Syracuse University will receive a $1.5 million grant from the United States Intelligence Community over a five-year period to educate and recruits students interested in the intelligence field, according to a Tuesday SU News release.

The Intelligence Community also designated SU as one of eight national Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence. As part of the program, SU will lead a consortium of universities, including Norfolk State University in Virginia and The Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York.

SU has already made a commitment to educating students interested in the intelligence field through its Institute for National Security and Counterrorism. Established in 2003, the institute is a multidisciplinary center with law and graduate programs. James Baker, the current director, has worked for the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and National Security Council.

Faculty members participating in the new program will develop intelligence-related curriculums for a major, minor and certificate program. They will also help foster professional development and faculty research opportunity.

The consortium will work to meet the educational needs of the Intelligence Community, a federation of 17 separate federal intelligence agencies. There is a need for graduates to be adaptable to “changing environments,” to have diverse perspectives and to emphasize ethics and the rule of law, according to the Tuesday release.

SU plans to build partnerships with the institutions in its consortium to help attract a diverse body of students, such as military veterans, women and others from underrepresented backgrounds. The university ranked No. 4 on Military Times’ 2019 list of best schools for veterans. SU’s $62.5 million National Veterans Resource Center, a regional hub for veteran services, is expected to open in January 2020.