15 U.S.C. § 7404 : US Code - Section 7404: National Science Foundation computer and network security programs

Search 15 U.S.C. § 7404 : US Code - Section 7404: National Science Foundation computer and network security programs

(a) Computer and network security capacity building grants
(1) In general
The Director shall establish a program to award grants to
institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof) to
establish or improve undergraduate and master's degree programs
in computer and network security, to increase the number of
students, including the number of students from groups
historically underrepresented in these fields, who pursue
undergraduate or master's degrees in fields related to computer
and network security, and to provide students with experience in
government or industry related to their computer and network
security studies.
(2) Merit review
Grants shall be awarded under this subsection on a merit-
reviewed competitive basis.
(3) Use of funds
Grants awarded under this subsection shall be used for
activities that enhance the ability of an institution of higher
education (or consortium thereof) to provide high-quality
undergraduate and master's degree programs in computer and
network security and to recruit and retain increased numbers of
students to such programs. Activities may include -
(A) revising curriculum to better prepare undergraduate and
master's degree students for careers in computer and network
security;
(B) establishing degree and certificate programs in computer
and network security;
(C) creating opportunities for undergraduate students to
participate in computer and network security research projects;
(D) acquiring equipment necessary for student instruction in
computer and network security, including the installation of
testbed networks for student use;
(E) providing opportunities for faculty to work with local or
Federal Government agencies, private industry, nonprofit
research institutions, or other academic institutions to
develop new expertise or to formulate new research directions
in computer and network security;
(F) establishing collaborations with other academic
institutions or academic departments that seek to establish,
expand, or enhance programs in computer and network security;
(G) establishing student internships in computer and network
security at government agencies or in private industry;
(H) establishing collaborations with other academic
institutions to establish or enhance a web-based collection of
computer and network security courseware and laboratory
exercises for sharing with other institutions of higher
education, including community colleges;
(I) establishing or enhancing bridge programs in computer and
network security between community colleges and universities;
and
(J) any other activities the Director determines will
accomplish the goals of this subsection.
(4) Selection process
(A) Application
An institution of higher education (or a consortium thereof)
seeking funding under this subsection shall submit an
application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director may require. The
application shall include, at a minimum -
(i) a description of the applicant's computer and network
security research and instructional capacity, and in the case
of an application from a consortium of institutions of higher
education, a description of the role that each member will
play in implementing the proposal;
(ii) a comprehensive plan by which the institution or
consortium will build instructional capacity in computer and
information security;
(iii) a description of relevant collaborations with
government agencies or private industry that inform the
instructional program in computer and network security;
(iv) a survey of the applicant's historic student
enrollment and placement data in fields related to computer
and network security and a study of potential enrollment and
placement for students enrolled in the proposed computer and
network security program; and
(v) a plan to evaluate the success of the proposed computer
and network security program, including post-graduation
assessment of graduate school and job placement and retention
rates as well as the relevance of the instructional program
to graduate study and to the workplace.
(B) Awards
(i) The Director shall ensure, to the extent practicable,
that grants are awarded under this subsection in a wide range
of geographic areas and categories of institutions of higher
education, including minority serving institutions.
(ii) The Director shall award grants under this subsection
for a period not to exceed 5 years.
(5) Assessment required
The Director shall evaluate the program established under this
subsection no later than 6 years after the establishment of the
program. At a minimum, the Director shall evaluate the extent to
which the program achieved its objectives of increasing the
quality and quantity of students, including students from groups
historically underrepresented in computer and network security
related disciplines, pursuing undergraduate or master's degrees
in computer and network security.
(6) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science
Foundation to carry out this subsection -
(A) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(C) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(D) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(E) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(b) Scientific and Advanced Technology Act of 1992
(1) Grants
The Director shall provide grants under the Scientific and
Advanced Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) [42 U.S.C.
1862h et seq.] for the purposes of section 3(a) and (b) of that
Act [42 U.S.C. 1862i(a), (b)], except that the activities
supported pursuant to this subsection shall be limited to
improving education in fields related to computer and network
security.
(2) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science
Foundation to carry out this subsection -
(A) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(B) $1,250,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(C) $1,250,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(D) $1,250,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(E) $1,250,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(c) Graduate traineeships in computer and network security research
(1) In general
The Director shall establish a program to award grants to
institutions of higher education to establish traineeship
programs for graduate students who pursue computer and network
security research leading to a doctorate degree by providing
funding and other assistance, and by providing graduate students
with research experience in government or industry related to the
students' computer and network security studies.
(2) Merit review
Grants shall be provided under this subsection on a merit-
reviewed competitive basis.
(3) Use of funds
An institution of higher education shall use grant funds for
the purposes of -
(A) providing traineeships to students who are citizens,
nationals, or lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens of
the United States and are pursuing research in computer or
network security leading to a doctorate degree;
(B) paying tuition and fees for students receiving
traineeships under subparagraph (A);
(C) establishing scientific internship programs for students
receiving traineeships under subparagraph (A) in computer and
network security at for-profit institutions, nonprofit research
institutions, or government laboratories; and
(D) other costs associated with the administration of the
program.
(4) Traineeship amount
Traineeships provided under paragraph (3)(A) shall be in the
amount of $25,000 per year, or the level of the National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, whichever is greater,
for up to 3 years.
(5) Selection process
An institution of higher education seeking funding under this
subsection shall submit an application to the Director at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Director may require. The application shall include, at a
minimum, a description of -
(A) the instructional program and research opportunities in
computer and network security available to graduate students at
the applicant's institution; and
(B) the internship program to be established, including the
opportunities that will be made available to students for
internships at for-profit institutions, nonprofit research
institutions, and government laboratories.
(6) Review of applications
In evaluating the applications submitted under paragraph (5),
the Director shall consider -
(A) the ability of the applicant to effectively carry out the
proposed program;
(B) the quality of the applicant's existing research and
education programs;
(C) the likelihood that the program will recruit increased
numbers of students, including students from groups
historically underrepresented in computer and network security
related disciplines, to pursue and earn doctorate degrees in
computer and network security;
(D) the nature and quality of the internship program
established through collaborations with government
laboratories, nonprofit research institutions, and for-profit
institutions;
(E) the integration of internship opportunities into graduate
students' research; and
(F) the relevance of the proposed program to current and
future computer and network security needs.
(7) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science
Foundation to carry out this subsection -
(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(C) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(D) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(E) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(d) Graduate Research Fellowships program support
Computer and network security shall be included among the fields
of specialization supported by the National Science Foundation's
Graduate Research Fellowships program under section 1869 of title
42.
(e) Cyber security faculty development traineeship program
(1) In general
The Director shall establish a program to award grants to
institutions of higher education to establish traineeship
programs to enable graduate students to pursue academic careers
in cyber security upon completion of doctoral degrees.
(2) Merit review; competition
Grants shall be awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed
competitive basis.
(3) Application
Each institution of higher education desiring to receive a
grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director shall require.
(4) Use of funds
Funds received by an institution of higher education under this
paragraph shall -
(A) be made available to individuals on a merit-reviewed
competitive basis and in accordance with the requirements
established in paragraph (7);
(B) be in an amount that is sufficient to cover annual
tuition and fees for doctoral study at an institution of higher
education for the duration of the graduate traineeship, and
shall include, in addition, an annual living stipend of
$25,000; and
(C) be provided to individuals for a duration of no more than
5 years, the specific duration of each graduate traineeship to
be determined by the institution of higher education, on a case-
by-case basis.
(5) Repayment
Each graduate traineeship shall -
(A) subject to paragraph (5)(B), be subject to full repayment
upon completion of the doctoral degree according to a repayment
schedule established and administered by the institution of
higher education;
(B) be forgiven at the rate of 20 percent of the total amount
of the graduate traineeship assistance received under this
section for each academic year that a recipient is employed as
a full-time faculty member at an institution of higher
education for a period not to exceed 5 years; and
(C) be monitored by the institution of higher education
receiving a grant under this subsection to ensure compliance
with this subsection.
(6) Exceptions
The Director may provide for the partial or total waiver or
suspension of any service obligation or payment by an individual
under this section whenever compliance by the individual is
impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the individual,
or if enforcement of such obligation with respect to the
individual would be unconscionable.
(7) Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a graduate traineeship under this
section, an individual shall -
(A) be a citizen, national, or lawfully admitted permanent
resident alien of the United States; and
(B) demonstrate a commitment to a career in higher education.
(8) Consideration
In making selections for graduate traineeships under this
paragraph, an institution receiving a grant under this subsection
shall consider, to the extent possible, a diverse pool of
applicants whose interests are of an interdisciplinary nature,
encompassing the social scientific as well as the technical
dimensions of cyber security.
(9) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science
Foundation to carry out this paragraph $5,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2003 through 2007.