What is the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund?

The Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund is launching an open call for applications to host a cybersecurity clinic at US based colleges, universities, and community colleges to accelerate the pipeline of workforce ready cybersecurity experts. Selected organizations can receive up to $1 million each in funding, as well as access to the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google volunteers.

What do you mean by “Cybersecurity Clinic”?

For decades, schools of law and medicine have operated “clinics”, where students work with real-world clients and gain valuable job experience.

University, college and community-college-based cybersecurity clinics train students from diverse backgrounds to strengthen the digital defenses of under-resourced critical public infrastructure organizations, like small hospitals, non-profits, local governments, small businesses, and other community organizations. University-based cybersecurity clinics address two simultaneous needs: building cybersecurity capacity and resilience in their communities and training the next generation of cybersecurity talent with real-world job experience.

What is “critical public infrastructure”?

For the purposes of this Fund, “critical public infrastructure” is understood as the 16 sectors identified by the U.S Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. These sectors are: chemical; commercial facilities; communications; critical manufacturing; dams; defense industrial base; emergency services; energy; financial services; food and agriculture; government facilities; healthcare and public health; information technology; nuclear reactors, materials, and waste; transportation systems, and water and wastewater.

Why is Google supporting Cybersecurity Clinics?

At Google, security has always been at the core of our products. We’ve worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise and advancing cybersecurity tools and resources.

This fund will support existing members of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, while searching for new higher education institutions to help students build a career in cybersecurity. We want to support these institutions in building a workforce with the real-world experience needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure - in hospitals, nonprofits, schools and utilities - from cyber attacks.

When is the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund open for applications?

We will accept applications from October 18th, 2023 through March 1st, 2024.

What will funding recipients receive? How big will the funding be?

Selected organizations can receive up to $1 million each in funding, as well as access to the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google volunteers.

What resources are available to support my application?

You can also find many resources on the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics website, including the Consortium Clinic Toolkit.

What if I still have questions after reading the FAQs?

Tides Center is providing technical and operational support for the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund open call process. Please contact cybersecurityclinicfund@tides.org if you have additional questions. Use of your information by Tides Center is subject to the Tides’ Privacy Policy. You may contact Tides Center at any time to delete your application or to make updates or request deletion to your contact information.

How do I apply?

Go to https://apply.cyberclinicsfund.org and create a free Submittable account or sign in with Google or Facebook credentials. On the Submittable platform you can submit your forms, invite collaborators if needed, and save a draft of your work if you would like to finish at a later date.

Can I get a copy of the application questions before I fill out the application?

Yes, you can find a copy of the application questions here. Please also be aware that once you begin an application through the application portal, you are also to invite collaborators and save your draft as you go

What is the timeline of the application and award processes?

We will accept applications from October 18th, 2023 through March 1st, 2024. We welcome interested parties to apply at any time in that window, though no preference or advantage is given to early submissions. We aim to have grants out in time for schools to use towards the 2024-2025 academic year.

Which higher education institutions are eligible to apply?

Any nonprofit or public higher education institution is eligible. We welcome institutions of all sizes to apply, including colleges, universities, community colleges, and graduate schools. We seek a diverse cohort of grantees across the U.S that serve a variety of students and communities, and we encourage eligible institutions to submit applications.

Can a collaborative of higher education institutions apply for the grant?

We encourage collaboration and innovative design and thinking. It is possible for two or more schools to apply separately but collaborate in the design, delivery, etc of the clinics. They could share in their applications that they are designing their clinic in collaboration and alignment with one another. We are also open to established collaboratives, such as regional networks or affinity groups of higher education institutions, to apply for a grant. Please note the following conditions:

• These must be well-established collaboratives, with a history of successful collaboration between members.
• Grants will be made out to a single “anchor” organization. This organization will be responsible for the grant, including reporting, and will be free to subgrant to other organizations in the collaborative as needed. A supporting organization, such as a nonprofit or community collaborator, is permitted to apply as the anchor organization, provided it is an established member of the collective.
• In order to maximize the impact of the grant and ensure clinics are resourced to meet the impact goals of this grant, indirect costs that are not related to program implementation (university or college administration fees, fiscal sponsorship fees, subgranting fees, etc.) must be capped at 10% of the grant amount. The anchor organization will be responsible for ensuring this across the collaborative.

Is there a limit on how many applications an institution may submit?

This is considered a “limited submission” opportunity. We are only accepting one application per institution (although that could be a collaboration across different faculty/departments). We expect departments and faculty within an institution to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate in advance of submitting an application. If multiple applications are received by an institution, we will ask the institution to confirm just one of them.

How will the grants be distributed and what are the reporting requirements?

The October 2023 Open Call offers grants of up to $1M each for a 6-year grant period. Grants will be paid in multiple installments. After an initial grant payment, subsequent disbursements will be released annually upon completion of a yearly impact survey. Initial grant payments will be made around July 2024 and subsequent installment payments are made in February of each year. You can consider each payment as funding activities in one academic year. For example, the July 2024 payment can be applied to the 2024-25 academic year, while the Feb 2025 payment can be applied to the 2025-26 academic year. Applicants will be asked for their preferences in how to split up the full amount over the years.

Can some of the grant be applied towards overhead?

In order to maximize the impact of the grant and ensure clinics are resourced to meet the impact goals of this grant, indirect costs that are not related to program implementation (university or college administration fees, fiscal sponsorship fees, subgranting fees, etc.) must be capped at 10% of the grant amount.

Who is the Tides Center?

The Tides Center supports social change leaders and ventures, connecting diverse people, organizations, and communities to create unlikely collaborations and find answers in unexpected places. Tides Center is providing technical and operational support to the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund open call process, including management of the application form and applicant data.

How will my data be stored?

Data collected in the applicant workshop form and data collected in the grant application form will be collected, and retained by Tides Center for the duration of the open call application process and will be deleted within three months of the open call window closing. The information you provide through the applicant workshop form and grant application will be used to contact you about workshops, next steps in the grant application process and to request additional information about your grant application, as applicable, in accordance with Tides’ Privacy Policy. All personally identifiable information contained in your grant application will be redacted by Tides if Tides shares your application with Google or the panel of external experts for further review.

Will details of the project idea we submit be kept confidential?

The details and ideas contained in your application will not be treated as confidential or proprietary so please do not share any confidential information as part of the open call process. Submitted project ideas contained in your application will be reviewed by Tides Center, and may be shared with Google, the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, and the panel of external experts in order to evaluate your proposal.