The Department of Computer Science can now award more than $3.2 million to students studying computer science, computer criminology, computational biology, information security, and computer and network system administration through scholarships.
Computer science faculty worked to secure federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Scholarship money will be awarded to eligible bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree students, providing financial security while working toward careers needed for the U.S. to stay competitive in the world economy.
“The demand in the job market for employees with computer-related degress is very good,” said Robert van Engelen, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “The labor shortage shows that this field offers a great career opportunity.”
The GAANN (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) grant from the federal Department of Education and matched by Florida State, provides a total of more than $500,000 in funds thanks to principal and co-principal investigators and computer science professors Michael Mascagni and David Whalley. This award supports up to five doctoral students each year for three years, covering 15 scholarship years of funding.
The NSF S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant, provides $603,000 in scholarships to academically talented students with financial needs who are seeking a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science; a Bachelor of Science degree in computational biology; or a Bachelor of Science degree in computer criminology.
The award supports up to four years of scholarships for 15 to 16 students each year. Florida State received this award through the efforts of computer science professors Andy Wang, principal investigator, and co-principals Gary Tyson, van Engelen, Whalley and Zhenghao Zhang.
The NSF CyberCorps Scholarship for Service grant provides more than $2.2 million to support a total of 30 scholarship years for students working toward a master’s in computer criminology or computer and network system administration. This scholarship complements the Scholarship for Service grant awarded in 2010 for $1,853,893, which runs until August 2017.
These scholarships are also available to computer science seniors who commit to entering these advanced degree programs. The grant comes to Florida State thanks to the efforts of professors Mike Burmester, principal investigator, and co-principals Carter Hay of Florida State’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Xiuwen Liu and Whalley.
“We are providing students with the opportunity to strengthen the security of the United States,” van Engelen said.
These students typically have jobs waiting for them after graduation, at the National security Agency or other similar security organizations.