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Creating Safe, Secure and Intelligent Systems

NC State to Lead Multi-institution Software Supply Chain Security Grant from NSF

An aerial view of Centennial Campus.

NC State University is the lead institution on a $9 million, multi-institution National Science Foundation grant to research technical challenges in software supply chain security and to help build a diverse workforce for the software industry.

Modern software is vulnerable to malicious activity, and software professionals must address software supply chain attacks. This project establishes the Secure Software Supply Chain Center (S3C2), bringing together researchers, industry partners and government agencies to develop scientific tools, metrics, data formats, and methods to reduce risks with software.

The S3C2 leadership team, from left: Michel Cukier, Christian Kästner, Laurie Williams, Will Enck, Yasemin Acar and Alexandros Kapravelos.

Through education, outreach and training, the project will also foster a diverse workforce of technical leaders and practitioners capable of problem-solving in software supply chain models. Summer programs and new course modules will prepare current and future technical leaders and practitioners to build more secure software.

​​NC State has made a name for itself in cybersecurity and technology. The Secure Computing Institute has connected cybersecurity research and education efforts among NC State departments and throughout the Triangle area since its founding in 2019. It’s home to the North Carolina Partnership for Cybersecurity Excellence, in which universities, community colleges, public agencies and private businesses across the state collaborate through education, research, service and outreach to establish cybersecurity as an economic development tool. NC-PaCE received a $2 million grant from the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity last year.

The $9 million NSF grant. NC State was awarded $6 million as the lead institution. Other university partners include Carnegie Mellon University, The George Washington University and the University of Maryland College Park.