2024 News 2024: UMass Dartmouth renews designation as Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research

The designation is awarded by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Program and the National Security Agency

UMass Dartmouth is pleased to announce that the university has renewed its designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research through the academic year 2029.  

To receive a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) designation, institutions must meet the rigorous requirements set forth by the sponsor of the program, the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA awards these designations to institutions committed to producing cybersecurity professionals who will help safeguard our national infrastructure.  

The Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) designation indicates that an institution increases the understanding of robust cyber defense technology, policy, and practices that will enable our nation to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks.  

UMass Dartmouth is also a recipient of a $3.5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) Grant, which offers full funding for up to three years for students studying cybersecurity. 

"This recognition underscores the accomplishments of our faculty and their students who have and continue to advance cybersecurity research," said Director of the UMass Dartmouth Cybersecurity Center Professor Lance Fiondella. "With programs like the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service, UMass Dartmouth is preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to protect our national infrastructure and meet the growing demand for cyber defense expertise." 

UMassD is one of only three institutions in New England to have received the CAE-R designation and the NSF CyberCorps SFS Grant.