URI Lands $4.8 Million NSF Cybersecurity Investment

URI Cybersecurity Center Secures $4.8 Million in NSF Funding

KINGSTON, R.I. — The University of Rhode Island’s Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Center has secured $4.8 million in National Science Foundation funding, a major federal investment in cybersecurity research, digital forensics, and workforce development at the state’s flagship public university.

The funding comes through two major NSF awards and will flow through URI’s Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Center, the university unit that coordinates hands-on cybersecurity education, research projects, and digital investigations. The awards position URI to expand its role in training students and professionals for a field where national demand continues to grow.

What the center does

The URI Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Center works across several areas that are central to modern cyber defense and digital investigation:

• Cybersecurity research aimed at understanding and countering emerging online threats
• Digital forensics for examining digital evidence after cyber incidents and crimes
• Education and training pipelines that prepare students and working professionals for cybersecurity careers

Digital forensics has become a critical capability for law enforcement, corporate security teams, and government agencies investigating everything from data breaches to online fraud. By combining research with applied training, the URI center helps students develop skills that translate directly into high-demand jobs.

The National Science Foundation’s support is a strong signal of federal confidence in URI’s programs. NSF awards are highly competitive and are evaluated for both scientific merit and broader societal impact, including their ability to strengthen the U.S. technical workforce. For a public university, multi-year NSF funding can support laboratory equipment, student researchers, faculty time, and partnerships with industry and government.

The NSF has long viewed cybersecurity education and research as essential to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. Multi-year awards allow universities to build sustained programs rather than one-off projects, creating stable opportunities for students and faculty over several years.

Federal records in the National Science Foundation award database list funded research projects across the country, including cybersecurity investments. The University of Rhode Island has positioned its Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Center as a hub for this work in southern New England.

Why the funding matters

For Rhode Island, the $4.8 million investment is more than a campus milestone. It strengthens the state’s cybersecurity capacity at a time when state and local agencies, hospitals, school districts, and businesses face increasing ransomware and other online security threats. URI’s location in Kingston places it within a regional ecosystem that can benefit from expanded research, training programs, and collaboration with public and private partners.

Students are expected to gain access to real-world digital forensics tools, cybersecurity labs, and research opportunities that can lead to careers in government, defense, financial services, health care, and technology. The funding may also support outreach efforts designed to attract more students into cybersecurity fields, including those from groups that have been underrepresented in the technology workforce.

Beyond the classroom, the funding can support internships, capstone projects with external organizations, and regional cybersecurity exercises that bring together students, faculty, and practitioners. Those experiences help bridge the gap between academic study and the fast-moving demands of the cybersecurity workforce.

The University of Rhode Island’s Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Center has secured two major National Science Foundation awards totaling $4.8 million.

The new federal support arrives as cybersecurity has become both a national security priority and an economic development opportunity. Universities such as URI are increasingly expected to produce not only new research but also the next generation of cybersecurity professionals who can defend critical systems and investigate digital crimes.

With the two NSF awards, URI is positioned to deepen its research capabilities and expand its role in closing the nation’s cybersecurity skills gap. The investment is expected to have a lasting impact on the university, its students, and the broader Rhode Island community.