New Jersey City University (NJCU) is seeking a grant from the NSF to provide scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students that take on a program of study that specializes in Information Assurance. Information Assurance (IA) is concerned with building secure and trustworthy networks, computers, and information systems. It includes elements of computer and network security, databases, software engineering, operating systems, and many other related topics.

The scholarships are offered under the NSF's Scholarship For Service (SFS) program. The scholarship offers the following:

• 2-year scholarship, includes $8K stipend ($12K for graduate students), plus tuition and nominal room and board expenses (average total package worth over $36K for undergrads and $50K for Grads).
• Paid summer internship in a federal agency.
• Placement in federal government at the end of the scholarship period.

See below for a list of federal departments and agencies that have hired SFS students in the past. In return for the scholarship, students need to:

• Undertake a program of study that specializes in Information Assurance.
• Agree to work after graduation for up to 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.shtmlfor a list of Federal Executive Branch organizations.
  • See http://www.science.doe.gov/National_Laboratories/for a list of National Laboratories.
  • See http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdc/for a list of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs).
• Undertake one (paid) summer internship in a similar federal agency as listed above.

For students that receive scholarship for a period less than 2 years, the work commitment is correspondingly reduced.

Why Pursue Information Assurance Studies?

Networked information systems are playing increasingly important roles in critical infrastructures that support commerce, banking, telecommunication, health care, and national security. The spate of "hacker attacks'' and the rising tide of spam and electronic crime incidents (including credit-card and identity theft, extortion, etc.), as well as the threat of cyber-terrorism, highlight the vulnerabilities inherent to today's systems. In spite of substantial increases in public and private spending on computer security technologies, serious problems persist, as indicated by massive increases in the volume of security incidents reported by the CERT Coordination Center over the past decade.

Technological problems in cyber security are compounded by a shortage of qualified information assurance professionals. The shortage is particularly severe in the federal government at a time when more and more of the government's operations are becoming dependent on networked computer systems. Recognizing this shortage, the National Science Foundation has introduced a special scholarship program that targets recruitment of students to specialize in information assurance and pursue a career in the federal government in this area.

Increasing emphasis on IA started a few years ago and shows every sign of robust growth for years to come, driven by increasing concern over security in the government, corporations, and the general public. Outsourcing is also a driving force: security jobs are unlikely to be outsourced overseas.

Graduates from the SFS program in other institutions have been hired in a number of departments in the federal government. The biggest employer of SFS students has been the National Security Agency (NSA), accounting for over 50% of the recruits in the past few years. Some of the other departments and agencies that have hired SFS students include:

• Department of Commerce(NIST, CIO),
• Department of Defense(NSA, Defense Computer Forensics Lab),
• Department of Energy,
• Department of Homeland Security,
• Department of Justice(FBI, CIO),
• Department of Treasury(Secret Service, IRS),
• Department of Transportation(FAA and Coast Guard),
• FDIC,
• National Science Foundation,
• GAO, and
• NASA.

(Source: Report of the NSF Workshop on SFS Placement, August 2003.)

Benefits to Fellows

There are several reasons why you should consider applying for this scholarship:

• You will become an expert in the topic of Information Assurance, ensuring your usefulness in the job market (or higher studies) for many years to come.
• You have a good chance working for some of the most technically knowledgeable departments within the US government, an opportunity that does not come easily without this scholarship.
• When you complete your service time in the US government, should you choose to work elsewhere or return to school, your resume will be very strong, essentially opening many new doors to you.
• This "all-expenses-paid'' scholarship will seriously reduce, if not eliminate, your post-graduation student-loan debts, debts that often take you (or your parents) many years to repay.
• At a time when the economy is weak, you will have a virtual lock on a job after graduation, saving you a lot of potential hassles looking for jobs.

Last, but not least, this scholarship is an excellent patriotic way to contribute back to your country.

Eligibility for Scholarships

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Should be currently majoring in an Information Assurance discipline at New Jersey City University.
• Ability to graduate within 2 years from the beginning of scholarship period.
• A minimum GPA of 2.8 for undergraduates and 3.2 for graduates.
• Meet criteria for Federal employment.
• Ability to obtain appropriate security clearances, where needed.

Award process

The fellowships will be offered on a competitive basis. On the average, about 10 graduate and 10 undergraduate fellowships will be awarded in each year from 2012 to 2015. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on:

• Academic performance,
• Letters of recommendation,
• Statement explaining the applicant's interest in information assurance and a career in federal government and/or national service,
• Ability to obtain security clearances, and
• Personal interview. (A telephone interview may be permitted at the discretion of the program director.)

Deadlines

Send or email your applications by

• WILL ANNOUNCE AGAIN IN 2013
  

Even after the deadline you may check with us for availability of scholarships.

Applying for Scholarships

You application should include the following

• Completed application form. Form in MS-Word or PDF format.
• A resume.
• A statement describing your interest in information assurance and a career in government service. To be most effective, your statements should be brief (1 to 2 pages), and highlight your motivation, interests, skills, experience, knowledge, and aptitude for succeeding in a career in information assurance and national service.
• Recommendation letters: (Form to be used in MS-Word or PDF format). The recommendation letters should be emailed directly to SFS, and not be forwarded by students. A better option is to send hard copies of the recommendation letters to the director, in sealed envelopes, signed across the seal by the recommender.
  • Graduate students: Three letters of reference are required. If you have been admitted into the graduate program within the past year, you may reuse up to two letters from your application to the graduate program. Make sure that at least 2 of the three letters are from a faculty member at academic institutions that you studied in. If you have been at NJCU for one semester or more, at least one of the letters should be from NJCU PSS faculty.
  • Undergraduate students: Two letters of reference are required, but you are strongly encouraged to provide three letters. At least one of the letters should be from a faculty member at an academic institution that you studied in. If you have been at NJCU for one semester or longer, at least one of the letters should be from NJCU PSS faculty.
• Transcripts from all colleges attended. (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial screening, but official transcripts are required before award.)

In addition, please review the Service Agreement document for a better understanding of program requirements, which must be signed in the presence of the SFS Director, before the scholarships are finally awarded. The Service Agreement is available in Microsoft MS-Word and PDF formats. Submit your application electronically via email to jcollins2@njcu.edu. Your application should include a short, plain text cover letter, together with one or more attachments in Word, PDF or JPG formats. To speed up processing, it is recommended that all documentation be supplied electronically, including unofficial transcripts (in ASCII text, HTML, JPG or PDF) and recommendation letters (sent via email). If necessary, hard copies may be sent to:

SFS Links

• The main Scholarships for Service (SFS)program web site.
• SFS FAQanswers a number of common questions of scholarship applicants and new recipients.

Tax related

• The IRS publication explaining the taxability of scholarships.
• FAQs Regarding Stipendsprovided by IRS.

Information Assurance Education at New Jersey City University 

• NJCU's National Center for Academic Excellence which describes ongoing IA activities.
• NJCU's IA curriculum and specialization programs can be found at our IA education web site.
• NJCU's  Professional Security Studies Department, with access to application materials, undergraduate and graduate program descriptions, courses, personnel, and much more.

Internships & Jobs Search

• www.usajobs.com
• http://www.studentjobs.gov/
• sfscybercorps Forum
• SFS Mailing List
• http://www.adnet-sys.com/- a contracting company for federal jobs.