Computer Science researcher Zubair Shafiq part of $10 million NSF cybersecurity grant

Friday, June 12, 2020

Zubair Shafiq, University of Iowa
Zubair Shafiq

Rest assured: Researchers have your back when it comes to protecting your personal online data.

The National Science Foundation announced today that University of Iowa Computer Science researcher Zubair Shafiq is part of a team receiving a $10 million grant. The grant is part of NSF's Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program, which supports cybersecurity research.

Shafiq's team's project is titled "ProperData: Protecting Personal Data Flow on the Internet."

Learn more about ProperData: Protecting Personal Data Flow on the Internet, made possible by a $10 million National Science Foundation grant.

"Cybersecurity is one of the most significant economic and national security challenges facing our nation today," said Nina Amla, lead program director of the SaTC program. "NSF's investments in foundational research will transform our capacity to secure personal privacy, financial assets, and national interests. These new Frontiers awards will enable innovative approaches to cybersecurity and privacy, with potential benefits to all sectors of our economy."

The SaTC program establishes collaborative research centers to explore ways to create safer computing systems and online experiences by combining innovative approaches from across scientific disciplines. Shafiq will be working with investigators from IMDEA Networks Institute, a networking research institute located in Madrid, Spain; Northeastern University; University of California, Irvine; and University of Southern California.

About the National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2020 budget of $8.3 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.


The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.