The University of New Haven received a $4 million National Science Foundation grant – the largest federal grant in the university’s history – to create Connecticut’s first CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, which will educate the next generation of professionals charged with protecting the nation from cyberattacks.

The Scholarship for Service (SFS) program recruits and trains the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to meet the needs of federal, state, local and tribal government organizations. The program provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students studying cybersecurity and computer science. Scholarship recipients will then pursue employment with a government entity in a cybersecurity-related position.

“This grant recognizes the national reputation of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs in cybersecurity and computer science and the potential value our graduates could bring to the federal government, as well as state and local governments,” Ron Harichandran, dean of the University of New Haven’s Tagliatela College of Engineering and vice provost of research, said in a statement. “The SFS program will provide a steady supply of University of New Haven graduates to the government over the next several years.”