The US Department of Defense has awarded Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) a $1.85-million grant to train future cybersecurity professionals through full-ride scholarships and hands-on defense training.
The five-year Cyber Service Academy grant will fund four to five students annually at the university’s Prescott, Arizona campus.
Each recipient will receive full tuition, a living stipend, and specialized mentoring in exchange for a service commitment in cyber intelligence and defense roles within the Pentagon after graduation.
The grant supports a broader effort to address the nationwide shortage of cybersecurity experts, with more than 500,000 cyber positions unfilled across public and private sectors, including roughly 20,000 vacancies within the Pentagon itself.
Bolstering Advanced Training
ERAU has received more than $3.5 million in Cyber Service Academy funding since 2020.
The university said the new grant will expand training in artificial intelligence security, cyber resilience, and aerospace cybersecurity.
Students and faculty will also work through the university’s Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems, which partners with government and industry on cybersecurity challenges and workforce development.
Dr. Krishna Sampigethaya, chair of ERAU’s Department of Cyber Intelligence and Security, said the award underscores the Pentagon’s confidence in the university’s program.
She added that it “showcases Embry-Riddle’s national leadership in cybersecurity education and is a major milestone for our department and the Prescott campus.”
Last year, the Prescott campus was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency, a recognition of its role in advancing homeland cybersecurity education and preparing the next generation of defense specialists.
