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Cybersecurity Education in Critical Infrastructure Protection (CECIP) Program

Sponsored by the NCAE-C Program at NSA

This program is currently not active.

 

Application Deadline: CLOSED

This Workforce Development project, which is funded by a sub-award from the CECIP program at the University of Memphis through a NCAE-C Program award (Award # H98230-21-1-0319; Subaward # A22-0041-S001) provides training for a workforce with the skills to defend and protect our critical infrastructures, primarily those in the industrial and defense sectors. The project, a collaboration between UWF and Indian River State College (IRSC) has the following objectives:

  • To design and develop four training courses related to the protection of our critical infrastructures. These courses are
    • Industrial Control Systems and Renewable Energy (ICS-RE) Security
    • Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Compliance
    • North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC-CIP) Compliance and
    • ICS-RE Threat Intelligence
  • To design and develop tabletop exercises and laboratory hands-on activities to support the four training courses
  • To offer a certificate-based workforce development program consisting of the above four courses with verifiable digital credentials for the specific cybersecurity work roles in critical infrastructures with emphasis on veterans, transitioning military personnel, first responders and other qualified adult learners
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the four courses
  • To disseminate the training course materials for widespread adoption through publications and integration in existing academic courses.

Program Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for program consideration, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Be a veteran, transitioning military personnel, first responder, or military-connected personnel
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Some IT or cybersecurity experience

Preferred Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in IT or STEM area
  • At least two years of IT or cybersecurity experience
  • Security clearance (active or past)

Program Participation Requirements

All selected applicants must agree and comply with the following:

  • Strong interest in cybersecurity field and career.
  • Commit to participate in the program (courses will not run for the entire duration but participants should be available during that time frame).
  • Must have your own computer with camera and mic and high-speed Internet connection.
  • Participate in all program courses, sessions, and meetings, including the certification courses, exam preparation, career development sessions, and career fair. The program and courses will be offered 100% asynchronously online. 
  • Dedicate time towards self-study and complete all program and course requirements, including assigned readings, labs, assessments and surveys each week.

Application Requirements

To be considered for the program, applicants MUST complete the application form using this URL link: Applications No Longer Being Accepted

and submit ALL required documents via email by the application deadline. The application form also includes a brief survey regarding any IT and cybersecurity skills. The required documents should be submitted in PDF format as attachments to an email message to Jesse Hamilton at jhamilton1@uwf.edu.

  • Please use the following naming convention for the email subject: LastName FirstName Application (e.g., Smith Joe Application).
  • For each of the required documents, please name the file as FirstName-Last-Name-DocumentType.pdf (e.g., Joe-Smith-Resume.pdf).

Required Documents

  • A brief up-to-date resume
  • At least two letters of professional recommendation
  • A copy of unofficial transcripts for your most advanced degree completed (for high school, associate's, or bachelor's degree)
  • A 2-page letter of intent that demonstrates the applicant’s commitment to the program and a cybersecurity career, and includes thefollowing components:
    • Commitment to successfully completing the program and pursuing a career in cybersecurity
    • Experiences and accomplishments that helped prepare you for this program and a cybersecurity career, including military or first responder experience, IT or cybersecurity education or training, industry certifications, or awards
    • How this program will help you accomplish your personal and/or professional career aspirations.
    • What specific cybersecurity work role(s) and critical infrastructure sectors or organizations you are interested in working for upon program completion, and why. For more detailed information on specific sectors mentioned in these questions, please visit https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors.
    • Your short-term (1-4 years) and long-term (5+ years) career goals upon successful program completion.