Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) is Virginia’s initiative for cybersecurity research, innovation, and workforce development. The mission is to “serve as an engine for research, workforce development, and innovation at the intersection between cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and intelligence.” There are over 40 Virginia institutions participating.

CCI Structure

CCI operates through a collaborative network model consisting of a central Hub and four regional Nodes distributed across Virginia.

The CCI Hub

The CCI Hub coordinates programs and supports collaboration across the statewide network. Located in Arlington, Virginia, and managed by Virginia Tech, the Hub serves as the core coordinating body for the initiative. The Hub provides statewide leadership for research development, innovation programming, entrepreneurship, workforce initiatives, and proposal opportunities. 

Regional Nodes

CCI is organized into four regional Nodes:

  • Central Virginia Node (CVN) 
  • Coastal Virginia Node 
  • Northern Virginia Node 
  • Southwest Virginia Node 

Central Virginia Node (CVN)

CCI Central Virginia Node (CVN) is the regional CCI Node that includes the University of Virginia. The CVN is managed by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The CVN supports collaborative research, workforce development programs, innovation initiatives, and experiential learning opportunities aligned with cybersecurity and cyber-physical systems.

Participating institutions within the CVN include:

- University of Virginia
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Longwood University
- University of Richmond
- Virginia State University
- Virginia Union University
- Piedmont Virginia Community College
- Brightpoint Community College
- Reynolds Community College

Funding Opportunities and Calls for Proposals

Funding opportunities within CCI may be issued through several channels, including:

  • The CCI Hub
  • The Central Virginia Node (CVN)
  • Internal institutional allocations at UVA or other participating universities

A current list of CCI funding opportunities and calls for proposals can be found on the official proposals page: CCI Calls for Proposals and Funding Opportunities

Additional Information

Additional information about CCI can be found at the following websites: