Information Security Grants

The Department of War Cyber Service Academy was established in accordance with provisions of Chapter 112, "Cyber Scholarship Program," of title 10, United States Code, added by Public Law 106-398, The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2001. The purpose of the program is to recruit and retain qualified cyber talent within the DoW by offering merit-based scholarships to students in exchange for a period of obligated service upon graduation. Academic institutions may nominate current undergraduate or graduate students who are pursuing a cyber-related degree for scholarship consideration. Current DoW Components/Agencies may nominate their permanent civilians or active-duty military members to pursue a cyber-related degree at partnering institutions. These institutions may also apply for modest support for building their capacity for the expansion of cyber education.

This assistance listing is for designated partner institutions seeking funding to support scholars who have been selected for the Department of War (DoW) Cyber Service Academy. To be eligible to apply for and receive an award, institutions must be in good standing, be current on all reporting requirements, and demonstrate a history of successfully executing such grants.

The scholars supported by this funding are selected through separate application channels and consist of two main groups:

1. Prospective Students (Recruitment Pathway):
Students at designated institutions of higher education apply using the recruitment application. To be eligible, students must:

Be 18 years of age or older and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Be enrolled in a qualified cyber-related degree program.

Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for a community college program, 3.2 for an undergraduate program, or 3.5 for a graduate program.

2. Current DoW Personnel (Retention Pathway):
Current DoW civilians and active-duty military members apply using the retention application. To be eligible, applicants must:

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Be in good standing with their parent organization.

Be nominated by their parent organization to pursue a cyber-related degree.

Additional eligibility requirements for both institutions and scholar applicants will be provided in the official program solicitation and application materials.

The DoW CSA Program Office, in conjunction with the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Grants and Cooperative Agreements Branch, holds the final approval authority for all awards.

The process for awarding assistance begins after scholars and projects have been selected. The DoW CSA Program Office and the WHS Grants Branch review the funding applications submitted by the designated partner institutions. Upon final approval, a grant or cooperative agreement is awarded directly to the institution.

These Federal resources are then expended at the institutional level. The university, as the initial recipient, is responsible for distributing the scholarship funds to cover the tuition, fees, and stipends for the selected scholars. For capacity-building initiatives, the institution expends the grant funds on the approved project activities. In this manner, the assistance passes through the initial applicant for further distribution to support individual students and projects.

From 60 to 90 days.
• Recruitment Student Applications: 60 to 90 days - notifications are made as close to 01 April as possible.
• Retention Student Applications: 75 to 105 days - notifications are made as close to 15 May as possible.
• Capacity Building Applications : 75 to 105 days - notifications are made as close to 01 June as possible.
• Final grants are awarded as close to 01 August as possible.