of National Laboratories.)

It is important for all PIs and SFS scholarship students to understand that the U.S. Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) expects and needs active participation to help assist with both summer internship and permanent placement within the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation. The program has a (as near as possible to) 100% placement goal, which can only be reached through active cooperation between all parties involved. Material to assist PIs with the placement process was developed at a recent NSF workshop and is available here: http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/ehr/DUE/programs/sfs/.

During the scholarship period, the students will participate in internships within the Federal Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the parameters for participation, and will participate in other SFS activities such as conferences, workshops, and seminars. These activities are aimed at developing a community of practice that will enhance their individual and collective skills in an area increasingly important to the health and safety of the United States. OPM partners with NSF in this program by providing internship and placement assistance to SFS students. OPM is also responsible for coordinating student transition into Federal employment, for ensuring that contractual obligations are met by the students during their scholarship period and after graduation, and for assessing whether the program helps meet the personnel needs of the federal government for information infrastructure protection.

Grantee institutions will provide scholarship support to students who compete successfully in a selection process developed by the institution, who meet the SFS eligibility criteria, and who are selected as qualified for employment in the Federal Cyber Service by OPM. It is expected that scholarship participants will receive their degree (undergraduate, master's, or Ph.D.) within two years of the beginning of their scholarships. Each proposing institution must provide a description of its selection criteria and process, and explain and justify the proposed distribution of scholarship recipients. In particular, institutions must ensure that groups underrepresented in Information Technology have fair access to scholarships.

To be eligible for consideration for an SFS scholarship, a student must be

• a United States citizen and                      
• a full-time student within two years of graduation in a coherent formal program that is focused on computer security or information assurance at an awardee institution.

Students identified by their institutions for scholarships must meet selection criteria for federal employment. In addition, internship placements and final job placements may require security clearances. Scholarship recipients may be required to undergo the background investigation required to obtain such clearances.

The selection process for scholarship recipients should include indicators of academic merit and other indicators of future professional success. Multiple indicators may be appropriate in gauging both academic merit (e.g., grade point average, class rank) and professionalism (e.g., motivation, ability to manage time and resources, communication skills). Selection criteria should be flexible enough to accommodate applicants who have diverse backgrounds and with diverse career goals. Federal Cyber Service scholars must continue to demonstrate their eligibility in each semester/quarter of SFS support. 

Awardee institutions must submit their lists of candidates for SFS scholarships to OPM for final eligibility approval. OPM will manage the scholars' internships and job placements. OPM will also manage compliance with the mandatory employment component of this program.

It is expected that grantee institutions will provide the infrastructure to recruit and support students, so that a sufficient number of scholarship recipients will graduate. Such an infrastructure might include, for example:

• recruitment of students, with special consideration to groups underrepresented in SFS fields (i.e., women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities);                 
• academic support and mentoring to support students in making progress toward the degree and to prepare students for the workplace;                
• application-oriented experiences to increase the students' understanding of information assurance needs and their relationship to educational preparation and to build their leadership skills; and
• mechanisms to ensure retention of scholarship recipients to degree completion.

Grantee institutions are also expected to have clearly articulated management and administrative plans for the following program elements:

• Verification of scholarship candidates' eligibility, including the recipients' academic merit, appropriate affective skills, and enrollment in a designated or equivalent information assurance program.          
• Provision of scholarship amounts to be used for expenses normally incurred by full-time students in the institution, including tuition, room and board, and equipment. These shall be included in Participant Support costs.             
• Provision of academic-year stipends of $8,000 per year for undergraduate students and $12,000 per year for graduate students. These charges shall be included in Participant Support costs.         
• Provision for coordination with OPM for summer intern placements for each student. Students are expected to take Federal intern positions in the summer between their first and second year of scholarship study. The payments for summer internships will take place outside the university grant structure and are not to be included in the budget.         
• Provisions for tracking the academic progress of students to determine their continued eligibility throughout the academic part of the program. Subsequent tracking of students to verify that they meet the service obligation will be done by OPM.         
• Evaluation of program outcomes.                 
• Demonstration of ability to partner with the OPM in student hiring and agency placement.

The above items must be clearly detailed in the Budget Justification section of the proposal.

In Scholarship Track proposals, proposers may request up to 10 percent of the total budget as partial reimbursement of indirect costs to address the management and administrative costs associated with operating the SFS scholarship program and may request up to 5 percent as partial reimbursement of direct or indirect costs of the total budget to address curriculum, laboratory, and faculty development in support of the SFS program. Full indirect costs may be charged in Capacity Building Track proposals. Funds requested for management and administrative costs, as well as for curriculum, laboratory, and faculty development, must be included in standard budget categories in the proposal budget, and appropriate justification must be provided in the Budget Justification. 

Collaborations with industry, non-profit, or state organizations are strongly encouraged to allow students not chosen for scholarships to participate in student internships and in Federal Cyber Service activities.

The Principal Investigator (PI) will have overall responsibility for the administration of the institution's award, the management of the project, and interactions with NSF and OPM. The PI and the grantee institution are expected to have or to develop an administrative structure that enables faculty, academic administrators, scholarship recipients, and others involved in the project to interact productively during the award period. The PI is expected to be an integral participant in the educational activities of the SFS project. The management plan will be an integral part of the proposal evaluation.

Within the grantee institution, the departments making up the Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education or equivalent are expected to collaborate in implementing the project plan. To broaden the support of their activities, proposers are encouraged to establish collaborative arrangements with other organizations.

A proposing institution must have a strong program of activity in information assurance with Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) designation, or must be able to demonstrate that its programs meet criteria equivalent to those necessary for designation as a CAE/IAE by the National Security Agency. Additionally, the institution must demonstrate its continuing commitment to both faculty development and curriculum excellence in information assurance. Proposals should contain documentation of CAE/IAE designation or demonstrate how the program meets the criteria published by the National Security Agency at http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caeCriteria.cfm.

Proposals should clearly describe the activities to be undertaken, the processes through which the program elements will be implemented, and plans for documentation. Proposals should also clearly describe the student support structure, plans to manage and administer the program, and evidence of the quality of the institution's educational program in information assurance.

Capacity Building Track

The SFS program provides for capacity building in information assurance and computer security fields by providing funds to support faculty, institutional, and partnership development.

The intent of the Capacity Building Track is to increase the production of high quality information assurance and computer security professionals by providing support for efforts within the higher education system. These efforts may take many forms, but must be designed to:

• increase national capability for the high-quality education of information technology professionals in critical information infrastructure protection disciplines, or             
• strengthen partnerships between institutions of higher education, government, and relevant employment sectors leading to improved educational opportunities in information assurance studies.

Funding for up to $150,000 per year for two years is available. Additional funding of up to $150,000 per year for two years is available to partnerships that include minority institutions as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's list at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html

Indirect costs may be charged against all costs except Participant Support and Equipment.

Typical projects include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Adaptation and Implementation: The program wishes to foster collaboration and dialogue among institutions offering courses and programs in information assurance. Consequently, the SFS program supports proposals for the adaptation and implementation of exemplary educational materials, courses, and curricula that have been developed at CAE/IAE or comparable institutions to promote increased educational capacity in information assurance and computer security education programs.

• Curriculum and Educational Materials Development: Supported activities should affect the learning environment, course content, and the experience of instruction. Projects often result in textbooks, laboratory experiments and manuals, software, CD-ROMS, videos, and other courseware. Such products are expected to be widely disseminated through commercial publishers, conferences, workshops, electronic networks, journal articles, and other means. A project's focus may range from the substantial revision of existing instructional materials to the creation of entirely new ones; from a few modules at a single educational level to comprehensive curriculum for multiple years; and from a single subject to the integration of several disciplines.

• Faculty Development: Grants are made to CAE/IAE designated or equivalent institutions for the development and implementation of activities that assist faculty from other institutions to learn about recent advances in information assurance and computer security and to improve their instructional capability in these areas. Such activities might include residencies, conferences, workshops, intensive seminars, distance learning opportunities, or a combination of these to bring about the desired professional development for faculty. These activities typically last from a few days to several weeks and are usually conducted in the summer, with follow-up activities during the academic year. To effect long-term change, projects for faculty development should normally span at least two academic years.

Proposals must describe how faculty participants will be recruited, what level of support will be provided for participants, what evaluation procedures will be used, and what type of follow-up will be provided as participants implement new courses and curricula in information assurance and computer security. Proposals must also describe how institutional teams of two or more members will be formed, and provide evidence of the institutional support that assures that these teams can continue to work towards building institutional capacity once the teams complete their faculty development activities.

Inclusion of faculty belonging to underrepresented populations and from institutions serving underrepresented populations in such partnerships is strongly encouraged.

• Technical Experiences: Well-designed technical experiences in the classroom and in a work environment can give students and faculty a broad, up-to-date, real-world perspective on the information assurance fields. Such experiences typically allow participants to get hands-on exposure to the field and thereby gain confidence in their abilities in technical areas; interact closely with computer security experts; obtain information about various careers available in information assurance and computer security; become aware of academic preparation necessary for such careers; become acquainted with the environments of other academic institutions, private industry, and government agencies; and develop leadership skills.

Projects providing technical experiences may consist of any combination of activities involving instruction, problem solving, research, deployment of security solutions, and industrial internships. Proposals should describe recruitment strategies, criteria for selection of participants, and the relevance of the planned experiences to the goal of developing expertise in information assurance and computer security.

• Laboratory Development: Laboratory or field experiences using suitable modern instrumentation are crucial elements in advanced technology fields. The SFS program supports the development of innovative methods for using laboratory and field exercises to improve students' understanding of basic principles. It also supports use by faculty of modern instrumentation, new technologies, or applications of instruments that extend their instructional capability. The program also encourages the establishment of equipment-sharing arrangements through consortia of institutions developing capacity in information assurance and computer security.       

• Partnerships: Partnerships between CAE/IAE and equivalent institutions and institutions seeking to enhance their IA programs are strongly encouraged. Such partnerships serve to increase the capacity of the educational system to produce high-quality information assurance and security degree recipients. Including private companies and local, state, and federal governmental agencies greatly increases the value of such partnerships. 

Inclusion of institutions serving underrepresented populations in such partnerships is strongly encouraged.

Proposals must clearly explain how their project will address the previously stated objectives of the program.

Proposals must describe impact on the production of qualified students, plans to evaluate the success of the project, and plans to provide effective dissemination of results.

For the Scholarship Track, the proposing organization must be an accredited U.S. university or college that either (1) has been designated by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance  Education (CAE/IAE) or (2) has an information assurance program that meets criteria equivalent to those necessary for designation as a CAE/IAE. In the latter case, the proposal must demonstrate the program's qualifications for CAE/IAE designation.  (See http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caeCriteria.cfm for CAE/IAE criteria.)

For the Capacity Building Track, the proposing organization may be either an accredited U.S. university or college or a consortium. The lead institution in a proposing consortium must either (1) have a CAE/IAE designation or (2) have an information assurance program that meets criteria equivalent to those necessary for CAE/IAE designation. In the latter case, the proposal must demonstrate the program's qualifications for CAE/IAE designation.  (See http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caeCriteria.cfm for CAE/IAE criteria.)

An organization may submit no more than one proposal per track per round of competition.

The SFS Scholarship Track supports a university- or college-based scholarship program that supports two years of tuition, room and board, and stipends for students in the general area of information assurance and security. The scholarships provide academic year stipends of $8,000 per year for undergraduate students and $12,000 per year for graduate students. The program contains an internship component intended to support hands-on training in the Federal Government that is supported through the award for the internships and other training. A typical award might be approximately $2.5 million for four years supporting three cohort classes of 10 first-year students (year 1), 10 first-year and 10 second-year students (year 2), 10 first-year and 10 second-year students (year 3), and 10 second-year students (year 4). The total award sizes will depend upon the tuition and room and board costs and on the cost of management and development.

The SFS Capacity Building Track supports a university or college or partnership in efforts to increase the numbers of highly qualified degree graduates with emphasis in information assurance and/or computer security. Awards provide up to $150,000 per year for up to two years. Additional funding of up to $150,000 per year for two years is available to partnerships that include minority institutions as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's list at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

NSF anticipates that approximately $16 million will be available for the SFS program in FY2005. The program expects to make 3 - 5 awards in the Scholarship Track and 12 -18 awards in the Capacity Building Track, depending on the quality of proposals received and the availability of funds.

A Project Data Form must be submitted (via Fastlane) as part of all proposals. The information on this form is used to direct proposals to appropriate reviewers and to determine the characteristics of projects supported by the Division of Undergraduate Education. In Fastlane, this form will show up in the list of forms for your proposal only after you have selected the correct Program Announcement/ Solicitation No. on the Cover Sheet and saved the Cover Sheet.

A Budget Justification of up to a total of three pages must accompany the budget forms and provide details about line items. Proposals that involve subawards should include the justification for the subawards in the three-page total.

Organizations intending to submit simultaneous Collaborative Proposals must carefully follow the instructions for electronic submission specified in the GPG (Chapter II, Section D.3.b). The titles of the related proposals must be identical and must begin with the words "Collaborative Project," and the combined budgets of the related proposals should conform to the anticipated individual award sizes specified in Section IV ("AWARD INFORMATION") above.  These simultaneous Collaborative Proposals will be treated as a single proposal (with a single Project Summary, Project Description, and References Cited) during the review process.

The Scholarship Track provides academic year stipends of $8,000 per year for undergraduate students and $12,000 per year for graduate students. The Capacity Building Track provides funding of up to $150,000 per year for two years; additional funding of up to $150,000 per year for two years is available to partnerships that include minority institutions as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's list at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

Funds requested for equipment or other technology may not exceed $100,000 or 10 percent of the total NSF funding request, whichever is larger.

January 11, 2005