Florida Tech has earned the renewal of its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R), an important distinction granted to just 99 universities nationwide who are making key contributions to reducing the vulnerabilities of our national information infrastructure.
Overseen by the National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research, the CAE program centers on three areas: cyber research, cyber operations and cyber defense. Institutions that receive any of the CAE Cybersecurity designation have met the rigorous requirements set forth by the NSA, which also sponsors the program.
At Florida Tech, the designation is for approved doctoral programs and cybersecurity research at the L3Harris Institute for Assured Information (L3HIAI), which is under the leadership of Executive Director Marco Carvalho. L3HIA secured Florida Tech’s first CAE-R designation in 2011, just two years after the institute was established. The new renewal goes through academic year 2030.
The criteria to receive a CAE designation are extensive and include examining faculty and student engagement research, graduation rates of Ph.Ds in cybersecurity, publications and funded research activity, among others.
“All of these elements are tied together to provide an overall picture of the institution’s excellence in cybersecurity research,” Carvalho said.
He continued, “We have a longstanding and strong reputation in applied cybersecurity research, which has been very helpful. We are excited about this. It is a significant achievement, both the renewal and the duration of our CAE-R designation going into almost two decades now.”
According to the National Cyber Strategy unveiled in 2018 , higher education is a critical vector to help defend America’s cyberspace, Renae Weathers, national CAE program manager, says in her letter announcing Florida Tech’s renewed status.
“A highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a strategic national security advantage,” she notes, citing the Strategy report. “The United States government will continue to invest in and enhance programs that build the domestic talent pipeline, from primary through postsecondary education.”
