FAQs

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General Information

The goal of VICEROY is to accelerate and focus the development of foundational expertise in critical cyber operational skills and electromagnetic spectrum operations for future military and civilian leaders of the Armed Forces and Department of War, as envisioned in the Cyber Institutes authority (NDAA Section 1640). VICEROY produces leaders who can contribute immediately to national defense missions—especially those advancing Q-BID and related Critical Technology Areas. 

VICEROY encourages early student interest in challenging Department of War and national security problem sets—particularly those involving contested information and electromagnetic environments—through diverse curricula, experiential learning, projects, and mentoring. 

The initiative develops critical cyber-spectrum foundational skills while also honing student competencies in strategic language acquisition, cryptography, and data sciences, as prescribed in the Cyber Institutes statute. 

Traditional college curricula are augmented with hands-on, research-based, operationally focused experiential learning opportunities tied to real DoW missions, Q-BID projects, and cyber-spectrum operations. 

VICEROY collaborates with academic institutions to establish Virtual Institutes that nurture talent specifically aligned with Department of War workforce needs and Critical Technology Areas. 

A summer internship that fast-tracks students’ competency in cyber-spectrum, providing hands-on professional development experiences within national security, U.S. military culture, leadership, research, and operations. 

MAVEN Eligibility: 
  • Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance 
  • Must meet one of the following: 
    • Active ROTC student 
    • Current VICEROY Scholar 
  • Must be a rising undergraduate studying engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or cyber-related field 
  • GPA of 3.2 or higher is highly desirable

A cyber-spectrum summer internship engaging students in real-world mission-driven operational projects pertaining to U.S. national security, with some roles requiring a Secret clearance and potentially leading to permanent placements. 

ENVOY Eligibility: 
  • Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance 
  • Must meet one of the following: 
    • Active ROTC student  
    • Current VICEROY Scholar 
  • Must be a rising undergraduate or graduate student studying engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or cyber-related field 
  • GPA of 3.2 or higher is highly desirable 
  • Completion of a MAVEN internship desirable but not required 

Cybersecurity, Spectrum, and Information Dominance Expertise 
Develops a talent pipeline with essential skills and operational experience in cyber operations, electromagnetic spectrum warfare, secure communications, and sensing—capabilities central to Q-BID and other CTAs.  

  1. Increased Number of VICEROY Scholars: The VICEROY initiative experienced a 16% growth in student engagement during FY25, increasing from 595 students in FY24 to 695 in FY25. Also, the number of Department of War host sites supporting the VICEROY MAVEN and ENVOY internship programs doubled from FY24 to FY25, while the number of interns placed with these DoW organizations grew from 71 students in FY24 to 159 in FY25—a 124% year-on-year increase, further demonstrating strong commitment to developing mission-ready talent.
  2. Inaugural Poster Session: The first-ever poster session at the 2024 Annual Symposium featured 31 research projects, showcasing the innovative work and research conducted by VICEROY Scholars. Providing direct evidence to DoW leadership of the impact VICEROY-led research may have on defense priorities.
  3. Inaugural MAVEN Internship Programs at DoW Locations: Successfully launched MAVEN internship programs at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and the Army Research Laboratory. These internships help bridge the gap between academic learning and practical application in Service-unique real-world context.
  4. New Course Development: Four new electromagnetic spectrum operations courses were developed by the Virtual Institutes, enhancing the VICEROY curriculum. These courses are designed to address current gaps in knowledge and prepare students for the evolving demands of the defense industry. 

Virtual Institutes are Cyber Institutes-aligned consortia of colleges and universities that collaborate to provide educational resources, hands-on learning experiences, and professional development for students pursuing careers in cybersecurity, electromagnetic spectrum operations, and related fields. 

As part of this Department of War-aligned initiative, VIs: 

Implement curricula and opportunities consistent with the Cyber Institutes statute (cyber operations, strategic languages, cryptography, data science, early-talent programs, and instructor development). 

Offer a collaborative platform that enables scholars’ academic growth, career readiness, and engagement with DoW-related activities and Q-BID-relevant projects. 

Connect regional talent and faculty expertise to national-level research, experimentation, and operations. 

Lead University

Lead Universities provide leadership for Virtual Institutes (VIs). Each VI encompasses one lead university and it is responsible for the overall coordination, administration, and performance of the VI. Also, the lead university holds the primary contract with the Griffiss Institute and is responsible for establishing and managing subcontracts with all Partner Universities within its coalition.

Partner University

A Partner University is an academic institution that is a member of a Virtual Institute (VI) coalition. Each VI is a coalition of schools, consisting of one Lead University and one or more Partner Universities. While all members contribute to the VI’s mission, the Lead University is the primary point of contact and coordination. Partner Universities are contracted directly with the Lead University and do not have a direct contractual relationship with the Griffiss Institute.

Scholar & Intern Questions

Intern accommodations are made at local dorms. All interns can expect to have a roommate. We currently do not take roommate requests.

Rome, NY is a city located in Central New York. Rome earned the nickname “Copper City” because of its pivotal role in the copper industry during the Industrial Revolution. Rome is also the home of Fort Stanwix, which was constructed in 1758 to protect travelers on the Erie Canal.

Upstate New York summers typically see temperatures in the mid to upper 70s to low 80s.

Local tourism pages around DoW host sites: Keesler, Eglin, JBSA, Keyport NUWC, Pac NIWC

Candidates must be eligible for a Secret Clearance and enrolled at a VICEROY-designated university, traditionally pursuing a computer security-related major such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or Mathematics. Candidates in other majors may also be considered, provided they demonstrate relevant experience and strong aptitude in computer science or engineering. GPA of 3.2 or higher is highly desirable.

This is a paid internship compensated at an hourly rate. Griffiss Institute (GI) employees are paid bimonthly. Hourly employees are not eligible for holiday pay. Travel/accommodations to and from the internship location will be made by the GI. Any student wishing to book their own accommodations may do so with prior written authorization and will be reimbursed up to $1500.

No, applications are considered final once submitted. You may however contact viceroy@griffissinstitute.org for any questions.

You will be notified via email if you have been selected for the VICEROY internship program.

We respectfully ask for students to be mindful of planning vacations around the internship to avoid research disruptions. This is an intensive, hands-on learning experience and the curriculum/research requires you be present for the entire internship to reach the mandatory hours to graduate.

We do accept many ROTC students into the program and will work around any official field training they are required to attend- this is the only exception.

Yes! SFS students will be assigned remote work prior to their arrival to reach the 400-hour requirement.

Illness and emergencies should be reported to MAVEN Assistants. They will work with staff to make sure you are taken care of and if needed get medical help as necessary.

There are volunteer experiences in the community that interns are expected to participate in. These experiences do not exceed 10 hours in total.

University Questions

A formal request for approval needs to be made regarding any change in contract (i.e. PI change) before final.

All students and staff need to be security clearance eligible.

Students involved in cross-town ROTC programs are eligible to benefit from the VICEROY initiative through academic courses, internships, and experiential learning to hone student competencies in cyber/electromagnetic spectrum expertise.

Yes, collaboration between Virtual Institutes is encouraged. Griffiss Institute will host program-wide events and competitions, but VIs are encouraged to promote their events to other universities for greater participation.

VICEROY Scholar Slick Sheet

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