AZ cyber pathways research-practice partnership

The National Science Foundation awarded the Center for the Future of Arizona $279,310 on October 1, 2025, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to establish the AZ Cyber Pathways Research-Practice Partnership addressing Arizona's cybersecurity workforce shortage.

The partnership develops coherent K-14 educational pathways in computer science and cybersecurity by conducting exploratory research in three areas: supporting partnership development and maintenance, collecting and analyzing regional labor-market data to understand skills and competencies needed for computing and cyber careers, and synthesizing and reporting findings. Working with Sunnyside Unified School District and SRI International, the initiative identifies essential competencies for regional cyber careers and creates aligned course sequences. The expected outcome is a collaborative that increases K-14 practitioners' capacity to define, strategize, and implement evidence-based computer science and cyber pathways through cycles of research and continuous improvement.

Performance occurs in Phoenix, Arizona, with a period of performance through March 31, 2027. No sub-awards are planned for this project.

Abstract

The AZ cyber pathways research-practice partnership (RPP), under the prek-12 pathway strand, aims to address the pressing need for expanding the cybersecurity workforce in arizona. In partnership with the center for the future of arizona, sunnyside unified school district, and SRI international, this initiative seeks to develop coherent educational pathways that facilitate access to computer science and cyber careers. By fostering collaboration between educators, administrators, and students, the RPP will identify the skills and competencies essential for success in regional computing and cyber careers and create course sequences that align with these needs. Ultimately, the AZ cyber pathways RPP aims to empower students to pursue viable career pathways in cybersecurity, ensuring that they have the skills and resources necessary to thrive in this critical and rapidly evolving field. The RPP is focused on exploratory research and the development of a partnership to produce knowledge about how to expand the cyber workforce. The project?S key expected outcome is a collaborative that increases the capacity of K-14 practitioners to define, strategize, and implement evidence-based computer science and cyber pathways. The research comprises three areas: (1) supporting the development and maintenance of the partnership, (2) collecting and analyzing data to understand the regional context and labor market needs, and (3) synthesizing and reporting these data. Through cycles of research and continuous improvement, the RPP aims to develop evidence-based solutions that enhance curricular offerings and support systems for students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.