April 29, 2026, PITTSBURGH, Pa. –
The Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) opened the premier annual National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Community Symposium yesterday by challenging universities to join the "front lines" of the nation's cyber defense. Welcoming over 800 top academic and government leaders from nearly 500 designated institutions across the country, this vital gathering runs through May 1 and serves as the primary collaborative space for academia and government to actively address the critical cyber workforce gap.
“In the Department of War, we are embarking on a bold transformation to ensure our technological ecosystem provides a decisive warfighting advantage,” said Hon. Kirsten Davies. “Our goal is to achieve data supremacy and decision dominance on the battlefields of today and tomorrow.”
In his keynote address to the symposium, Scott Nelson, acting principal director for the DoW’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO), emphasized the urgency of turning academic excellence into operational strength. “This symposium is where we turn collaboration into actionable strategies,” Nelson stated. “By recognizing new centers of excellence and pioneering agile curricula, we are actively closing the cyber workforce gap and securing our future.”
Expanding the Cyber Talent Pipeline
During the event, the DoW officially designated 28 new universities as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. These institutions join an elite network of over 490 schools recognized for meeting rigorous standards in cyber curricula and research.
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Designation
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Academic Focus Area
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Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)
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Protecting and securing network infrastructures.
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Cyber Operations (CAE-CO)
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Deeply technical, interdisciplinary computer science and engineering.
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Cyber Research (CAE-R)
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Advanced and innovative cybersecurity research.
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Cyber AI (CAE-CAI)
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New: Curricula specifically dedicated to artificial intelligence.
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The ASCEND "Shark Tank" Finale
A major highlight of the symposium is the ASCEND (Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design) competition. Moving away from traditionally lengthy development timelines, ASCEND uses a competitive "Shark Tank" format to source agile educational models for AI and cybersecurity.
The competition culminates on May 1, where the following five finalists will pitch their designs to a panel of DoW experts:
- University of Maine at Augusta
- Anderson University
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- San Jose State University
The top three designs will receive cash prizes and serve as the official blueprint for a DoW solicitation to build scalable learning frameworks across the nation.
Through presentations, workshops, and collaborative sessions, this week’s Symposium aims to build vital bridges across academia, government, and industry to achieve the President’s goal of peace through strength and enable a new Golden Age of American prosperity.