The Department of Defense (DOD) – rebranded as the Department of War last year – has issued a new call to academia for “groundbreaking entry-level curriculum in AI and cybersecurity to prepare the next generation for the digital front lines.”
The call is coming in the form of DOD’s ASCEND initiative announced by the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) on March 12. The ASCEND initiative is a curriculum design challenge created by the DOD’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) to align university-level cybersecurity education with the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework.
The challenge is not open to all of academia, but it is specifically for universities and colleges designated by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.
“Do you have a revolutionary idea for education and innovation so powerful it could shape the future of our nation’s security?” the OCIO asked in the video announcement.
“The Department of War’s cyber academic engagement office presents the ASCEND Initiative, a high-stakes competition to find the most forward-thinking educational models in AI and cyber security,” DOD said, emphasizing the need for “groundbreaking entry-level curriculum.”
Interested parties need to move quickly, DOD said, as proposals – between 2–4 pages – are due by March 27.
“This is more than a grant … it’s a call to action,” DOD said.
Finalists in the competition will win the opportunity to defend their proposals in front of DOD officials and industry judges on May 1 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Winners will receive an unspecified cash prize and get the chance to build out a pilot project.