Michigan Tech will offer 11 students full-ride scholarships to study cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, funded by a $1.9 million National Science Foundation award.

The grant, through the new CyberAI Corps Scholarship for Service (CyberAI SFS) program, covers two years of full-ride scholarship support plus mentorship, research opportunities and potential internships for students in Michigan Tech's College of Computing. In exchange, scholarship recipients must work in government cybersecurity or AI roles for a period equal to their scholarship duration.

"I am thrilled about the opportunities this grant will create for our students and Michigan Tech," said Yu Cai, professor of applied computing and associate dean of the College of Computing, who serves as the project's principal investigator. "It builds on Michigan Tech's existing strengths in cybersecurity, AI and computing while preparing students to address emerging technological challenges."

Cai said student recruitment will begin during the fall 2026 semester. Juniors enrolled in bachelor's programs in computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, software engineering, AI and data science are eligible to apply, along with seniors planning to pursue a two-year master's degree.

The funding, which Michigan Tech announced Aug. 27, runs from Aug. 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029. It builds on the university's existing CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, which will be phased out over the next three semesters.

Michigan Tech is one of 14 universities nationwide selected for the first cohort of CyberAI SFS awards, which the NSF announced July 28, GovTech reported. The program was created through the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which expanded the former CyberCorps initiative to include AI workforce training.

The award builds on Michigan Tech's cybersecurity credentials. The National Security Agency (NSA) designated the Houghton university a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense in 2023 and in Cyber Research in 2024. Michigan Tech was the first institution in Michigan to hold both designations.

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, who represents Michigan's First Congressional District, called the $1.93 million investment "a win for Michigan and our national security." U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said the program stems from his AI Scholarship for Service Act, which he passed into law.

The faculty research team includes Professor Jean Mayo and Associate Professor Bo Chen in computer science, Senior Lecturer Todd Arney in applied computing, Chris Hohnholt in Pavlis Honors College and Yinyin Tan in Michigan Tech's Frontiers Research Institute.

Students with questions about the application process can contact [email protected].