NIST awards more than 1.7 million dollars to build cybersecurity workforce programs in eight states.

On September 18, 2026, NIST approved nine cooperative agreements under its RAMPS program. More than 1.7 million dollars will go to organizations in eight states to build local cybersecurity training pipelines.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded nine cooperative agreements, each up to 200,000 dollars, to education and community organizations in eight states. Recipients include Florida Atlantic University, the University of Houston, the University of Tennessee, and institutions in Kentucky, Virginia, New Mexico, Michigan and Ohio. The projects fall under the RAMPS program, administered by NIST's NICE program, which aligns training content with the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.

The goal is to match local demand for cybersecurity talent with the learning objectives of schools, colleges and training providers. Activities include internships, apprenticeships, hands-on projects, workshops, boot camps and hackathons. With this round, there are now 55 RAMPS communities across 26 states. For companies in the funded regions, this creates an additional pipeline of early-career talent that could also support AI security roles.

Grants of up to 200,000 dollars per project are modest compared with the nationwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Whether 55 RAMPS communities can close that gap remains uncertain. What matters next is whether more states join future funding rounds and whether training content expands to cover AI-related security skills.

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