Travel: NSF Student Travel Grant for 2026 ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS)

The ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) is the flagship annual conference of the ACM Special Interest Group on Security, Audit and Control (SIGSAC) and is widely recognized as one of the top four venues in computer and information security. Since its inception in 1993, CCS has served as a premier international forum for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to present and discuss advances across the full spectrum of cybersecurity, including software and systems security, network security, applied cryptography, privacy, and emerging areas such as machine learning security and cyber-physical systems. With a highly selective acceptance rate (15–20%) and global participation, CCS consistently showcases cutting-edge, high-impact research that shapes the future of secure computing. The conference directly aligns with U.S. national priorities in cybersecurity and privacy by fostering innovation, advancing trustworthy and resilient systems, and strengthening the nation's capacity to address evolving cyber threats that impact critical infrastructure, economic security, and national defense. This project requests NSF support to provide travel grants for approximately 15 U.S.-based graduate students to attend ACM CCS 2026. The funding will be used to offset travel and participation costs, enabling students, particularly those with limited institutional resources, to engage in this premier research venue. Participation will allow students to present their work, gain exposure to state-of-the-art research, and interact with leading experts, thereby enhancing their technical expertise, professional development, and integration into the cybersecurity research community. The project helps to strengthen the domestic talent pipeline in cybersecurity and contribute to workforce development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2622357 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Kun Sun | Institution: George Mason University, FAIRFAX, VA | Award Amount: $15,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2622357 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2622357.html