Prospective Cyber Fellow Candidates

About the CISA Cyber Innovation Fellows Initiative

The CISA Cyber Innovation Fellows initiative offers senior technical experts from across the private sector the opportunity to embed on CISA’s cybersecurity teams for their professional development benefit, and to the benefit of CISA’s growing mission space.

Of particular benefit to fellows is the opportunity to learn how cybersecurity works in government: How does the government respond to cyber incidents? What is CISA's role in convening stakeholders and coordinating a response? How does the agency go about protecting civilian and federal government networks to assure the security, resilience, and reliability of critical infrastructure, systems, and networks? Fellow roles are geared toward a deep examination of these questions.

In launching this initiative, CISA will draw on private sector perspectives, knowledge and skills as the agency tackles evolving cyber challenges. The expertise private sector fellows lend will lend CISA through their participation will help inform CISA’s approach to cyber threats.  

The initiative runs a cohort-based model, meaning that each class of participants will learn from one another and the CISA colleagues on their respective teams. Participation in the initiative as a private sector expert confers no special status with CISA, but gives Fellows access to CISA’s community of experts, which enables longer term collaboration after leaving CISA.

Initiative Details  

  • Cyber Innovation Fellows will commit to CISA on a part-time, short-term basis of one to two days per week for a period of up to four months. Fellows will have the option to continue with CISA in a part-time capacity beyond the initial commitment. 
  • Fellows will be compensated solely by their private sector employer and must acknowledge that government positions will be uncompensated. 
  • In order to avoid organizational and personal conflicts of interest, Fellows will undergo an ethics screening process to identify areas of possible conflict and scope duties accordingly. Fellows also will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements and may be subject to limitations on post-government employment.

Available Positions:

In 2022, CISA will recruit and hire up to eight Cyber Innovation Fellows. 

  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Expert
  • Cloud Engineering Expert
  • Cyber Risk Evaluation Expert
  • Remediation and Mitigation Expert
  • Senior Technical Expert, Federal Cybersecurity
  • Software Bill of Materials Expert
  • Threat Intelligence Expert
  • Threat Intelligence Expert, Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement

How to Get Involved:

In 2022, CISA will accept applications from June 3, 2022 to July 22, 2022. There are two ways to apply to the CISA Cyber Innovation Fellowship:

  1. Interested private sector experts can request their employer endorse them for a CIF position. Employers may send the following to Cyber_Innovation_Fellowship@cisa.dhs.gov:
  • Candidate resume
  • Candidate statement of interest (no more than 300 words). This statement should detail the candidate’s interest in the initiative, as well as what the participant would hope to gain from participation.
  • Candidate statement of expertise (no more than 300 words). This statement should address how the candidate’s expertise aligns with the role to which they are being nominated.  
  • A completed candidate questionnaire  
  • Two professional references (contact information only). At least one reference should come from the employer.
  1. Interested private sector experts can submit their own candidacy by emailing the following to Cyber_Innovation_Fellowship@cisa.dhs.gov.
  • Resume
  • Statement of interest (no more than 300 words). This statement should detail your candidate’s interest in the initiative, as well as what you hope to gain from participation.
  • Statement of expertise (no more than 300 words). This statement should address how your expertise aligns with the role for which you would like to be considered.  
  • Completed candidate questionnaire
  • Two professional references

All successful candidates will fill public trust positions, which require vetting to ensure suitability for federal employment. Accordingly, completion of the Standard Form SF-85P (pdf, 5.56 MB) is required for all applicants.

Authority:  5 U.S.C. § 3109 and 6 U.S.C. § 392.

Purpose: CISA will use this information to determine eligibility to participate in the CISA Cyber Innovation Fellows Program.

Routine Uses: This information may be disclosed as generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. §552a(b) of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This includes using information, as necessary and authorized by the routine uses published in DHS/ALL-021 Department of Homeland Security Contractors and Consultants 73 FR 63179 (October 23, 2008).

Disclosure: Providing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide any of the information requested may prevent your application from being considered. For more information on how CISA will handle your information, please refer to DHS/ALL/PIA-045 Loaned Executive Program (September 29, 2014).