Department of Defense University Consortium for Cybersecurity
In 2020, Congress authorized the formation of a university consortium to help the Department of Defense (DoD) gain access to talented academic researchers with promising technological innovations. In addition to fulfilling the intent of the law (i.e., the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Section 1659), the DoD University Consortium for Cybersecurity (UC2) provides the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) a formal channel of communication with the consortium or consortia members regarding the DoD’s cybersecurity strategic plans, cybersecurity requirements, and priorities for basic and applied cybersecurity research.
UC2 Coordination Center
The College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC) at National Defense University (NDU) was designated as the Administrative Chair of the DoD UC2 in the NDAA 2022, Section 1350. In this role, CIC manages the day-to-day business of the UC2 and serves as the UC2 Coordination Center. The Center works closely with the academic community, the cyber industry, and other government agencies in discovering, researching, creating, developing, and delivering innovative cyber capabilities, strategies, policies, and processes to senior DoD leaders to deter war and protect the nation’s security. Dr. Jim Chen, a CIC associate dean and professor, is the Director of the University Consortium for Cybersecurity Coordination Center.