Cyber as a Service
Cyber as a Service supports students at Virginia public colleges and universities in providing cybersecurity services to local small businesses and not-for-profits, building workforce skills and benefiting communities.
Funder: Commonwealth Cyber Initiative
Due Dates: Rolling submissions
Funding Amounts: Proposed budgets up to $15,000; projects last at least one month
Summary: Funds student-led cybersecurity services for local Virginia small businesses and not-for-profits while building students’ workforce skills.
Key Information: The PI must be eligible to lead an external grant at a Virginia public institution of higher education.
Description
The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) supports projects in which students provide cybersecurity services, such as penetration testing or cyber risk analysis, to locally owned and operated Virginia small businesses or not-for-profits. The organizations served must be in the same county as the PI’s institution, and students must be the primary service providers.
The program aims to give students practical experience for entering the cybersecurity workforce after graduation while benefiting local organizations and economies. Proposals should address their impact on students and the organizations served, define how success will be measured, and describe measures to improve participation by women and underrepresented minorities.
