The University of Arizona has been named a, or CAE-R, by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security through 2022.

The honor is reserved for universities that feature academic research grounded in technology, computer science, computer engineering and related fields. The certification designates the UA’s cyberdefense research efforts as fulfilling the needs of the public and private sectors as well as contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure.

“Cyberdefense research and all things related to cybersecurity are increasingly important as we move forward into the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said UA President Robert C. Robbins. “Our interconnectedness with each other through internet-capable devices means cybersecurity will be a key to many aspects of our daily lives. I am very pleased the UA’s leadership in this field is being recognized, and I know the UA community and the world-leading scholars in the Eller College and their partners around campus are honored to receive this important designation.”

As a result of the designation, students attending any of the University’s cybersecurity programs are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program and the Federal Cyberservice Scholarship for Service Program. Students who complete the approved program of study will receive explicit recognition to add to their credentials.

The UA also is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyberdefense Education, or CAE-CD, through 2021, as cited by the National Information Assurance Education and Training Program, or NIETP, office under the authority of the National Security Agency.

The application process for the CAE-R designation was initiated and led by the Eller College’s Department of Management Information Systems, or MIS, with research and publication contributions from the College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the College of Science’s Department of Computer Science.