Travel: NSF Student Travel Grant for 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust

Trusted hardware is the foundation of cybersecurity. The rapid proliferation of computing and communication systems with increasing computational power and connectivity into every sphere of modern life has brought security to the forefront of system design, test, and validation. The design, manufacturing and the distribution of microchips, printed circuit board, as well as other electronic components are becoming more sophisticated and globally distributed with a number of potential security vulnerabilities. Thus, hardware plays an increasingly important and integral role in system security with many emerging vulnerabilities and defense mechanisms relating to hardware. The International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST) aims to facilitate the rapid growth of hardware-based security research and development. This award will support students to attend HOST, held in Washington, DC, May 4-7, 2026.

The project's broader significance and importance include professional development for undergraduate and graduate students as well as continued growth of the symposium. This award will enable students to learn about the latest tools, design methods, architectures, circuits, and novel applications of secure hardware. Students will also receive ample opportunities for networking with researchers, interactions with industrial sponsors and exhibitors for internships and full-time positions, and opportunities to receive feedback on their own research. Selection criteria include presentation at the conference, being first-time attendees, financial need, and institutional and demographic diversity, with a goal of growing the talent pool of cybersecurity researchers. The hardware security research community itself will benefit by having a broader and larger audience at the event.

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.

Award Number: 2618354
Principal Investigator: Fareena Saqib
Funds Obligated: $15,000
State: NC