NIST Awards Grants to Several Organizations for Cyber Workforce Development Program

Several organizations are joining a National Institute of Standards and Technology project aimed at building a cybersecurity-capable workforce.

The Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate program will award about $200,000 each to 18 educational and community institutions, reporting to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, a NIST-led partnership between government, academia and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education and workforce development.

The recipients of the cooperative agreements include Bowling Green State University, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation and the Women’s` Society of Cyberjutsu, NIST said.

NICE Director Rodney Petersen said that the projects open up an opportunity for people interested in a career in cybersecurity, especially those coming from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., support the development of a capable cyber workforce starts in communities. In 2023, the lawmakers introduced a bill mandating the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to provide cybersecurity training and education to underserved communities.