CyberCorps SFS: About

A proven pathway to launch cybersecurity careers in public service — built on over a decade of success at UMBC.

Our Mission

UMBC’s Scholarship for Service (SFS) program prepares students to become highly skilled cybersecurity professionals who support public missions. SFS scholars receive scholarship support during their studies and commit to a public-sector cybersecurity career after graduation.

Team and Scholars

Program History

2012 — UMBC launches SFS

In August 2012, UMBC professors Alan Sherman and Richard Forno were awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $2.5M over five years to fund 22 students studying cybersecurity at UMBC. The scholarships are funded through NSF’s Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, the aim of which is to develop the nation’s cybersecurity workforce.

2018 — Major expansion + community college pathways

In 2018, Drs. Sherman and Forno received nearly $5M for a 5-year renewal grant to expand UMBC’s SFS program enrollment and also build SFS-based matriculation agreements with local community colleges.

2025 — Renewal supporting cyber + AI interests

In 2025, Drs. Sherman and Yus received nearly $1M for a 3-year renewal of SFS that supports students studying cybersecurity with an interest in artificial intelligence.

Our SFS Accomplishments

Impact by the numbers

  • 35 in the first award (2012–2018)
  • 62 in the second award (2018–2024)

Among graduates:

  • 92.3% Federal employment (including Federal agencies, DOE Labs, FFRDC/Other)
  • 3.8% State Government employment
  • 3.8% Local Government employment
  • 3.73 (first award)
  • 3.76 (second award)
  • 67 BS (43 CS, 9 CE, 15 IS)
  • 31 MS/MPS (21 CYBR MPS, 5 CS MS, 3 CE MS, 2 IS MS)
  • 4 PhD (3 CS, 1 IS)

Six scholars earned two degrees.

Research, Real-World Experience, and Innovation

Cybersecurity research participation (INSuRE and beyond)

SFS scholars participated in a variety of cybersecurity research projects, including six editions of the INSuRE cybersecurity research course (spring 2014–fall 2022). One UMBC project (formal-methods analysis of cryptographic protocols), led by SFS PhD scholar Enis Golaszewski, was one of five projects nationally funded by NSA in summer 2023 under INSuRE+C.

Annual campus security research study (since 2017)

Each year since 2017, in cooperation with UMBC’s DoIT, our SFS scholars engage in a one-week collaborative research study examining aspects of UMBC network and cyberphysical security. Scholars present findings and recommendations to senior campus leadership. Several studies resulted in publications, and DOIT has often used the results of the winter study to improve UMBC’s campus cybersecurity.

Pipeline expansion through community colleges

Starting in 2018, UMBC extended SFS scholarships to students at partner community colleges: Montgomery College (MC) and Prince George’s CC (PGCC).

  • Recruited: 10 students from MC, 9 from PGCC (19 total)
  • Successful: 17/19 (89.5%) overall
    • MC: 10/10 (100%)
    • PGCC: 7/9 (77.8%)

This model demonstrated that talented community college students can thrive and become proficient cybersecurity professionals after transfer.