UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI receives $1.74M NSF award to advance AI and cybersecurity education and workforce development
The UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, or CCAI, has received a $1.74 million award from the National Science Foundation through its new CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service, or CyberAI SFS, program to prepare the next generation of professionals to address emerging challenges at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The award will fund full scholarships, stipends and professional development and expand job opportunities for UWF undergraduate and graduate students studying cybersecurity, computer science and intelligent systems and robotics. UWF is one of only 14 institutions across the nation to receive the highly competitive inaugural award, further strengthening the University’s leadership in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
“Being one of only 14 institutions selected for this inaugural award is a significant recognition of the strength of UWF’s programs in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity,” said UWF Provost Dr. Jaromy Kuhl. “This award will create new opportunities for students while strengthening recruitment, retention and career placement, ultimately contributing to UWF’s continued success across the Board of Governors’ performance-based funding metrics.”
Titled “UWF CyberAI SFS FORCE: Future Operations, Resilience, and Career Ecosystem,” the program will provide UWF students with financial and professional development support designed to help them succeed academically and prepare for careers in cybersecurity and AI. Students will gain opportunities to develop expertise across AI and cybersecurity while gaining practical experience through faculty-mentored research, hands-on learning, professional development, internships and other experiences that connect academic learning to real-world challenges.
“This award will allow us to prepare the next generation of professionals who can defend critical systems while responsibly applying AI to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity,” said Hossain Shahriar, CCAI director of educational programs, professor and principal investigator for the project. “The program will recruit and support 16 CyberAI scholars from undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, offering hands-on training through the Florida Cyber Range, research experiences, internships and competitions.”
The program also will strengthen pathways for students to enter government service, preparing graduates to help protect federal systems, critical infrastructure and other sectors increasingly reliant on AI-enabled technologies. Through scholarships, mentoring, career development and partnerships, CyberAI SFS FORCE will strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity workforce by increasing the number of professionals capable of protecting critical systems, securing AI technologies and applying AI to enhance cyber operations.
“By creating a sustainable ecosystem linking education, research and government service, our CyberAI SFS FORCE program will advance the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities, support economic prosperity, and enhance national defense and resilience,” said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, CCAI associate vice president.
The award builds on UWF’s growing national leadership in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. UWF is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and among the first institutions to have an approved NCAE Cyber Artificial Intelligence Program of Study. The UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI leads the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program and was named the 2025 Academia Innovator of the Year by EC-Council.
To learn more about the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI, visit uwf.edu/cyberai. To inquire about the new UWF CyberAI SFS Force Program, email cyberai@uwf.edu.
