CCI Impact Award

Nominations open Jan. 4, 2027

The CCI Impact Award is the annual flagship award for CCI.

It recognizes an individual, team, group, or organization that, through their CCI activities, conducted breakthrough cybersecurity research or innovation, or developed a creative means to improve cybersecurity workforce opportunities for our industry partners and students.

The impact must be at a minimum regional, but optimally, state-wide or nationally recognized, and is measured through economic metrics, professional standards or publications, media attention, etc.

The current award period is the 2026 calendar year.

This year's award will be presented at the 2027 CCI Symposium dinner on April 5, 2026, in the Grand Ballroom at the Virginia Guesthouse Hotel and Conference Center.

Nominations for the 2026 award open on January 4, 2027, and close on February 26, 2027.

Who Is Eligible

Any faculty member, student, or staff member at a CCI institution of higher education, CCI-engaged industry partner, non-profit organization, or government agency/organization (individual, group, or organization) who has conducted their activities in the 2026 calendar year can be nominated.

Nomination Process

Once available, complete the CCI Impact Award Nomination Form:

If you're at a CCI institution of higher education, get an endorsement from the appropriate node director or CCI executive director on the nomination form
Save the form as a PDF
Submit the form as an attachment to CCI Managing Director John Delaney at jpdelaney@vt.edu

CCI will accept nominations from January 4, 2027, to February 26, 2027.

The Impact Award Selection Committee, an advisory to the CCI Leadership Council, will review all nominations. The CCI Leadership Council will then review the committee’s recommendations and select the winner.

2025 Impact Award Winners Tom Bennett II and Svetlana Filiatreau