Grant opportunities available to women, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students and faculty worldwide; candidates must apply by April 1st

London, UK, January 14, 2014 — The (ISC)2® (“ISC-squared”) Foundation, the non-profit charitable trust for (ISC)² that aims to empower students, teachers, and the general public to secure their online life with community cyber security education and awareness, today announced its scholarship application period for 2014. The application deadline for students and faculty to submit a completed application is 12:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

Through the (ISC)² Foundation’s information security scholarship program, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students have the opportunity to build stable careers in the field of information security. According to the 2013 Global Information Security Workforce Study, the global shortage of information security professionals is having a profound impact on the world economy. These scholarships not only encourage students to pursue careers in this industry, but they also help address the growing demand for skilled cyber security professionals worldwide.

“It is critical that we work to fill society’s need for trained cyber security professionals by building the workforce of the future,” said Julie Peeler, director of the (ISC)² Foundation. “For many of these students, their financial situations are challenging and our scholarships provide the funding they need to continue their education. I look forward to impacting more information security students with life-changing scholarships in 2014.”

The 2014 scholarship categories include:

Women’s Scholarships: To inspire women to join the ever-growing field of information security, each year, the (ISC)² Foundation grants up to two scholarships totaling up to US$40,000.

Undergraduate Scholarships: Aspiring information security professionals have the opportunity to ease some of their educational financial burden with the (ISC)2 Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship, offering undergraduate students studying information security grants of up to US$5,000 per recipient.

Graduate Research Project(s): Graduate students often need funding to conduct special research projects. Seed funding of up to eight grants will be given for up to US$3,000 per recipient.

Harold F. Tipton Memorial Scholarship: The (ISC)² Foundation Harold F. Tipton Memorial Scholarship was established to provide passionate, aspiring young information security professionals the means to follow the pathway to industry excellence, as constructed by the late Mr. Tipton.

Faculty Certification Exam Vouchers: To encourage more academic participation in the profession and the certification process, (ISC)² will provide vouchers valid for one CISSP® or CSSLP® exam and, upon certification, the first year of membership dues.

The (ISC)² Foundation evaluates applicants based on academic excellence, passion for the industry, and financial need. The (ISC)² Foundation scholarship programme has already had a lasting impact on these individuals:

“Since receiving the scholarship, my student life has dramatically changed for the better,” said Patrick Katamba, 2012 & 2013 Undergraduate Scholarship recipient, London Metropolitan University. “Due to this financial support, this year I didn’t have to worry about paying tuition fees. As a result, I also cut back on my weekly hours of work in order to fully concentrate on my studies. This change has drastically changed the way I learn and hopefully this has or will be reflected in my final results of the second year.”

“The scholarship has come as a blessing as my financial situation had worsened and I don’t think without this award coming my way I would have progressed well in my academics, especially with research as I was already planning to apply for a dead year,” said Innocent Barigye, 2013 Graduate Scholarship recipient. Makerere University Kampala. “With this financial support I have got from the (ISC)² Foundation, I will be able to concentrate and finish my research and degree in time without much hassling looking for finances which I believe is every scholars wish.”

“It is both an honor and privilege to be the recipient of the (ISC)² Women’s Scholarship,” said Catherine P. Delaere, 2013 Graduate Scholarship recipient, Capella University. “What does this gift mean to me? Quite simply: opportunity and impact. As a single working mother of two, it means the opportunity to achieve higher education and career goals, increasing my chances of success, while suffering less of a financial burden. It means a positive impact on my children, teaching them by example the importance of life-long learning and pursuing goals; on my employer, by pursuing my master’s degree in IT security and assurance which will afford me greater opportunity to obtain CISSP certification, increasing my value and contribution in my workplace; and on me, by allowing me to reach my potential as a career woman and a dedicated IT professional. I am very grateful to the (ISC)² Foundation for the opportunity and the impact of this scholarship.”

To apply, please visit:
https://www.isc2cares.org/uploadedFiles/wwwisc2caresorg/Content/Applicant-Recipient-Qualifications-Requirements-Instructions-2014.pdf

For additional scholarship information, please visit:
https://www.isc2cares.org/Scholarships/