DoD Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP)

Applications due Feb. 22, 2013


Send completed applications (hard copy) to:

Attn: Professor Peng Liu

301F Information Sciences and Technology Building

University Park, PA 16802

E-mail: pliu@ist.psu.edu 

Office Phone: (814) 863-0641

Direct inquiries to Professor Peng Liu at pliu@ist.psu.edu.

This year, we plan to participate in the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program. Here is a summary of some of the benefits and obligations:

Benefits

Obligations

Eligibility

 

To be eligible for the IASP opportunity described in this announcement, you must meet all of the following minimum requirements:


a) You must be 18 years of age or older.

b) You must be a citizen of the United States at the time of application. Note, if family members are not U.S. Citizens, some DoD Agencies may be unable to process the applicant (student) to the security clearance level required. Every effort will be made to assign eligible students at an Agency without such restrictions.

c) You must be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in Penn State University.

d) You must have completed (or by August 2011 will have completed) at a minimum the first two years of an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to (a) begin either the third or fourth years of an undergraduate degree program; (b) begin the first or second year of a master’s degree program; (c) pursue doctoral studies; or (d) complete a graduate certificate program in information assurance.

e) 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.

 

f) See the web page information below, which provides more information about fulfilling the necessary security requirements. Failure to be able to obtain a security clearance is grounds for dismissal from the DoD IASP. You must be able to obtain the required security clearance for the position selected. You may be required to undergo certain tests, including drug and polygraph tests, to obtain and maintain a clearance. Before you may be awarded a scholarship or hired by DoD, you will be required to complete certain forms to initiate the security clearance process. Some of these forms will require that you reveal extensive information about your background, such as potentially sensitive information about your financial circumstances and any arrests and/or convictions for offenses of any kind. You must agree to all of these conditions of employment and you must complete these forms as a condition of financial assistance and appointment.

  1. Current web pages from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are provided below. These are provided for your review and consideration in determining whether you will be eligible for a security clearance. They may not be all inclusive, however, it is highly recommended that you review and understand the requirements prior to signing up to participate in the DoD IASP.
  2. The following web page contains additional information from other web sites about security clearances, which also may be useful when determining whether you will be eligible for a security clearance. This is for informational purposes only:

g) Your school must recommend you for scholarship.

h) Academic Sufficiency. The CAE (i.e., Penn State University) shall review the application materials, and conduct such verification as may be necessary to establish the following standards of academic sufficiency. CAEs shall exclude from further evaluation (and provide an endorsement of “Not Recommended” for) any applicant unable to meet the following academic requirements:

1. The applicant is pursuing a course of study and/or has a declared major in one of the scientific, technical or managerial disciplines related to computer and network security that are enumerated under Section VII.A.1 above.
2. As an undergraduate student, the applicant has a 3.0 out of a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) or, as a graduate student, the applicant has a 3.2 GPA out of 4.0, or an analogous rank based on a comparable scale. c. The applicant’s demonstrated potential for academic success and fulfillment of degree requirements is substantial. CAEs shall review the factors enumerated below, and shall exclude from further evaluation and not recommend any candidate unable to achieve a minimum score of 2 points on a 5-point scale. Scale values range from Insufficient Potential (One), Sufficient Potential (Two), Average Potential (Three), High Potential (Four), and Superior Potential (Five). Factors to be considered in arriving at the rating for “demonstrated potential” are:

·         The applicant’s transcript(s) from all institutions of higher education attended

·         The applicant’s current Grade Point Average (GPA)

·         Academic honors, distinctions and awards

·         Letters of reference

i) Knowledge and Ability.  The CAE shall document its evaluation of each applicant meeting administrative and academic sufficiency requirements against the following competencies, using a 5-point scale of values, to assess and report on each of the six competencies below. The rating scale is:

Evaluations of the following six competencies shall be based on the supplemental application material provided by the candidates, letters of reference, and any additional information provided by the applicant in response to CAE requests made for this purpose.

1)      Knowledge of the techniques of the information technology and/or information security (assurance) discipline, including encryption, access control, physical security, training, threat analysis, and authentication.

2)      Knowledge of the human factors in the information technology and/or information security (assurance), including human computer interaction, design, training, sabotage, human error prevention and identification, personal use policies, and monitoring.

3)      Ability to identify and analyze problems, distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical decisions, and provide solutions to individual and organizational problems.

4)      Ability to consider and respond appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect.

5)      Ability to make clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed, facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication.

6)      Ability to express facts and ideas in writing in a clear, convincing and organized manner appropriate to the audience and occasion.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE IASP:

An acceptable application package for the IASP consists of the following requirements:

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS for CURRENT IASP STUDENTS WHO ARE REAPPLYING:

An acceptable application package for the Information Assurance Scholarship Program consists of the following:

Last Modified: Dec 2011