A team of researchers, led by Dr. Srini Sampalli, Professor and 3M National Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie university, has been awarded an $1.6 million NSERC CREATE grant titled “Multi-disciplinary Approach to Research, Training, and Education in Cyber-Security for Emerging Technologies.” This program aims to create a comprehensive cybersecurity education and training initiative, emphasizing a full life-cycle approach to cybersecurity readiness in emerging technologies.

Key elements include predicting, detecting, and preventing cyber-attacks posed by new technologies, integrating technological solutions with cyber-policy, ethics, and governance, and fostering strong industry-academic partnerships. The program is multidisciplinary in scope, and includes researchers from Dalhousie’s Faculties of Computer Science, Law, Management, and Science, the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, as well as Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Over the next six years, this initiative will train nearly 200 highly qualified personnel, supported by industry partners Calian and Field Effect, who recognize the urgent need to cultivate a new generation of cybersecurity professionals. The program also aligns with Nova Scotia's Digital Ecosystem strategy and NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), positioning it as a hub for cutting-edge cybersecurity research and training. Additional industry partners such as IBM, Pure Logic, PINQ2 will also play a role in the project.