The NCSC and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) jointly recognise Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR).

It is one of a number of initiatives outlined in the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy ‘Protecting and Promoting the UK in a Digital World’. The Strategy describes how Government is working with academia and industry to make the UK more resilient to cyber attacks.

CSIT was recognised as one of the first ACE-CSRs following the 2011 round assessment and was recognised once again in the 2016 round assessment.

The scheme aims to:

• enhance the quality and scale of academic cyber security research and postgraduate training being undertaken in the UK;
• make it easier for potential users of research to identify the best cyber security research and postgraduate training that the UK has to offer;
• help to develop a shared vision and aims among the UK cyber security research community, inside and outside academia.

In addition to CSIT being an ACE-CSR, Queen's University Belfast is an Academic Centre or Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) and in 2024 was awarded 'Gold' status for efforts in improving cyber security initiatives university wide. 

You can learn more about Queen's ACE CSE team here.