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UWF CyberAI SFS FORCE Program

UWF CyberAI® Scholarship for Service:
Future Operations, Resilience, and Career Ecosystem (FORCE) Program

Logos side-by-side featuring the National Science Foundation (NSF) logo on the left and the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity & AI logo on the right.

 

An instructor pointing at data visualizations and code on a computer monitor while working with a student.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) CyberAI® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program supports scholarships and educational innovations that integrate AI and cybersecurity training to prepare a skilled U.S. workforce for the AI and cybersecurity mission of government organizations.  

The UWF CyberAI SFS Future Operations, Resilience, and Career Ecosystem (FORCE) Program prepares UWF undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students for government AI and cybersecurity roles at the intersection of cyber defense and artificial intelligence (AI). As AI reshapes cyber operations, government agencies urgently need experts who can leverage AI to strengthen defense while securing AI systems against emerging threats. CyberAI SFS FORCE meets this national demand by recruiting, educating, and supporting the next generation of CyberAI leaders for public service.

 

Scholarship Benefits

  1. Full tuition scholarship for up to two years 
    1. up to 30 credit hours per year for undergraduate students (excluding summer) 
    2. up to 18 credit hours per year for graduate students (excluding summer)
  2. Annual stipend (for living expenses)
    1. $27,000 per year for undergraduate students
    2. $37,000 per year for graduate students
  3. Professional development allowance of up to $6,000 per academic year for SFS Job Fair and other travel, books, professional certifications, etc. 

 

Scholarship Program Participant Requirements

  1. Work for a government organization post-graduation for the number of years of the scholarship award. 
  2. Complete one summer internship for at least 10 weeks, typically paid, with a government organization (Federal, State, Local, or Tribal) during the scholarship period.
  3. Participate in required program events, including the annual CyberAI® SFS Job Fair.
  4. Participate in a required program research project and professional development activities.
  5. Sign a required NSF SFS CyberAI Program Service Agreement.
    1. A participant who fails to comply with any Program requirement will be indebted to the Federal Government and must immediately reimburse the SFS Program. Failure to promptly reimburse the SFS Program will require that the funds be collected as a debt owed to the U.S. Treasury.
  6. Sign a required UWF SFS CyberAI FORCE Program Scholarship Repayment Agreement and Promissory Note.

For more information on the NSF CyberAI SFS Program, please https://sfs.opm.gov.

 

Eligibility and Application Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for an NSF CyberAI SFS scholarship, a student must meet the following requirements:

  1. Minimum 18 years of age
  2. U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)
  3. Enrolled full-time in one of the following UWF programs:
    1. BS in Cybersecurity
    2. BS in Cybersecurity - AI Specialization
    3. BS in Computer Science
    4. MS in Cybersecurity
    5. MS in Computer Science
    6. PhD in Intelligent Systems and Robotics
  4. Minimum 3.25 / 4.0 overall GPA
  5. For undergraduate students: completed at least 60 of the required 120 program credit hours by the semester that you will start the SFS program.

Application Requirements 

  1. A copy of your unofficial UWF or other University transcript (For UWF transcripts, see Viewing an Unofficial Transcript)
  2. A 2-page letter of intent that demonstrates your commitment to an AI or cybersecurity career in government and includes the following components:
    1. commitment to pursue a successful AI or cybersecurity career in public service and why it is important to you
    2. which specific government organization(s) you are interested in working for after graduation and why
    3. experiences that helped prepare you for such a career, including academic courses, internships, projects and extracurricular activities such as cyber or AI competitions, industry certifications, research projects, presentations and/or publications, awards or professional organization activities
    4. what the scholarship would allow you to accomplish that wouldn’t otherwise be possible
    5. your career goals after graduation: short-term (1-4 years) and long-term (5+ years)
  3. At least two letters of professional recommendation from professors or work supervisors

Prospective students will also need to meet any other university-specific eligibility requirements AND meet criteria for government employment, including the ability to obtain a security clearance, if required.

Applicant Preferences

Preference will be given for applicants who:

  1. Have a strong commitment to working for a government organization.
  2. Hold security clearance or capability of obtaining security clearance.
  3. Actively involved in AI and/or cybersecurity education, research, student organizations, competitions, or other activities.

 

Application

Please check back soon! The application link will be available by August 28, 2026.

 

UWF CyberAI SFS FORCE Program Team

PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO: cyberaisfs@uwf.edu 

  • Dr. Hossain Shahriar, Director of Educational Programs and Professor, Center for Cybersecurity and AI
  • Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, Associate Vice President and Professor, Center for Cybersecurity and AI
  • Pam Davis, Program Coordinator, Center for Cybersecurity and AI

 

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers 1946442 and 2623278 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.