This project aims to provide south texas students in the coastal bend region as well as industry professionals, opportunities in cyber intelligence education

This $999,676 Cooperative Agreement award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, under the Scientific Leadership Awards (CFDA 97.062) program, supports Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) in delivering cyber intelligence education and training programs for students and industry professionals.

The key products and services include:

• Developing an Intensive Accelerated Training in Cyber Intelligence (IAT-CI) program for high school, community college, and undergraduate students
• Creating an Online Certificate Program in Cyber Intelligence (OCP-CI) to reach industry professionals
• Establishing a Cyber Intelligence Research Lab (CIRL) to facilitate the planned training, online certification, and undergraduate/graduate research in cyber intelligence
• Providing experiential learning opportunities, such as summer research assistantships, fellowships, and internships, for TAMUK students who have completed the IAT-CI training

The award aims to increase the involvement and qualifications of underrepresented minorities to contribute to the DHS cyber intelligence workforce.

The project will develop intensive accelerated training in cyber intelligence (IAT-CI) for high school, community college, and undergraduate students at the freshman and sophomore levels. To reach broader audiences, the program will develop an online certificate program in cyber intelligence (OCP-CI) that attracts industry professionals. This will give texas a m university-kingsville (tamuk) the visibility and the capability to prepare and credential professionals to join the department of homeland security (DHS) workforce by providing cyber intelligence education, training, research experiences, awareness, and professional development. Additionally, this project aims to increase the involvement and number of marginalized underrepresented minorities available and qualified to contribute to the DHS workforce in the field of cyber intelligence. This multi-tiered education in cyber intelligence will be offered by the computer science faculty at tamuk. The IAT-CI and OCP-CI programs will be open to all stem and non-stem fields. The existing partnership with the DHS cbts COE at texas a m university college station (tamu) will be leveraged to mentor the curriculum development process for the IAT-CI and OCP-CI programs. The new partnerships with DHS cina COE at george mason university (MSU) and louisiana state university (LSU) CAE-CO will grow the expertise in the cyber intelligence in this program. Early-career and research faculty and selected students from tamuk will participate in cbtss summer research program.moreover, the early-career and research faculty will develop a world-class research program in AI-based cyber intelligence leveraging the collaborations with cbts COE at tamu, LSU center of academic excellence in cyber operations (CAE-CO), texas a m university-SAN antonio, university of north texas, and xavier university of louisiana. Experiential learning opportunities with financial support will be provided to eligible and qualified tamuk students who have already completed the IAT-CI training and are pursuing a computer science degree or the minor or certificate programs in cyber intelligence. The funded positions will include summer research assistantships, fellowships, and internships at tamu cbts COE, LSU CAE-CO, national labs, and private industries. Moreover, the project will establish a cyber intelligence research lab (cirl) to facilitate the planned training, online certification, and undergraduate and graduate research in cyber intelligence. The early career and research faculty will lead cyber intelligence research projects using the cirl lab.