The Trusted CI Fellows program is now accepting applications from professionals and post-doctoral researchers looking to build practical cybersecurity skills for science and engineering. Fellows benefit from online workshops, mentorship, networking, and attendance at the NSF Cybersecurity Summit with travel support included. The application deadline is June 30, 2026. Interested applicants can reach out to fellows@trustedci.org with any questions and apply here.
Carlos Cabrera, Senior lecturer and Coordinator for the Masters Program in the School of Computing at Clemson University, is on the forefront of biosecurity research and related cybersecurity advancements. However, he was seeking greater engagement with cybersecurity experts and professionals in private industry, which is why he sought out the Fellowship Program with Trusted CI.
“The Fellowship has opened many doors for me and my research. There’s a difference between academia and what happens in real life,” says Cabrera. “I have had the opportunity to speak with and learn from people implementing cybersecurity in private industry. It has been incredible to see what they are doing and how they are doing it.”
The Trusted CI Fellowship program empowers members of the scientific community with basic knowledge of cybersecurity and an understanding of Trusted CI’s services through virtual and hands-on training sessions, attending the NSF Cybersecurity Summit, and other resources.
“The connections through the Fellowship are great,” said Cabrera. “I have been able to speak with security professionals about my research, with a great grant writer for the NSF to see how I can improve my own grant applications, and with other faculty from across the country. It is an incredible group of people.”
His research has focused on biometrics and cybersecurity, with an emphasis on two areas: facial vein recognition as a secure, accurate, and user-friendly identity verification method — given that facial veins are nearly impossible to replicate or alter — and the use of brainwaves to detect deception. This is the research that he will present at the next Cybersecurity Summit.
Thanks in part to the Trusted CI network, Cabrera’s research team is now partnering with insurance companies to see which drivers are “good” and with large produce importers to see if people are smuggling drugs in the fruit boxes.
Being a Trusted CI Fellow has also improved his teaching and his students’ understanding of the field. He has recently developed a Masters and Ph.D. program in artificial intelligence, and he currently teaches a general education class on artificial intelligence and ethics, weaving cybersecurity concepts into the class.
“Students nowadays want to know how what they are learning can be used in private industry and how it can help them get a job,” says Cabrera. “As threat actors become more sophisticated, the demand for well‐trained professionals who understand both the technical subtleties and the ethical implications of security work grows. We have a strong sense of responsibility to prepare students for the evolving landscape of digital threats.”
