Pitt Cyber, the Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security at the University of Pittsburgh, just announced its awardees for this academic year's Pitt Cyber Accelerator Grants Program (PCAG). Among those receiving funding? Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Associate Professor, Erica Owen.
Pitt Cyber was launched in 2017 to build and support the wealth of cyber research ongoing at the University. The institute provides a unique interdisciplinary environment for tackling cyber challenges, supporting and advancing early-stage faculty research, teaching the next generation of cybersecurity experts, and creating actionable solutions to cyber-related challenges.
The Pitt Cyber Accelerator Grants (PCAG) program provides initial funding for projects that aim to establish or reinforce Pitt and Pitt Cyber as places of distinction and excellence in cyber studies and practice. Designed to launch multidisciplinary projects with broad application and utility across disciplines, PCAG grantees often go on to attract additional funding and sponsorship within the University or from government, philanthropic, and industry partners.
Six projects were announced as recipients of PCAG funding this fall. Owen’s project, “Cross-sector cybersecurity risk, technological innovation, and the role of policy,” aims to address the growing challenges of cyber risk and explore solutions with a focus on technical innovation and policy frameworks. The project is a collaboration between Owen and Associate Professor Daniel Cole in the Swanson School of Engineering.
Owen is the former associate dean in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a member of the University’s Cyber Energy Center, a collaborative ecosystem for regional energy industries and stakeholders to help improve the cybersecurity of the region’s energy system. The Cyber Energy Center was established in the spring and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
More information and a full list of this year’s PCAG awardees can be found on Pitt Cyber’s website.