T·02 — For Academic Institutions
Become a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity
CAEO supports institutions at every stage — from first designation to advanced research partnerships with DoW.
Get Designated
NCAE-C designation. Apply, align curriculum, join 387+ institutions.
NCAE-C
NSA-managed program designating colleges and universities as CAE-CD, CAE-CO, CAE-R, or CAE-CAI — setting national standards for cybersecurity curriculum and competency development.
CAE Community
National center supporting and empowering 490+ CAE-designated institutions through centralized resources, technical support, and strategic workforce development initiatives.
CLARK Resources
Cybersecurity Labs and Resource Knowledge Base — developing and compiling CAE Knowledge Unit-aligned curriculum and lab resources for 2-year and 4-year institutions.
Build Capability
Develop faculty, strengthen curriculum, expand cyber research capacity.
Early Faculty Seminars
CAEO-sponsored seminars giving new and transitioning faculty hands-on exposure to DoW cyber priorities, building educators who understand national security requirements.
Faculty Augmentation & Exchange
Exchange program placing DoW cyber professionals in academic environments and sending faculty into DoW organizations to bridge the gap between academia and operational cyber missions.
NCTC
National Cyber Training Center providing structured, DoW-aligned professional development for faculty and institutional cyber leads across the CAE network.
CHI
Interdisciplinary initiative encouraging universities to integrate cybersecurity with law, policy, ethics, and social sciences for a holistic understanding of cyber challenges.
Access Funding
Institutional grants and research funding aligned to DoW priorities.
NCAE-C Grants
Institutional grants available to all CAE-designated schools to develop curriculum, build lab capacity, hire cyber faculty, and expand programs aligned to CAE Knowledge Units.
GenCyber Grants
Grants enabling colleges, universities, and K-12 organizations to host free summer cyber camps, expanding nationwide access to hands-on cybersecurity education.
UC2
University Consortium for Cybersecurity aligning university research, education, and innovation with national defense priorities through research challenges, workshops, and DoW partnerships.
INSuRE
Information Security Research and Education Network connecting college and graduate students with real-world research problems from government agencies, FFRDCs, and national labs.
Connect & Collaborate
Join a national network of CAE schools and DoW partners.
CCNC
Entry point for colleges seeking Academic Validation or NCAE-C Designation — providing mentoring, resources, and application support to improve cybersecurity education nationwide.
UC2
University Consortium for Cybersecurity aligning university research, education, and innovation with national defense priorities through research challenges, workshops, and DoW partnerships.
USCYBERCOM Academic Engagement Network
Direct communication network between USCYBERCOM and CAE-designated institutions, providing academia visibility into operational cyber priorities and DoW workforce needs.
Is your institution ready to become a CAE school?
The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program is the DoW's gold standard for institutional recognition.
- 1Review criteria at the NCAE-C website
- 2Align your curriculum to the CAE Knowledge Units
- 3Submit your application (rolling admissions)
- 4Join a community of 387+ designated institutions