NSF Starts Scholarship Fund

In a bid to lure computer whiz kids away from the private sector and into government jobs, the National Science Foundation kicked off its "cybercorps" program May 23, allocating more than $8.6 million to six universities participating in the project.

The program provides scholarships for students to study computer science and related subjects. In return, students who receive government support are required to serve one year in a government information technology job for each year of scholarship-funded education.

Richard Clarke, the Bush administration's top information security watchdog, said the scholarships would play a vital role in strengthening the government's electronic defenses.

The six universities funded under the program are Carnegie Mellon University, Iowa State University, Naval Postgraduate School, Purdue University, University of Idaho and the University of Tulsa.