Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Computing and Communication Foundations awarded $460,922 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) for a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site focused on federated learning security. The award, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029, supports a 10-week summer research program annually for 10 undergraduate students conducting hands-on security research on federated learning systems—distributed artificial intelligence (AI) model training that preserves privacy by preventing raw data exchange among devices or organizations.

The project delivers comprehensive research outputs and educational products addressing security threats and defenses across the federated learning lifecycle. Deliverables include software tools, tutorials, datasets, and empirical research findings focused on representative attack vectors (botnet-style disruption, poisoning, backdoor insertion, privacy leakage, membership inference, and data reconstruction) and corresponding defensive mechanisms (robust aggregation, anomaly detection, and differential privacy). The work utilizes a dedicated federated learning cybersecurity range, realistic datasets from computer vision, language, and network traffic applications, and distributed computing resources. Through iterative red team versus blue team exercises, the project advances privacy-preserving AI security, expands undergraduate access to advanced research opportunities, and strengthens the national cybersecurity and AI workforce pipeline.