The Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) has released our fifth annual request for proposals (RFP), through which UC Berkeley-affiliated researchers are invited to apply for funding for the 2020 grant term.
“CLTC believes that a transformative cybersecurity research program should not only address the most interesting and complex challenges of today’s socio-technical security environment, but also grapple with the broader challenges of the next decade’s environment,” the RFP explains. “Through this, our fifth annual request for proposals (RFP), we will continue to fund research on a heterodox set of security issues and attempt to draw in new researchers, including those who have not previously worked in cybersecurity-related areas.”
Grants will be made in two primary areas: Seed Grants, generally $15,000 and below, can be used to fund an exploratory study, a small pilot, a PhD dissertation project, or other means of ‘prospecting’ a problem area. Discrete Project Grants will be given in amounts up to $100,000 to fund projects that have defined boundaries with clear outcomes and potential impact.
CLTC will consider proposals in all domains relevant to cybersecurity. “The openness of that statement is intentional, as we seek to expand the range of disciplines and types of expertise and knowledge that can be brought to bear on this challenge,” the RFP explains. CLTC’s range of previously supported projects include (but are not limited to) work that addresses:
- Cyber talent pipeline, human capital, and education
- Security implications of artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Cybersecurity governance and regulatory regimes
- Protecting vulnerable individuals and organizations online
- Cybersecurity culture and dialogue
- Security implications of 5G networks and other emerging technologies
- Political, market, and legal ‘shapers’ of cybersecurity outcomes
- Behavioral and ‘usable’ cybersecurity
- Distributed-ledger technologies for cybersecurity purposes
Proposals can address “both technical and non-technical components, although it is not required.” All proposals must have a Project Lead with an active UC Berkeley research affiliation, and the Project Lead must be enrolled in or have completed a graduate degree. CLTC encourages collaboration with outside institutions—academic, commercial, and otherwise—as befits the research program.
Researchers interested in learning more about the kinds of projects we fund are invited to attend the annual CLTC Research Exchange, which will be held on Thursday, October 3, 2019 from 9:30am-5:30pm, and will feature presentations by several of our 2018 and 2019 grantees. Please RSVP through our website.
