Maryland offers up to $500K for cyber-AI clinics to train workers

Maryland has launched the Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Clinic Grant program, offering up to $500,000 per recipient to colleges, nonprofits, and training providers to establish cyber and AI clinics. The first-of-its-kind state initiative aims to address thousands of vacant cybersecurity positions annually while providing digital security services to vulnerable community institutions like schools, hospitals, and small businesses.

What you should know: The Maryland Department of Labor’s new grant program targets both workforce development and community cybersecurity needs through a dual-purpose clinic model.

• Grant recipients must train at least 100 cyber professionals annually between 2027 and 2029, covering both technical roles like engineers and analysts as well as non-technical positions such as compliance and risk managers.
• All clinics will be required to integrate AI into their training and service delivery, ensuring participants gain hands-on experience with emerging cybersecurity tools.
• The program runs from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2029, with applications due December 10 and awards announced in January.

Why this matters: The initiative addresses Maryland’s critical cybersecurity workforce shortage while simultaneously protecting the state’s most vulnerable institutions from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

• State officials designed the program to prepare workers for an era where artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping both cyber attacks and defense strategies.
• Small businesses, schools, and hospitals often lack the resources for robust cybersecurity measures, making them prime targets for cybercriminals.

What they’re saying: Labor officials emphasize the program’s real-world impact and career development potential.

• “Cyber clinics provide exciting opportunities for learners to gain real-world skills that lead to family-sustaining careers, while providing local schools, small businesses, and hospitals with cutting-edge cyber protection,” Labor Secretary Portia Wu said in a statement.
• “This initiative puts AI into practice by preparing Marylanders for the jobs of the future while delivering real protections to the places that need them most urgently,” said Seeyew Mo of Cyber Maryland, the state’s cybersecurity initiative.

Key details: Eligible applicants include colleges, nonprofits, workforce training providers, and apprenticeship sponsors, with a pre-proposal conference scheduled for October 15.