ANN ARBOR – Public schools, community colleges, public universities, and non-profit organizations in Southeast Michigan interested in cybersecurity training or economic development are encouraged to respond to a new request for proposals issued Tuesday by Merit Network. The deadline to respond is May 15.

Merit, a sub-recipient of the Advance Michigan Defense Collaborative grant, is seeking proposals from organizations interested in creating a limited number of Cyber Range Hubs within the Advance Michigan area, a 13-county region in Southeast Michigan. Counties within the region include: Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Ingham, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne.


A Cyber Range Hub is a facility that has the networking and computing infrastructure to provide certification courses, cybersecurity training exercises, and product hardening/testing through the Michigan Cyber Range. Cyber Range Hubs in the region have previously been created by Merit’s Michigan Cyber Range at Selfridge Air Force Base, the Velocity Center, and General Dynamics Land Systems. Like the Velocity Center, the hubs created through the ADMC grant will be accessible by the public and will help to meet the growing demand for cybersecurity training, making each Hub a community magnet for cybersecurity and economic development in their region.

Each organization selected to establish a Cyber Range Hub will receive funding from the ADMC grant, after which the organization will need to sustain their business operation by providing training and services. Eligible organizations include public schools, community colleges, public universities, and 501(c)3 non-profit organizations interested in cybersecurity training or economic development.

“The development of the Cyber Range Hubs, and especially the partnership with the Advance Michigan Defense Collaborative, will give students, professionals, and job-seekers local places to go and learn about cyber security,” said Joe Adams, vice president for research and cyber security at Merit Network. “These Hubs will serve as a focal point in their community for classes, exercises, and events, enabling jobs and economic development.”

The new Cyber Range Hubs will benefit from the relationships that the Michigan Cyber Range has established with cybersecurity curriculum providers, industry partners, and government agencies. Each Hub will be able to provide certification courses in over 20 cybersecurity disciplines, including penetration testing, computer forensics, network security, and much more. Additionally, the Hubs will host cyber exercises and events.

The Hubs will also have a direct connection to the Michigan Cyber Range’s infrastructure and Alphaville training environment. Each Hub will be able to provide realistic, hands-on cybersecurity exercises to challenge IT professionals and help them learn to detect and prevent cyber attacks.

Merit encourages organizations to submit a RFP proposal soon to become a Cyber Range Hub. For more information and to request the RFP, please visit: merit.edu/cyber-range-hub-rfp

The deadline to respond to the RFP is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 15.

About Michigan Cyber Range
The Michigan Cyber Range prepares cybersecurity professionals to detect, prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks in a real-world setting. Like a test track or a firing range, the Michigan Cyber Range enables individuals and organizations to conduct “live fire” exercises: simulations that test the detection and reaction skills of participants in a variety of situations. The Michigan Cyber Range also offers certification courses for a number of cybersecurity disciplines, with instruction available on-site and live online. A full training schedule may be found at the Merit Michigan Cyber Range web site: www.merit.edu/cyberrange/

The Michigan Cyber Range is hosted and facilitated by Merit Network in partnership with the State of Michigan and with the sponsorship of DTE Energy.