Published on Jan. 21, 2026

Researchers can now compete for sensitive government grants

Researchers at Mizzou and the UM System are among the first in the nation who can compete for certain federal grants that involve sensitive data. This milestone highlights the university’s commitment as a top research institution.

In December 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) began requiring organizations to obtain a stringent cybersecurity certification if they intend to handle sensitive data known as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). This certification, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2, is a prerequisite for many types of grants and awards from the DoD, and similar cybersecurity requirements are becoming common in a growing number of grants from agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and NASA.

The UM System is among the first 1% of organizations in the nation to achieve CMMC Level 2 certification, according to metrics collected by the Cyber AB, the official accreditation body for the certification.

“CMMC Level 2 ensures that organizations working with sensitive information maintain advanced cybersecurity practices,” said Becky Fowler, chief information security officer for the UM System. “With our secured research environment, our investigators are uniquely positioned to compete for millions of dollars in grant funding in an increasingly competitive landscape.”

Leading the way in higher education

The MU Center for Geospatial Intelligence is the first at Mizzou to earn CMMC Level 2 certification. The center focuses on critical needs for national security, homeland defense and military combat support, and received the certification in July 2025.

“Investigators at other universities who want to conduct research on sensitive topics are not eligible to apply because they lack the necessary cybersecurity safeguards to protect sensitive government data and information,” said Curt Davis, director of the MU Center for Geospatial Intelligence. “Mishandling CUI data can have significant national security implications, so it is imperative that research organizations meet all DoD cybersecurity requirements, which now include CMMC Level 2 certification. At the MU Center for Geospatial Intelligence, this certification is already opening the door to more contract opportunities from national security and defense agencies and the defense industry.”

Following the successful accreditation of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence, the university expanded its cybersecurity research capabilities through the Arculus Research Enclave System. Arculus is a secure research environment that protects CUI data used by researchers while ensuring compliance with U.S. laws. It received CMMC Level 2 certification in January 2026 after successfully meeting 110 security practices and more than 300 assessment objectives required to maintain, store and protect CUI.

Managed by the MU IT Research Support and Security team, Arculus is available to researchers across the UM System.

Researchers interested in using the Arculus environment for their research can contact ITRSS at muitrss@missouri.edu.