University of North Texas 
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has enlisted cybersecurity experts from the University of North Texas to overhaul its hiring processes, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding national security.
UNT researchers, led by computer science and engineering faculty Ram Dantu and Cihan Tunc, have received $2.1 million in funding from the Cyber Service Academy under the DoD’s Chief Information Officer. The support comes through capacity-building grants designed to strengthen universities’ capabilities in cybersecurity education and research. The academy, part of the Chief Information Officer’s Workforce Innovation Directorate, is focused on enhancing recruitment and retention in the economically critical field of cybersecurity. The rest of the funds, around $900,000, comes from the National Security Agency.
Over the next two years, the UNT research team will develop an artificial intelligence system powered by a large language model (LLM) — a type of advanced AI capable of analyzing and generating human-like text. The goal is for the LLM to help match job seekers with open cybersecurity positions within the DoD by analyzing candidates’ resumes, CVs and other documents and comparing them with job requirements. The UNT team will develop new algorithms for matching cybersecurity requirements as well as calculating the rigor of the knowledge, skills, abilities and tasks in the resumes.
“This is about ensuring we have the right people in the right positions to protect our national security. There are so many foreign actors working against our country, so it is critical that this well,” says Dantu, who also directs UNT’s Center for Information and Cyber Security, which unites faculty experts from the College of Engineering, College of Information and College of Business to advance information and computer security.
If candidates aren’t a perfect fit for a position, the system will recommend specific certification courses they can take to meet the job’s requirements. This innovative approach aims to streamline hiring while also providing clear pathways for individuals to upskill and qualify for highly specialized roles.
Initially, the LLM will focus on filling 75 kinds of cybersecurity-related roles within the Chief Information Officer’s division, such as forensics specialists and security software developers. The system will operate on a secure private server to ensure sensitive information remains protected. Over time, the project could expand to cover hiring across the entire DoD.
“One of the great things about this is that it will help the Department of Defense as a whole, not just a single division,” Dantu says.
UNT is one of the few universities offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a doctorate in cybersecurity. It’s also among only 30 institutions nationwide — and one of only four in Texas — that’s been designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense for the next 25 years by the U.S. National Security Agency. Through this new DoD-funded project, UNT graduate and undergraduate students on the team will have the opportunity to contribute to research that is working to improve processes with implications for U.S. national security.
“We’ve been in talks with the CIO team about this project for a few years now,” Dantu says. “Now that we’re starting the work it feels like answering a national calling.”