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The Funded Grant

In academic year 2025–26, IUP was selected among 17 other national organizations to receive a major grant from NIST. The IUP-funded project is part of NIST Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development (RAMPS) and intends to establish a 12-member partnership to bridge the cyber workforce gap.

Project Summary

The project, titled “PA Cyber Workforce Alliance (PCWA): Bridging the Cyber Workforce Gap Through Effective Collaboration and Student Support,” aims to build on IUP’s established relationships with community colleges and employers to support students and strengthen the national cyber workforce. 

Project Objectives

Increase Certifications

Strategies: Certification-prep workshops will be offered to ensure students have the necessary skills and knowledge to earn certifications. In addition, free exam vouchers will be provided to qualified students to eliminate financial barriers.

Provide Career Exploration Opportunities for Students

Strategies: Industry partners will provide paid internships for students to gain real-world, hands-on experience in cybersecurity. A yearly cyber competition will also be offered to allow students from a variety of backgrounds to explore a cybersecurity career through engaging, competitive activities.

Engage with K-12 Students

Strategies: Cybersecurity hackathons will be offered to middle and high school students from across the state. In addition, career fairs, open houses, workshops, and guest speaker presentations from experts in the cybersecurity field will be held to further encourage younger students to consider cybersecurity as a career path. 

Advance the use of the NIST NICE Framework

Strategies: Project leadership will assist industry partners with utilizing the NICE Framework to define job descriptions and responsibilities for paid internships. Certification prep-workshops will also align with the NICE Framework to increase student awareness of work roles in the cybersecurity field.

Questions?

If you are interested in learning more or joining the PCWA Partnership, please contact Dr. Waleed Farag at farag@iup.edu. 

Project Partners

Project Leadership and Staff

Dr. Waleed Farag, Program Director

  • Indiana University of PA, Director of the IUP Institute for Cybersecurity
  • Contact: farag@iup.edu 

Dr. Jamie Bretz, Co-PI

  • Montgomery County Community College, Dean of STEM
  • Contact: jbretz@mc3.edu 

Mr. Greg Paonessa, Co-PI

Mrs. Lydia Taylor, Project Manager