The cybersecurity workforce is growing amidst an evolving threat landscape, and strategies are emerging to bolster workforce capacity. As the federal funding landscape for cybersecurity changes, some cybersecurity responsibilities are expected to shift to states.
The Cyber and AI Clinic Grant is a competitive grant program that will invest in career-training clinics and will deliver supportive cybersecurity services to organizations with limited capacity.
Cyber Maryland, the state’s workforce initiative established in 2023 to invest in training for cybersecurity, AI, IT and other related fields, moved to the state’s Department of Labor in July following its incubation at the Maryland Technology Development Corporation. The program is designed to expand the state’s talent pipeline in these areas and coordinate cyber work across the state.
Through the Cyber and AI Clinic Grant program, eligible applicants including colleges, workforce training providers, nonprofit organizations, and apprenticeship sponsors may receive up to $500,000 to establish and operate these clinics. The clinics will train state residents for occupations in these fields, whether that be a technical role like a cyber engineer or a non-technical job like a risk management professional. The grant recipients will be required to train a minimum of 100 cyber professionals per year between 2027 and 2029.
Maryland’s workforce sees thousands of unfilled positions in cybersecurity every year, per the announcement.
The clinics will also offer AI-enabled cybersecurity protections to organizations with limited capacity to manage their own security. This could include local schools, small businesses and hospitals, according to a statement from Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu.
Proposals will be due Dec. 10, and grant selections will be announced in January 2026. The grant performance period will be from February 2026 through January 2029. Interested applicants can attend a conference Oct. 15 to learn more. More information can be found on the department’s website.
“This initiative puts AI into practice by preparing Marylanders for the jobs of the future while delivering real protections to the places that need them most urgently,” Seeyew Mo, a senior adviser for Cyber Maryland, said in a statement.
The grants will build on previous cybersecurity workforce development initiatives in the state, including a grant launched in January and college-level initiatives. The state appointed a new chief information security officer in May.
