For Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student Lucas Saunders, a cybersecurity drone research program held at the Daytona Beach Campus two summers ago put him on the fast track to land a six-month software engineering co-op with Collins Aerospace.

“It’s the first thing that stands out on my resume,” said Saunders, now a senior Computer Science major.  “It got me interviews at the career fair, including the one with Collins, and it also got me more interested in research.”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Embry-Riddle a nearly $500,000 grant to continue hosting its Research Experiences for Undergraduates program on Cybersecurity Research of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The grant runs for the next three years. Embry-Riddle has hosted the REU program for the past six years.

"NSF REU programs provide far more than a summer research experience,” said Dr. Mihhail Berezovski, director of the university’s Office of Undergraduate Research. “They help students discover their potential as researchers, innovators and future leaders.”

The intense, 10-week summer research program is led by principal investigator Dr. Laxima Niure Kandel, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The program’s goals include increasing the safety and security of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in personal, commercial and military applications, said Kandel, who is also director of the Cybersecurity and Assured Systems Engineering Center (CyBase) and a member of the leadership team at Embry-Riddle’s Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS).

“As UAVs become more integrated into our airspace, security and safety are really vital,” she said.

Ten undergraduates from across the U.S. will be selected for the program, which will be held over the summers of 2027, 2028 and 2029. The students will be paired with faculty mentors from the College of Engineering and CARS for research projects. Additionally, mini capture-the-flag competitions will be held each week to hone students’ cybersecurity skills.

These experiences will be complemented by artificial intelligence training workshops, a comprehensive professional development series and opportunities for students to showcase their work at Embry-Riddle’s Summer Research Symposium.

“Our goal is to ensure students leave not only with technical expertise, but also with the confidence, professional skills and research network needed to pursue graduate study and careers at the forefront of STEM,” Berezovski said.

GPS Spoofing Sows Confusion for Drones

Several past REU students have focused their research on GPS spoofing, a form of cyberattack designed to fool the drone’s GPS signal by sending a strong, false signal to the aircraft. This can result in a third party taking over the drone remotely.

This summer, Saunders is continuing his GPS spoofing research, which has resulted in two published papers. Nicholas Scarangelli, who is earning his master’s degree in Computer Science, is also working with Saunders on the research.

“GPS spoofing attacks are becoming more common,” said Kandel. “We are collecting data sets and then using machine learning to detect these attacks and look at solutions.”

Last summer, REU students Vienna Li and Justin Villa conducted GPS spoofing research with CARS — research that won third place at the 2025 IEEE Cyber Awareness and Research Symposium.

“We have equipment to simulate GPS spoofing that they used in their research,” said Jayson Clifford, a research scholar at CARS’ Systems Integration Lab. “They were able to use this hardware to look at how to detect GPS spoofing when it happens.”

Ultimately, the REU program at Embry-Riddle aims to hone students’ research and critical thinking skills beyond the classroom, preparing them to become the next leaders in uncrewed aircraft cybersecurity.

“There is a shortage of workforce in this domain, and there is high demand, so it is very important for students to learn these skills to fulfill this gap,” said Kandel.

The 2027 REU site is expected to open for student applications in February 2027. Selected students receive a stipend, on-campus housing and meals, as well as up to $600 in travel expenses.