The University of West Florida has received the largest federal grant in its history — a $9.6 million award from the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office — to expand a national cybersecurity workforce program at the intersection of defense and artificial intelligence.
The funding will grow CyberSkills2Work, a UWF-led initiative that prepares veterans, public servants, and other learners for high-demand cybersecurity roles. Over the next two years, the program will develop 62 educational pathways, align training with 41 federally defined work roles, and help more than 4,600 professionals earn industry certifications. Participants include transitioning service members, veterans, first responders, military spouses, and government personnel, with all courses offered at no cost.
“This milestone is a testament to the University of West Florida’s national leadership in cybersecurity education and workforce development,” said UWF Interim President Manny Diaz Jr. “Our Center for Cybersecurity continues to set the standard for innovation and impact, preparing professionals who will protect our nation’s most critical systems and drive the future of secure technology.”
UWF’s Center for Cybersecurity will coordinate a national coalition that includes Florida International University, the University of Arizona, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Purdue University Northwest, and the University of Louisville, among others. The curriculum blends hands-on technical skills with AI-enabled tools, reflecting the Defense Department’s push to build a workforce capable of responding to emerging threats.
“Cybersecurity and AI are at the heart of our nation’s defense, economy, and innovation,” said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, the center’s associate vice president and principal investigator. “Through this historic award and the CyberSkills2Work program, we will equip professionals with future-ready skills that integrate cybersecurity and AI to build a workforce capable of protecting and shaping tomorrow’s digital landscape.”
The federal investment arrives amid a surge of new funding that is transforming Northwest Florida into a hub for cyber research and training. In August, the regional economic-development board Triumph Gulf Coast approved $32.5 million for a decade-long expansion of UWF’s cybersecurity, artificial-intelligence, and computational-research capacity — an effort focused on facilities, equipment, and personnel to compete for major grants. A month later, the university secured a $2 million award from Cyber Florida’s FirstLine initiative to deliver 41 AI-focused courses to state and local government employees across Florida, strengthening day-to-day defenses for agencies that manage sensitive data and critical systems.
Together, the three awards cover complementary fronts: Triumph builds research infrastructure, FirstLine strengthens public-sector readiness, and CyberSkills2Work develops national pipelines of trained professionals.
The need for such efforts has been underscored by recent cyber incidents close to home. In 2019, the City of Pensacola was struck by a ransomware attack that disabled phones, email, and online billing, forcing costly recovery efforts and identity-protection services for tens of thousands of residents. In 2023, a breach of the First Judicial Circuit hampered court operations across four Panhandle counties, and in 2024, the city again reported a network intrusion that exposed personal information and disrupted services.
State leaders hope that expanding access to modern training and tools will help reduce both the likelihood and impact of such attacks — a growing concern for governments that face escalating threats but limited staffing and budgets.
