DoD INFORMATION ASSURANCE
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
1. BACKGROUND
Information
assurance (security) is considered so important to our national
defense that a formal Department of Defense (DoD) Information
Assurance Scholarship Program was established by the National
Defense Authorization Act for 2001 (Public Law 106-398). The
purpose is to promote the education, recruitment, and retention
of rising junior and senior undergraduate and
graduate/doctoral students in information assurance studies
and of students seeking graduate certificates in information
assurance disciplines.
The DoD is seeking rising
junior and senior (third and fourth year) undergraduate and
graduate/doctoral students who are interested in full-ride scholarships for concentrated studies in
information assurance. Students selected for the program will
receive full scholarships. This requires the student to agree to
serve one year of service to the DoD, upon graduation, for each
year of scholarship received, in addition to the internship
identified below. An opportunity also exists for Reserve and
National Guard participation. The time frame for pay back under
these scenarios is a little different given the nature of the
work for the Reserves and National Guard. The obligated service
commitment the Reserves and National Guard will be considered to
be two years of service for every year of scholarship, rather
than “one-for-one” as it is for those participating in the DoD
Civilian workforce. If you are interested in the National Guard
or Reserves, as a means to meeting program requirements, please
indicate this in the application.
During breaks in their academic studies, Information Assurance
Scholars will receive progressive, hands-on experience in
information security internships. In return, scholars
must agree to some restrictions and obligations regarding
curriculum, GPA, and pre- and post-program employment. If all
conditions are met, Information Assurance Scholars will receive
full-time conditional/permanent positions in agencies and
components of the DoD upon program completion.
HOW TO APPLY |
1.
Only students
at designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in
Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) and Centers of
Academic Excellence – Research (CAE-R) may apply. Review
the list of schools included with this announcement for
clarification.
Note:
Students selected must attend full-time.
2.
Review all
application instructions and materials included with
this announcement.
Pay
close attention to the mandatory conditions of
financial assistance and employment.
3.
Check with the
identified Point of Contact for your college or
university to find out what you must do to apply and to
obtain an augmented application package if your school
requires one. (Application due dates and requirements
may vary from school to school.)
4.
Obtain all of the
information required for a complete application package.
You must provide all information that is requested in
this announcement, plus any information that may be
required by your school. (Application due dates and
requirements may vary from school to school).
5.
Fill out and sign
the required SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION, provide and sign
all supplemental statements that are part of the
package. Include name and SSN.
6.
DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR
APPLICATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Submit your
application package directly to the appropriate Point of
Contact for your college or university. |
2.
DESCRIPTION OF SCHOLARSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The National
Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 106-398) directed the DoD
to establish an Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP).
The purposes of the program are to recruit and retain
well-qualified personnel for work in the vital information
assurance field and to cultivate continuing capacity for
information assurance workforce development at select
institutions of higher learning (CAE/IAE and CAE-R) throughout
the United States. As directed by the Secretary of Defense, the
Assistant Secretary of Defense Networks and Information
Integration) (OASD(NII)) has delegated authority and
responsibility to establish scholarship and institutional grant
programs to achieve these purposes, including the authority to
conduct civilian employee recruitment for these purposes. This
program is executed by the National Information Assurance
Education and Training Program (NIETP) of the National Security
Agency (NSA) on behalf of the Department of Defense.
Rising junior
and senior undergraduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and
graduate certificate program students who are U.S. citizens and
are at least 18 years of age are eligible for consideration for
the program. Information assurance scholarships will pay for the
full cost of tuition, fees, books, lab expenses, supplies and
equipment incurred by students selected for the program. In
addition, students selected for the program will be provided a
stipend to cover room and board expenses: undergraduate students
will receive a stipend of $12,000, and graduate (master’s and
PhD) students will receive a stipend of $17,000 per academic
year. Disabled students may receive additional allowances. There
are no allowances for dependents. Additional years of
scholarship awards are dependent upon satisfactory academic
progress, internship performance, if applicable, and the
availability of funds. Returning students will be given first
priority over new students to the program as long as they
continue to meet the IASP requirements and appropriate funding
is available. Scholarship recipients who successfully complete
the terms of an initial one or two year scholarship (for
example, complete an undergraduate degree), may apply for a
second scholarship of up to two years for completing an advanced
degree or graduate certificate program, if the sponsoring agency
agrees.
P.L. 106-398
anticipates that recipients of information assurance
scholarships will participate in experiential learning
assignments (called “internships” in the law) at DoD components
and agencies while completing their academic degree programs.
There are a variety of hiring authorities across DoD and the
determination will be by those Agencies in conjunction with the
IASP Program Office.
Information
Assurance Scholars will be appointed at those General Schedule
grade levels for which qualified and selected by DoD component
officials. Since the Area of Consideration for scholarship
applicants includes rising junior and senior year
undergraduates, master’s and doctoral degree candidates, and
graduate/doctoral certificate program students, it is
anticipated that applicants will (variously) meet minimum
qualification standards for Student Trainee appointments at
GS-0099-5, GS-0099-7, and GS-0099-9. The Military Departments
and DoD components that select and appoint students will decide
at what grade levels successful Information Assurance Scholars
will be appointed in light of any applicable component-unique
factors such as the target occupations or full-performance
position levels for the candidates. To obtain some information
on the general salary schedules for FY07, please visit
https://www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/index.asp.
3.
MINIMUM ELIGIBLITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND APPOINTMENT
To be eligible for the Information
Assurance Scholarship opportunity described in this
announcement, you must meet all of the following minimum
requirements:
a) You
must be 18 years of age or older.
b) You
must be a citizen of the United States at the time of
application. Note, if family members are not U.S. Citizens,
some DoD Agencies may be unable to process the applicant
(student) to the security clearance level required. Every effort
will be made to assign eligible students at an Agency without
such restrictions.
c) You must be enrolled (or
accepted for enrollment) in one of the identified CAE/IAE
colleges or universities listed in this announcement, or
enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at an institution selected
by a CAE/IAE as a collaborative partner for these purposes.
d) You must have completed (or by
August 2008 will have completed) at a minimum the first two
years of an undergraduate degree program and be eligible to (a)
begin either the third or fourth years of an undergraduate
degree program; (b) begin the first or second year of a master’s
degree program; (c) pursue doctoral studies; or (d) complete a
graduate certificate program in information assurance.
e) You
must be pursuing a course of study and/or have a declared major
in one of the scientific, technical or managerial disciplines
related to computer and network security, with a concentration
in an information assurance function.
I. For these purposes, the scientific, technical and managerial
disciplines related to computer and network security
are:
i. Mathematics
ii. Biometrics
iii. Electrical Engineering
iv. Electronic Engineering
v. Computer Science
vi. Computer Engineering
vii. Software Engineering
viii. Computer Programming
ix. Computer Support
x. Data Base Administration
xi. Computer Systems Analysis
xii. Operations Research
xiii. Information Security (Assurance)
xiv. Business Management or Administration
II. For these purposes, the information assurance
functions are:
i. System/Network Administration and Operations
ii. Systems Security Engineering
iii. Information Assurance Systems and Product
Acquisition
iv. Cryptography
v. Threat and Vulnerability Assessment, to include Risk
Management
vi. Web Security
vii. Operations of Computer Emergency Response Teams
viii. Information Assurance Training, Education and
Management
ix. Computer Forensics
x. Defensive Information Systems
f)
See the web page
information below, which provides more information about
fulfilling the necessary security requirements. Failure to be
able to obtain a security clearance is grounds for dismissal
from the DoD IASP. You must be able to obtain the required
security clearance for the position selected. You may be
required to undergo certain tests, including drug and polygraph
tests, to obtain and maintain a clearance. Before you may be
awarded a scholarship or hired by DoD, you will be required to
complete certain forms to initiate the security clearance
process. Some of these forms will require that you reveal
extensive information about your background, such as potentially
sensitive information about your financial circumstances and any
arrests and/or convictions for offenses of any kind. You must
agree to all of these conditions of employment and you must
complete these forms as a condition of financial assistance and
appointment.
I.
Current web pages from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
are provided below. These are provided for your review and
consideration in determining whether you will be eligible for a
security clearance. They may not be all inclusive, however, it
is highly recommended that you review and understand the
requirements prior to signing up to participate in the DoD IASP.
·
https://www.opm.gov/egov/e-gov/e-clearance/
II.
The
following web page contains additional information from other
web sites about security clearances, which also may be useful
when determining whether you will be eligible for a security
clearance. This is for informational purposes only:
·
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/security_2.htm
·
http://www.clearancejobs.com/security_clearance_faq.pdf#search='Interim%20Security%20Clearance'
·
http://www.taonline.com/securityclearances/
g)
Your school must recommend
you for scholarship.
4. AREA OF
CONSIDERATION
The
Area of Consideration for the Information Assurance Scholarship
Program consists of rising Junior and Senior undergraduate,
master, doctorate and graduate-level certificate program
students who are enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at the
colleges and universities listed at the following website:
http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caemap.cfm?MenuID=10.1.1.2.
Each CAE/IAE may select additional
institutions of higher education as collaborating partners in
implementation of the Information Assurance Scholarship Program.
Students enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, at the
collaborating institutions are also within the Area of
Consideration. The identity of collaborating partner
institutions, IF ANY, must be obtained from the CAE/IAEs.
Each CAE/IAE has designated a
campus liaison, or Principal Investigator (P.I.), for
Information Assurance Scholarship Program management and
administration. The above referenced Annex provides known points
of contact for the current CAE/IAEs. You are responsible for
identifying the appropriate P.I. for the IASP on your campus.
5. GENERAL
INFORMATION
a. Application Forms and Materials
On the
application and the following pages you will find instructions
for preparing and submitting an application for the Information
Assurance Scholarship Program, as well as application forms and
materials. Please read all information and instructions for
application preparation before you begin. The application itself
consists of your resume and all of the OF612 supplements. The
OF612 Supplemental Competency Statement and Resume must be
included or the package will be deemed non-responsive and will
not be considered.
Please be aware
that your school is required by the Department of Defense to
participate in the evaluation of your application for
scholarship assistance under this program. Your school may
fulfill its responsibilities to evaluate your application in a
variety of ways. Your school might constitute a panel to review
your application materials or conduct interviews with you or
other applicants. To fulfill its responsibilities, your school
may require that you obtain and submit information and/or
materials in addition to those required in the application
package. Any written information or material that your school
requires shall become the CAE/IAE Supplement to your OF612 and
must be included in the final application package that your
school transmits to the Department of Defense in order for you
to receive consideration.
Therefore, if
you are interested in applying for this opportunity, you
should check with the Information Assurance Scholarship Program
Point of Contact, the P.I, for your school immediately
to learn of any additional application
requirements.
Privacy and Public Burden
Statements
The
Office of Personnel Management and other Federal agencies rate
applicants for Federal jobs under the authority of sections
1104, 1302, 3301, 3304, 3320, 3361, 3393, and 3394 of title 5 of
the United States Code. Section 1104 of Title 5 allows the
Office of Personnel Management to authorize other federal
agencies to rate applicants for Federal jobs. We need the
information requested in this vacancy announcement to evaluate
your qualifications, that is, to see how well your education and
work skills qualify you for a Federal job and for tuition
assistance pursuant to P.L. 106-398 and the Code of Federal
Regulations, Title 5, Chapter 1, Part 213, Subpart C, Section
213.3202(b)(17). Other laws require us to ask about citizenship
and military service, to see whether you are affected by laws we
must follow in deciding whom the Federal Government may employ.
We must have the last four digits
of your Social Security Number (SSN) to keep your records in
order, as other people may have the same name and birth date. Ensure your last name and last four digits of social security
number are contained on the top right of each application page.
We may give information from your records to: training
facilities; organizations deciding claims for retirement,
insurance, unemployment or health benefits; officials in
litigation or administrative proceedings where the Government is
a party; law enforcement agencies concerning violations of law
or regulation; Federal agencies for statistical reports and
studies; officials of labor organizations recognized by law in
connection with representing employees; Federal agencies or
other sources requesting information for Federal agencies in
connection with hiring or retaining, security clearances,
security or suitability investigations, classifying job
contracting, or issuing licenses, grants, or other benefits;
public or private organizations including news media that grant
or publicize employee recognition and awards; and the Merit
Systems Protection Board, the Office of Special Counsel, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor
Relations Authority, the National Archives, and congressional
offices in connection with their official functions.
We may also give information from
your records to: prospective nonfederal employers concerning
tenure of employment, civil service status, length of service,
and date and nature of action for separation as shown on
personnel action forms of specifically identified individuals;
requesting organizations or individuals concerning the home
address and other relevant information on those who might have
contracted an illness or been exposed to a health hazard;
authorized Federal and nonfederal agencies for use in computer
matching; spouses or dependent children asking whether an
employee has changed from self-and-family to self-only health
benefits enrollment; individuals working on a contract, service,
grant, cooperative agreement or job for the Federal Government;
non-agency members of an agency's performance or other panel;
and agency-appointed representatives of employees concerning
information issued to an employee about fitness-for-duty or
agency-filed disability retirement procedures.
We estimate the public burden for
reporting the employment information will vary from 20 to 240
minutes with an average of 40 minutes per response, including
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering data, and completing and reviewing the
information. You may send comments regarding the burden estimate
or any other aspect of the collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, Reports and Forms Management Officer,
Washington, DC 20415-0001.
b. Veteran’s
Preference in Hiring
If you served on active duty in
the United States Military and were separated under honorable
conditions, you may be eligible for veteran’s preference. For
further details visit the Office of Personnel Management website
at:
http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp.
To
claim 5-point veterans' preference, attach a copy of your
DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or
other proof of eligibility, to your Optional Form 612 - Optional
Application for Federal Employment, as required at Item 15 of
the application.
To
claim 10-point veterans' preference, attach a SF 15, Application
for 10-Point Veterans' Preference, plus the proof required by
that form, to your Optional Form 612 - Optional Application for
Federal Employment, as required at Item 15 of the application.
c.
Applicants with Disabilities
You can find out about
alternatives for submitting your application by calling the
Office of Personnel Management at 912-757-3000. If you have a
hearing disability, call TDD 912-744-2299. You may obtain
case-by-case assistance by calling the Department of Defense
point of contact for this announcement. The name, address, and
telephone number of the point of contact for this announcement
are below:
Ms. Christine Nickell, DoD IASP Program
Manager
Ms. Alice Shaffer, DoD IASP Business Manager
National Security Agency
Attn: NIETP, I081, Suite 6744
9800 Savage Road
Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755-6744
Phone: 410-854-6206
d.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Department of Defense is an
Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified persons shall receive
consideration for this opportunity without regard to political,
religious, labor organization affiliation or non-affiliation,
marital status, race, color, sex, national origin,
non-disqualifying physical disability, age, or sexual
orientation.
6.
OTHER IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
Before being hired, the appointing
agency (the specific DoD agency requesting to hire you) will ask
you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment or other
agency or component specific form to determine your suitability
for Federal employment and to authorize a background
investigation of your suitability. The agency will also ask you
to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your
application. If you make a false statement in any part of your
application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you
begin work; or you may be fined or jailed.
You will be required to obtain and
maintain eligibility for a security clearance in order to
receive financial (scholarship) assistance or an appointment
under the Information Assurance Scholarship Program. The
appointing agency will ask you to complete certain forms to
initiate the security clearance process. These forms require you
to reveal many details about your background, including your
financial circumstances, and other sensitive matters such as any
arrests and/or convictions for offenses of any kind. You must
complete these forms as a condition of financial assistance and
appointment.
If you are a male over age 18 who
was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with
the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be
eligible for a Federal job.
Federal law prohibits officials
from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives.
Federal annuitants (military and
civilian) may have their salaries or annuities reduced. All
employees must pay any valid delinquent debts or the employee’s
payroll office may garnishee their salary.
APPLICATION CONTENT
REQUIREMENTS
7. APPLICATION
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS for CURRENT IASP STUDENTS WHO ARE
REAPPLYING:
-
An acceptable application
package for the Information Assurance Scholarship Program
consists of a letter of reference and the maintenance of
your grade point average.
-
One (1) Letter of
Reference from the current Principal Investigator or key
faculty member who is fully knowledgeable of your
potential for successful learning, your knowledge, and
your ability, based upon this past year of effort.
-
Official (certified)
copies of all of your transcripts from all the
institutions of higher learning you have attended, SINCE your last submission. You are required to
maintain the appropriate grade point average to maintain
your status in the program.
-
Note regarding the
Supplemental Statement of General Academic and Employment
Conditions. This form has been submitted under your previous
application. Following the selection of students for
scholarship, letters will be sent to selected students,
containing similar information, which affirms the student’s
willingness to commit to the internship (if applicable) and
the obligated service requirement. It will also note that
failure to do so will require pay back of Scholarship to the
U.S. Government. Once signed, this will be attached to
previous documentation for the record. Therefore, it is not
necessary to submit the supplemental statement again.
8.
APPLICATION
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS for STUDENTS NOT CURRENTLY IN THE IASP:
An acceptable application package
for the Information Assurance Scholarship Program consists of a
completed, signed, and dated Resume, all of the supplements to
the OF612 described below, AND all written information or
materials required by your school (CAE/IAE):
-
Supplemental OF612
Continuation Sheets. If the OF612 does not have sufficient
space for you to provide complete answers to all questions,
you must attach separate sheets of plain 81/2” X 11” paper
on which you record your responses or the continuations of
your responses. On each such page, indicate your name, your
social security number, and the OF612 item numbers to which
your responses apply.
-
Supplemental Academic
Sufficiency Statement. You must complete the Statement of
Academic Sufficiency supplement to the OF612, to which you
must attach the following additional supplemental
statements:
-
One (1) Letter of
Reference from a current faculty member who is
fully knowledgeable of your potential for successful
learning, your knowledge, and your ability. See
remainder of application package for instructions about
the content of this Letter of Reference. Letters must be
on University letterhead and contain the full name and
contact information of the faculty member (phone, email,
and address).
-
One (1) additional Letter
of Reference from either a current or former faculty
member, or a current or former supervisor who is fully
knowledgeable of your potential for successful
learning, your knowledge, and your ability. See
remainder of application package for instructions about
the content of this Letter of Reference. Letters must be
on official letterhead and contain the full name and
contact information of the faculty member or
current/former supervisor (phone, email, and address).
-
Official (certified)
copies of all of your transcripts from all the
institutions of higher learning you have attended.
-
Supplemental Competency
Statement. You must complete the OF612 Supplemental
Competency Statement with narrative responses that describe
the level of your attainment of the knowledge and ability
factors indicated. See remainder of application package for
instructions about the content of this supplemental
statement.
-
Supplemental Statement of
General Academic and Employment Conditions. If you agree
with the all of the academic and employment conditions
required for your receipt of scholarship assistance and
appointment under the Information Assurance Scholarship
Program, and wish to be considered for it, you must complete
the OF612 Supplemental Statement of General Academic and
Employment Conditions, and include it in your application
package.
Your school
(CAE/IAE) is required by the Department of Defense to assist in
the evaluation of Information Assurance Scholarship Program
applicants. At its discretion, your school may require you to
provide additional information or material to enable its
evaluation of your eligibility and candidacy for scholarship
assistance. The school may not decrease the requirements of
the DoD IASP. If your school requires written information or
material in addition to that described above, that additional
information or material shall constitute an OF612 Optional
Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education
Supplement, and must be included in your application package
for you to receive full consideration. Contact the Information
Assurance Scholarship Program liaison for your school to find
out if your school has additional application requirements. (See
the web annex titled “Centers of Academic Excellence in
Information Assurance Education” for the points of contact.)