INFORMATION
ASSURANCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Department of
Defense
NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY
Extended Deadline
for applications: 5 PM, Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Northeastern Point of
Contact:
Northeastern College of Computer and Information
Science
202 WVH
617-373-2390
ahchan@ccs.neu.edu
Program Summary:
The formal DoD Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP) has been established by the National Defense Authorization Act for 2001. The purpose of the program is to increase the number of qualified students entering the field of Information Assurance (IA) to meet DoD's increasing dependence on information technology for war fighting and the security of its information infrastructure. Students selected for the program will receive scholarships and immediate appointments under the Student Career Experience Program as federal civilian Information Assurance Scholars (part-time interns). In addition,they will be required to sign a written agreement obligating them to work for the Department of Defense, as a civilian employee (or military employee should they choose), for one calendar year for each year, for which scholarship assistance is received. Should a student apply for only one semester of scholarship, the student must still agree to work for the DoD for one year.
Only
students at designated National Security Agency Centers of Academic Excellence
in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) may apply. Northeastern University has been designated
as a CAE/IAE institution since 2002, and is supporting this program. Applications should be submitted directly to
Northeastern where an initial review will be conducted before all applications
are submitted to DoD for final evaluation.
Program Information : http://www.defenselink.mil/nii/iasp/
2006-2007 Forms: see below
Scholarship will provide:
· Full cost of tuition, books (from the recommended list, not all books on the “optional reading lists”), and fees.
· Stipends* to cover room and board: $10,000 for undergraduate students and $15,000 for graduate (Masters/PhD) students.
· DoD will also provide sponsors who will maintain contact with the student during the scholarship period, and who will facilitate the student’s entry into internships and eventual DoD employment.
*If a student is applying for only half a school year (or later graduates 1 semester early), that student shall only receive half of the stipend amount. The stipend is based upon an annual full-time attendance at the University. Students planning to graduate in December 2006, or December 2007, must be clearly identified (for placement purposes).
Future
Opportunities for Returning Students. Contingent on adequate
funding appropriations, it is anticipated that current scholarship winners will
receive follow-on support to complete their degree program. However, they will have to re-apply each
year by submitting updated copies of grades, reflecting maintenance of the
grade point average and a letter of recommendation.
Eligibility. Students must meet all of the following minimum requirements:
1.
The
applicant must be 18 years or age or older
2.
The
applicant must be a citizen of the United States at the time of
application. Note, if family members
are not U.S. Citizens, some Agencies may be unable to process them through the
required security clearances. Every effort will be made to assign eligible
students at an Agency without such restrictions.
3.
The
applicant must be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, as a full-time student
at Northeastern.
4.
By
September 2006, the applicant must be either a junior or senior undergraduate
student in a degree program in CS or IS, or be enrolled in the first or second
year of a master's program or pursuing a doctoral degree in CS.
5.
The
applicant provides a signed declaration of intent to be considered for a
Student Trainee appointment or DoD employee with scholarship assistance
6. The applicant provides a signed statement of intent to agree to all of the conditions of employment enumerated below:
(1) Provide all documentation necessary to complete a suitability review for federal appointment.
(2) Complete a security questionnaire, undergo a background security#
investigation, and take all other actions required by the employing DoD
component to secure, maintain the currency of, and renew a security clearance. In some DoD components, this may include
submitting to drug testing and polygraph examinations, as well as psychological
reviews, as may be required to establish eligibility for a clearance. The failure to establish and maintain
eligibility for a security clearance will be cause for immediate termination of
financial assistance (scholarship) and federal employment.
(3) Complete registration with the Selective Service System, if male.
(4) Sign a written agreement to work for DoD as a civilian employee for one calendar year for each academic year or partial year, for which scholarship assistance is received, in addition to the service performed during internship or SCEP participation.
(5) Serve in experiential learning (internship) assignments or positions with DoD (if assigned in a SCEP position, the internship must total 640 hours, prior to graduation to establish eligibility for conversion to permanent, full-time status).
(6) Sign a declaration of understanding that experiential learning (internship) assignments during SCEP participation do not count toward satisfying the period of obligated service incurred by accepting scholarship assistance.
(7) Sign an agreement declaring a willingness to accept assignments requiring travel or change of duty stations.
(8) Refund to the United States, in whole or in part, the cost of
the educational (scholarship) assistance provided if employment is voluntarily
terminated before the end of the period of obligated service required by the
terms of Chapter 112, Title 10, United States Code.
(9) Applicant cannot be a current DoD or Federal employee.
7. The applicant provides a signed statement attesting to full understanding of the following conditions for scholarship assistance:
(1) The requirement to enroll in a full-time program leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree, a graduate certificate or doctoral degree with a concentration in information security or assurance.
(2) The requirement, if an undergraduate student, to maintain a 3.0 out of a 4.0 grade point average (returning students from AY01-02 or AY02-03: 2.5 out of a 4.0 grade point average), or, if a graduate student, to maintain an overall 3.2 out of a 4.0 grade point average. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress constitutes grounds for immediate termination of financial assistance and termination of federal employment.
(3) The requirement that, except for small achievement awards (not to exceed $2,000 in any academic year), a student may not accept simultaneous remuneration from another scholarship or fellowship. Graduate programs may include a reasonable amount of remuneration for teaching or similar activities as are, in the institutions’ opinion, contributory to the student’s academic progress. Development of students, not service to academic institutions, will govern the assignment of these activities.
8. The applicant submits a
completed application package to the PoC, Dr. Agnes Chan not later than 5:00 PM, February 15, 2006.
Student Obligation. Students selected to participate in the DoD Information Assurance Scholarship Program will be required to sign a written agreement obligating them to work for the Department of Defense, as a civilian employee (or military employee should they choose), for one calendar year for each year, for which scholarship assistance is received. Should a student apply for only one semester of scholarship, the student must still agree to work for the DoD for one year. This will be provided to the hiring agency for their records to ensure compliance with the service commitment. They will also be required to serve in internship positions with DoD organizations during the time they are receiving scholarship support until they complete the course of study provided for by the scholarship. These internships will be arranged by DoD to occur during the summer or during breaks between school terms as appropriate to the individual’s circumstances and the institution’s calendar. The internship does not count toward satisfying the period of obligated service incurred by accepting the Information Assurance scholarship. Students will be required to formally accept or decline the scholarship within 21 days of notification. Non-acceptance by this date will mean the scholarship will be offered to the next available student.
Those students selected and appointed under the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) are required to complete 640 hours of work prior to graduation. This is not usually conducive to students’ schedules, so agencies are advised to hire via an exception to the SCEP program, through the “r” waiver. In addition to internships during the summer or during a semester, work during breaks, there are also potential possibilities for unclassified research while attending school. Such arrangements will be coordinated between the student and the agency. Agencies, not the IASP Program Office.
The students will be required to complete a security investigation
questionnaire to initiate the process for a background investigation in
preparation for their internships and as a condition of future
employment with the Department of Defense. Drug tests or other
suitability processing will occur as appropriate. The students will
also be required to sign an agreement stating that they will accept
assignments requiring travel or change of duty stations as interns or
employees. Individuals who voluntarily terminate employment during
SCEP/intern appointments or before the end of the period of obligated
service required by the terms of Chapter 112, title 10, United States
Code, will be required to refund to the United States, in whole or in
part, the cost of the educational assistance provided to them. Web
pages have been provided in the Application Background and Application
Package for review about security clearances to assist both the P.I.s
and the STUDENTS in understanding the types of requirements there are
before they apply.
·
http://www.opm.gov/extra/investigate/security-clearance.asp
• http://www.dss.mil/psi/psifaq.pdf
An opportunity also exists for Reserve and National Guard participation as an alternative to working for the DoD as a civilian. The time frame for pay back under these scenarios differs given the nature of the work for the Reserves and National Guard. The obligated service commitment will be considered to be two years of service-for-one year of scholarship, rather than “one-for-one” as it is for those participating in the DoD Civilian workforce. If a student is interested in the National Guard or Reserves, as a means to meeting their obligated service requirements, please ensure this block is checked on their application.
Undergraduate scholarship recipients will be required to maintain a 3.0
out of 4.0 grade point average or the equivalent; graduate students will
be required to maintain an overall 3.2 out of a 4.0 grade point average,
or equivalent. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress will
constitute grounds for termination of financial assistance and
termination of internship and/or employment appointment. CAE/IAEs will
be responsible for monitoring student progress and will notify the DoD
Program Manager should any student scholar fail to attain minimum
academic standards required for continuing scholarship support. Except
for small achievement awards, not to exceed $2,000 in any academic year,
a student may not accept simultaneous remuneration from another
scholarship or fellowship. Graduate programs may include a reasonable
amount of teaching or similar activities as are, in the institution’s
opinion, contributory to the student’s academic progress; however, the
development of students, not service to academic institutions, will
govern the assignment of these activities.
General Information
·
Disciplines and Areas of Consideration
·
How
to Apply
·
For students who are not currently in the IASP
DoD Required
Forms
1.
A
completed, signed and dated Resume
Letters
of Reference, as required by the Supplemental Academic Sufficiency Statement,
may be mailed directly to Dr. Chan.
Do not submit your
application to the Department of Defense.
Applications are considered incomplete and will not be evaluated until
all materials are received according to instructions. Submit your application and all supporting materials by 5:00 PM, February 15,
2006, to:
Northeastern College of
Computer and Information Science
202 West Village Hall
440 Huntington Avenue
Boston,
MA 02115
An acceptable application package for the
Information Assurance Scholarship and Student Career Experience Program
consists of a completed, signed, and dated Optional
Form 612 (OF612 - Optional Application for Federal Employment), all of the
supplements to the OF612 described below, a signed, dated resume and a
completed Checklist:
·
Supplemental OF612
Continuation Sheets. If the OF612 does not have
sufficient space for you to provide complete answers to all questions asked,
you must attach separate sheets of plain 81/2” X 11” paper on which you record
your responses or the continuations of your responses. On each such page, indicate your name, your
social security number, and the OF612 item numbers to which your responses
apply.
·
Supplemental Academic
Sufficiency Statement. You must complete the
Statement of Academic Sufficiency supplement to the OF612, to which you must
attach the following additional supplemental statements:
o
One
(1) Letter of Reference from a current faculty member who is fully
knowledgeable of your potential for successful learning, your knowledge, and
your ability. See remainder of
application package for instructions about the content of this Letter of
Reference.
o
One
(1) additional Letter of Reference from either a current or former faculty
member, or a current or former supervisor who is fully knowledgeable of your
potential for successful learning, your knowledge, and your ability. See remainder of application package for instructions
about the content of this Letter of Reference.
o
Official
(certified) or unofficial (current and accurate, but not certified) copies of
all of your transcripts from all the institutions of higher learning you have
attended.
·
Supplemental Competency
Statement. You must complete the OF612 Supplemental
Competency Statement with narrative responses that describe the level of your
attainment of the knowledge and ability factors indicated. See remainder of application package for
instructions about the content of this supplemental statement.
• Supplemental Statement of General Academic and Employment
Conditions. If you agree with the all of the academic
and employment conditions required for your receipt of scholarship assistance
and appointment under the Information Assurance Scholarship and Student Career
Experience Program, and wish to be considered for it, you must complete the
OF612 Supplemental Statement of General Academic and Employment Conditions, and
include it in your application package.
·
Student Application Check
List.
Links to all of the forms described above are
available above (Required Forms).
The purpose of the National Security Agency Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP) is to promote the education, recruitment, and retention of rising junior and senior undergraduate and graduate/doctoral students in information security (assurance) studies and of students seeking graduate certificates in formation assurance disciplines. Students selected for the program will receive scholarships. They will be required to serve at DoD as a civilian employee one year of service for each year of scholarship, in addition to the internship identified below. An opportunity also exists for Reserve and National Guard participation; the time frame for pay back under these scenarios is a little different given the nature of the work for the Reserves and National Guard.
During breaks in their
academic studies, Information Assurance Scholars will receive progressive,
hands-on experience in information security internships. In return, scholars must agree to some
obligations regarding curriculum, GPA, and pre- and post-program
employment. If all conditions are met,
Information Assurance Scholars will receive full-time conditional/permanent positions in agencies and components of the
Department of Defense on program completion.
Scholarship recipients who successfully
complete the terms of an initial one or two year scholarship (for example,
complete an undergraduate degree), may apply for a second scholarship of up to
two years for completing an advanced degree or graduate certificate
program.
Dr. Agnes Chan, Associate
Dean, and Director of Graduate Studies
Northeastern College of
Computer and Information Science
202 West Village Hall
440 Huntington Avenue
Boston,
MA 02115
617-373-2390
Additional Program
Requirements
Recipients of information assurance
scholarships will participate in experiential learning assignments (called
"internships" in the law) while completing their academic degree
programs. The Student Career Experience
Program (SCEP) appointment authority established by the Office of Personnel
Management will be one of the means used to establish the relationship between
scholarship and internship.
Information Assurance Scholars will be
appointed at those General Schedule grade levels for which qualified and
selected by DoD component officials.
Since the Area of Consideration for scholarship and SCEP applicants
includes rising junior and senior year undergraduates, masters and doctoral
degree candidates, and graduate/doctoral certificate program students, it is
anticipated that applicants will (variously) meet minimum qualification
standards for Student Trainee appointments at GS-0099-4, GS-0099-5, GS-0099-7,
and GS-0099-9. The Military Departments
and DoD components that select and appoint students will decide at what grade
levels successful Information Assurance Scholars will be appointed in light of
any applicable component-unique factors such as the target occupations or
full-performance position levels for the candidates
Before hiring you, the
appointing agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment
or other agency or component specific form to determine your suitability for
Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation of your
suitability. The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all
the information in your application. If you make a false statement in any part
of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin
work; or you may be fined or jailed.
You will be required to
obtain and maintain eligibility for a security clearance in order to receive
financial (scholarship) assistance or an appointment under the Information
Assurance Scholarship and Student Career Experience Program The appointing
agency will ask you to complete certain forms to initiate the security
clearance process. These forms require
you to reveal many details about your background, including your financial
circumstances, and other sensitive matters such as any arrests and/or
convictions for offenses of any kind.
You must complete these forms as a condition of financial assistance and
appointment.
If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job.
1.
You
must be pursuing a course of study and/or have a declared major in one of the
scientific, technical or managerial disciplines related to computer and network
security, with a concentration in an information assurance function.
a.
For
these purposes, the scientific, technical and managerial disciplines related to
computer and network security are:
i.
Mathematics
ii.
Biometrics
iii.
Electrical
Engineering
iv.
Electronic
Engineering
v.
Computer
Science
vi.
Computer
Engineering
vii.
Software
Engineering
viii.
Computer
Programming
ix.
Computer
Support
x.
Data
Base Administration
xi.
Computer
Systems Analysis
xii.
Operations
Research
xiii.
Information
Security (Assurance)
xiv.
Business
Management or Administration
a.
For
these purposes, the information assurance functions are:
i.
System/Network
Administration and Operations
ii.
Systems
Security Engineering
iii.
Information
Assurance Systems and Product Acquisition
iv.
Cryptography
v.
Threat
and Vulnerability Assessment, to include Risk Management
vi.
Web
Security
vii.
Operations
of Computer Emergency Response Teams
viii.
Information
Assurance Training, Education and Management
ix.
Computer
Forensics
x.
Defensive
Information Systems
The
Area of Consideration for the Information Assurance Scholarship and Student
Career Experience Program consists of rising Junior and Senior undergraduate,
master, doctorate and graduate-level certificate program students who are
enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the CAE/IASP colleges and
universities.
1. Only students currently accepted to IASP and will continue to be a full-time student at Northeastern University in 2004 may apply.
2. Submit one (1) Letter of Reference from the current Principal Investigator or key faculty member who is fully knowledgeable of your potential for successful learning, your knowledge, and your ability, based upon this past year of effort.
3. Submit
official
(certified) or unofficial (current and accurate, but not certified) copies of
all of your transcripts from all the institutions of higher learning you have attended, SINCE
your last submission. You are required to maintain the appropriate grade point
average to maintain your status in the program.
4. Note regarding the Supplemental Statement of General Academic and
Employment Conditions. This form has been submitted
under your previous application. Following the selection of students for
scholarship, letters will be sent to selected students, containing similar
information, which affirms the student’s willingness to commit to the
internship (if applicable) and the obligated service requirement. It will also
note that failure to do so will require pay back of Scholarship to the U.S.
Government. Once signed, this will be attached to previous documentation for
the record. Therefore, it is not necessary to submit the supplemental statement
again.
1.
Only
students currently enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, as a full-time student
at Northeastern University may apply.
2.
Review
all application instructions and material included with the announcement.
Pay close attention to the mandatory conditions of financial assistance
and employment.
3.
Check
with the identified Point of Contact, Dr. Agnes Chan, if
you have any question.
4.
Obtain
all of the information required for a complete application package, including
all that is required from both DoD and Northeastern.
5.
Fill
out and sign all forms, available at: Required Forms
Complete and sign all supplemental statements that
are part of the OF612, and those that Northeastern requires.
6.
Do not submit your
application to the Department of Defense. Submit
your application package by 8:00 AM, February 13, 2006
to:
Dr. Agnes Chan
Associate Dean, and Director of Graduate Studies
Northeastern College of
Computer and Information Science
202 West Village Hall
440 Huntington Avenue
Boston,
MA 02115