# Creating pathways to Advance Cybersecurity Career Education for STEM Success

> **NSF 04002526DB NSF STEM Education** · Community College of Beaver County (PA) · $473,491

## Abstract

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Strategic Plan (2023), the United States faces a lack of qualified cybersecurity professionals. Compounding these concerns, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), projects a 32% increase in cybersecurity-related careers from 2022-2032, resulting in nearly 17,000 job openings annually. The goal of this project at the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), located north of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, is to create early and continuing educational pathways for emerging cybersecurity professionals. This project will generate students who will be prepared to enter the cybersecurity workforce, addressing the work force needs of the Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio regions. 
 
The objectives of this project are to (1) Create academic pathways to cybersecurity careers, (2) Support student academic success and retention, and (3) Prepare students to enter the cybersecurity workforce. The project will be evaluated using a mixed-methods approach to gather quantitative and qualitative data as evidence of the completion of deliverables and obtainment of project outcomes. Methods will include document reviews, gathering project-level and institutional data, disseminating surveys, and holding conversations with the project team. The curriculum and programming established as part of this project will remain as elements of the college's cybersecurity curriculum after the grant end date. This project is funded b

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2500532
- **Awardee organization:** Community College of Beaver County (PA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** YG1WE9HVP8B7
- **PI:** Kristi L Farrow
- **Primary program:** 04002526DB NSF STEM Education
- **All programs:** ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, Rural as Research Focus, UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, SCIENCE, MATH, ENG & TECH EDUCATION
- **Estimated total:** $473,491
- **Funds obligated:** $473,491
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 10/01/2025 → 09/30/2028

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2500532

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2500532, Creating pathways to Advance Cybersecurity Career Education for STEM Success. Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nsf/2500532. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NSF Awards dataset](/datasets/nsf-awards) · CC0 1.0*