Apply by June 1 for Fall 2008
scholarships
Applicants
must be U.S. citizens
Stony Brook has received a $2.5 million grant from the NSF to provide
scholarships to graduate and undergraduate majors in computer science that
take on a program of study that specializes in Information Assurance.
Information Assurance (IA) is concerned with building secure and trustworthy
networks, computers, and information systems. It includes elements of
computer and network security, databases, software engineering, operating
systems, and many other related topics.
The scholarships are offered under the NSF's Scholarship For Service (SFS)
program. The scholarship offers the following:
-
2-year scholarship, includes 8K stipend (12K for graduate students),
plus tuition and nominal room and board expenses (average
total package worth over $46K for undergrads and $56K for Grads).
-
Paid summer internship in a federal agency.
-
Placement in federal government at the end of the scholarship period.
See below for a list of federal departments and agencies that have hired
SFS students in the past.
In return for the scholarship, students need to:
- Undertake a program of study that specializes in Information Assurance.
- Agree to work after graduation for up to two years as an information
assurance specialist in the Federal Cyber Service within the Federal
Executive Branch at a Federal Agency, Independent Agency, Government
Corporation, Commission, or Quasi-Official Agency, or at a National
Laboratory that signs a memorandum of understanding setting forth the
parameters for participation.
- Undertake one (paid) summer internship in a similar federal agency as
listed above.
For students that receive scholarship for a period less than 2 years, the
work commitment is correspondingly reduced.
Networked information systems are playing increasingly important roles in
critical infrastructures that support commerce, banking,
telecommunication, health care, and national security. The spate of
``hacker attacks'' and the rising tide of spam and electronic crime
incidents (including credit-card and identity theft, extortion, etc.), as
well as the threat of cyber-terrorism, highlight the vulnerabilities
inherent to today's systems. In spite of substantial increases in public
and private spending on computer security technologies, serious problems
persist, as indicated by massive increases in the volume of security
incidents reported by the CERT Coordination Center over the past decade.
Technological problems in cyber security are compounded by a shortage of
qualified information assurance professionals. The shortage is
particularly severe in the federal government at a time when more and more
of the government's operations are becoming dependent on networked
computer systems. Recognizing this shortage, the National Science
Foundation has introduced a special scholarship program that targets
recruitment of students to specialize in information assurance and pursue
a career in the federal government in this area.
Increasing emphasis on IA started a few years ago and shows every sign of
robust growth for years to come, driven by increasing concern over
security in the government, corporations, and the general public.
Outsourcing is also a driving force: security jobs are unlikely to be
outsourced overseas.
Graduates from the SFS program in other institutions have been hired in a
number of departments in the federal government. The biggest employer of
SFS students has been the National Security Agency (NSA), accounting for
over 50% of the recruits in the past few years. Some of the other
departments and agencies that have hired SFS students include:
- Department of Commerce (NIST, CIO),
- Department of Defense (NSA, Defense Computer Forensics Lab),
- Department of Energy,
- Department of Homeland Security,
- Department of Justice (FBI, CIO),
- Department of Treasury (Secret Service, IRS),
- Department of Transportation (FAA and Coast Guard),
- FDIC,
- National Science Foundation,
- GAO,
and
- NASA.
(Source: Report
of the NSF Workshop on SFS Placement, August 2003.)
There are several reasons why you should consider applying for this
scholarship:
- You will become an expert in the topic of Information
Assurance, ensuring your usefulness in the job
market (or higher studies) for many years to come.
- You have a good chance working for some of the most
technically knowledgeable departments within the US government, an
opportunity that does not come easily without this
scholarship.
- When you complete your service time in the US
government, should you choose to work elsewhere or return to
school, your resume will be very strong, essentially opening many
new doors to you.
- This ``all-expenses-paid'' scholarship will seriously
reduce, if not eliminate, your post-graduation student-loan debts,
debts that often take you (or your parents) many years to
repay.
- At a time when the economy is weak, you will have a
virtual lock on a job after graduation, saving you a lot of
potential hassles looking for jobs.
Last, but not least, this scholarship is an excellent patriotic
way to contribute back to your country. Consider it your small
civic duty!
- U.S. Citizenship.
- Ability to graduate within 2 years from the beginning of scholarship
period.
- A minimum GPA of 2.8 for undergraduates and 3.2 for graduates.
- Meet criteria for Federal employment.
- Ability to obtain appropriate security clearances, where needed.
The fellowships will be offered on a competitive basis. On the average,
about 7 graduate and 7 undergraduate fellowships will be awarded in each
year from 2005 to 2007/2008. Scholarship recipients will be selected based
on:
- Academic performance,
- Letters of recommendation,
- Statement explaining the applicant's interest in information assurance
and a career in federal government and/or national service,
- Ability to obtain security clearances, and
- Personal interview. (A telephone interview may be permitted at the
discretion of the program director.)
A majority of the fellowships will be offered in the Fall semester, and a smaller
number will be awarded in the Spring semester. For full consideration, applications
must be submitted by
- June 1 for fall semesters
- November 1 for spring semester.
- Spring applicants must update their application by
January 1 with a transcript that shows their fall grades.
Late applications
may be processed if the positions are not already filled.
You application should include the following
- Completed application form. Form in MS-Word or
PDF format.
- A resume.
- A statement describing your interest in information assurance and
a career in government service. To be most
effective, your statements should be brief (1 to 2 pages), and highlight
your motivation, interests, skills, experience, knowledge, and aptitude
for succeeding in a career in information assurance and national service.
- Recommendation letters: (Form to be used in MS-Word or
PDF format).
The recommendation letters should be emailed directly to SFS, and not be forwarded by students. A better option is to send hard copies of the recommendation letters to the director, in sealed envelopes, signed across the seal by the recommender.
- Graduate students: Three letters of reference are required.
If you have been admitted into the graduate program within the past year, you
may reuse up to two letters from your application to the graduate program.
Make sure that at least 2 of the three letters are from a faculty member at
academic institutions that you studied in. If you have been at SBU for one
semester or more, at least one of the letters should be from SBU CS faculty.
- Undergraduate students: Two letters of reference are required,
but you are strongly encouraged to provide three letters. At least one of
the letters should be from a faculty member at an academic institution
that you studied in. If you have been at SBU for one semester or longer,
at least one of the letters should be from SBU CS faculty.
- Transcripts from all colleges attended. (Unofficial transcripts
are acceptable for initial screening, but official transcripts are
required before award.)
In addition, please review the Service Agreement document for a better
understanding of program
requirements, which must be signed in the presence of the SFS Director,
before the scholarships are finally awarded. The Service Agreement is available
in Microsoft Word and PDF
formats.
Submit your application electronically via email to sfs
.
Your
application should include a short, plain text cover letter, together with one or more attachments in Word, PDF or JPG
formats. To speed up processing, it is recommended that all documentation
be supplied electronically, including unofficial transcripts (in ASCII
text, HTML, JPG or PDF) and recommendation letters (sent via email). If
necessary, hard copies may be sent to
SFS Program Director
Department of Computer Science
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4400.
Tax related
( Last updated: 04/03/2008 )
