Software Engineering Institute

Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally

Software Engineering Institute
funded research and development center in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1984, the
institute is now sponsored by the United States
Department of Defense and the Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering,
and administrated by Carnegie Mellon University.[1][2]
The activities of the institute cover cybersecurity,
software assurance, software engineering and
acquisition, and component capabilities critical to the
United States Department of Defense. Established November 14, 1984
Research type Multiprogram
Budget US$584 million for 2011–
Authority 2015
Field of Software engineering
The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute is
research
a federally funded research and development center
Director Paul D. Nielsen
headquartered on the campus of Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Staff 700
The SEI also has offices in Washington, DC; Arlington Address 4500 Fifth Avenue
County, Virginia; and Los Angeles, California. The SEI Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
operates with major funding from the U.S. Department United States
of Defense. The SEI also works with industry and 40.4466°N 79.9500°W
academia through research collaborations.[1]
ZIP code 15213
On November 14, 1984, the U.S. Department of Affiliations Department of Defense
Defense elected Carnegie Mellon University as the Office of the Under
host site of the Software Engineering Institute.[1] The Secretary of Defense for
institute was founded with an initial allocation of $6 Research and
million, with another $97 million to be allocated in the Engineering
subsequent five years. The SEI's contract with the
Operating Carnegie Mellon University
Department of Defense is subject to review and agency
renewal every five years.
Website [Link] ([Link]
SEI focuses on several technical directions: software [Link])
engineering, cybersecurity, assurance, and DoD critical Map
component capabilities.[3]
Areas of work
The SEI defines specific initiatives aimed at improving
organizations' software engineering capabilities.

Management practices
Organizations need to effectively manage the Location in Pittsburgh
acquisition, development, and evolution (ADE) of
software-intensive systems. Success in software engineering management practices helps organizations
predict and control quality, schedule, cost, cycle time, and productivity. The best-known example of SEI
in management practices is the SEI's Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for Software (now Capability
Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)). The CMMI approach consists of models, appraisal methods, and
training courses that have been proven to improve process performance. In 2006, Version 1.2 of the
CMMI Product Suite included the release of CMMI for Development. CMMI for Development was the
first of three constellations defined in Version 1.2: the others include CMMI for Acquisition and CMMI
for Services. The CMMI for Services constellation was released in February 2009. Another management
practice developed by CERT, which is part of the SEI, is the Resilience Management Model (CERT-
RMM). The CERT-RMM is a capability model for operational resilience management. Version 1.0 of the
Resilience Management Model was released in May 2010.

Engineering practices
SEI work in engineering practices increases the ability of software engineers to analyze, predict, and
control selected functional and non-functional properties of software systems. Key SEI tools and methods
include the SEI Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM) method, the SEI Framework for
Software Product Line Practice, and the SEI Service Migration and Reuse Technique (SMART).

Security
The SEI is also the home of the CERT/CC (CERT Coordination Center), a federally funded computer
security organization. The SEI CERT Program's primary goals are to ensure that appropriate technology
and systems-management practices are used to resist attacks on networked systems and to limit damage
and ensure continuity of critical services in spite of successful attacks, accidents, or failures. The SEI
CERT program is working with US-CERT to produce the Build Security In (BSI) website, which
provides guidelines for building security into every phase of the software development lifecycle. The SEI
has also conducted research on insider threats and computer forensics. Results of this research and other
information now populate the CERT Virtual Training Environment.
Special programs

SEI Partner Network

The SEI Partner Network helps the SEI disseminate software engineering best practices. Organizations
and individuals in the SEI Partner Network are selected, trained, and licensed by the SEI to deliver
authentic SEI services, which include courses, consulting methods, and management processes. The
network currently consists of nearly 250 partner organizations worldwide.

Conferences
The SEI sponsors national and international conferences, workshops, and user-group meetings. Other
events cover subjects including the acquisition of software-intensive systems, commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS)-based systems, network security and survivability, software process research, software product
lines, CMMI, and the SEI Team Software Process.

Education and training

SEI courses are currently offered at the SEI's locations in the
United States and Europe. In addition, using licensed course
materials, SEI Partners train individuals.

Membership program
The SEI Membership Program helps the software engineering
community to network. SEI Members include small business
owners, software and systems programmers, CEOs, directors,
and managers from both Fortune 500 companies and Main facility on Fifth Avenue in
government organizations.[4] Pittsburgh.

Affiliate program
Through the SEI Affiliate Program, organizations place technical experts with the SEI for periods ranging
from 12 months to four years. Affiliates currently are working on projects with the SEI to identify,
develop, and demonstrate improved software engineering practices.

Software Process Achievement award program

In order to recognize outstanding achievements in improving an organization's ability to create and
evolve software-dependent systems, the SEI and IEEE Computer Society created the Software Process
Achievement Award program.[5] In addition to rewarding excellence, the purpose of this award is to
foster continuous advancement in the practice of software engineering and to disseminate insights,
experiences, and proven practices throughout the relevant research and practitioner communities.
Research and publications
The SEI publishes reports that offer new technical information about software engineering topics,
whether theoretical or applied. The SEI also publishes books on software engineering for industry,
government and military applications and practices.

In addition, the SEI offers public courses, workshops, and conferences in process improvement, software
architecture and product lines, and security.

Controversies
On November 11, 2015, Roger Dingledine from the Tor Project accused[6] the Software Engineering
Institute of aiding the Federal Bureau of Investigation in uncovering the identities of users of the Tor
network. Later prosecution showed the hack was paid for by the Department of Defense and subpoenaed
by the FBI.[7]

Focus of progressive protests

SEI has been an occasional site of anti-war movement and peace movement protests,[8][9][10] many of
which have been organized by Pittsburgh's Thomas Merton Center.

Popular culture
SEI served as the Blackgate Prison in the 2012 film
The Dark Knight Rises.

See also

Engineering portal

Software engineer
Personal software process (PSP)
Team software process (TSP) The tunnel in SEI served as the entrance
to Blackgate Prison in The Dark Knight
Rises.
References
1. Linda Hutz Pesante (January 1, 2003). Anthony Ralston; Edwin D. Reilly (eds.). "Software
engineering institute (SEI)" ([Link] Encyclopedia
of Computer Science. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.: 1611–1613.
ISBN 978-0-470-86412-8. "(1) The institute was competitively awarded to Carnegie Mellon
in December 1984 by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to improve the state of the
practice of software engineering. ... (2) the SEI moves mature solutions of proven value into
 widespread use; examples include the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) ... (3) bring
engineering insight and management discipline to the practice of software engineering."
2. "Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers | NCSES | NSF" ([Link]
[Link]/statistics/ffrdclist/). [Link]. Archived ([Link]
602/[Link] from the original on December 17, 2020.
Retrieved March 8, 2023.
3. "2015 Year in Review" ([Link]
[Link]) (PDF). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. 2015. p. 4.
4. "Work With Us Page" ([Link] Archived (htt
ps://[Link]/web/20210308233958/[Link]
[Link]) from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
5. Software Process Award program ([Link]
rds/) Archived ([Link]
s/casestudies/processawards/) September 29, 2017, at the Wayback Machine.
6. "Did the FBI Pay a University to Attack Tor Users?" ([Link]
versity-attack-tor-users). Archived ([Link]
[Link]/did-fbi-pay-university-attack-tor-users) from the original on March 8, 2021.
Retrieved March 29, 2020.
7. "Confirmed: Carnegie Mellon University Attacked Tor, Was Subpoenaed By Feds" ([Link]
[Link]/en/article/carnegie-mellon-university-attacked-tor-was-subpoenaed-by-feds/).
February 24, 2016. Archived ([Link]
[Link]/en_us/article/d7yp5a/carnegie-mellon-university-attacked-tor-was-subpoenae
d-by-feds) from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
8. "Democracy Now! | Carnegie Military University : How the Pentagon Funds Universities to
Contribute to War" ([Link]
how_the_pentagon). Democracy Now!. Archived ([Link]
544/[Link]
agon) from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
9. "The Tartan Online : Pittsburgh walks for peace" ([Link]
ar). Archived ([Link]
ews/war) from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
10. "1,200 demonstrate against Iraq War in Oakland" ([Link]
[Link]). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 24, 2007. Archived ([Link]
web/20110629055716/[Link] from the
original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2007.

Further reading
Fenton, Edwin (2000). Carnegie Mellon 1900–2000: A Centennial History. Pittsburgh:
Carnegie Mellon University Press. ISBN 0-88748-323-2.

External links
Official website ([Link]

Retrieved from "[Link]