The Department of Defense (DoD) has extended its potential $2.7 billion contract with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to operate the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) for an additional term of five years, the University reported on Tuesday.
"The work of the SEI in collaboration with other research efforts across the university magnifies the impact we can achieve not only for the DoD, but also more generally for Pittsburgh and the nation," said Michael McQuade, CMU vice president for research. "The SEI helps to ensure that we continue to be a high-tech anchor for the region, supporting jobs and recruitment of research talent to CMU and to the area."
Under the contract, CMU’s research and development center (FFRDC) will continue to support national security by advancing and transitioning the science, technologies and practices needed to make software a strategic advantage for the DoD.
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) has sponsored the SEI, which is the only FFRDC focusing specifically on software-related security and engineering.
CMU’s SEI will develop technologies and practices to solve engineering and cybersecurity challenges in the nation's critical infrastructure and in fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.
The SEI has helped organizations to acquire, develop, operate, and sustain software systems, and ensure these software systems are innovative, affordable, trustworthy and enduring. The contract was awarded in 2015 for a term of five years with an option for a five-year extension.
"Carnegie Mellon University overall, and the SEI in particular, are global leaders in addressing complex cybersecurity and software engineering challenges. I'm glad that CMU will be able to continue this important work, and that the SEI's capabilities in this field continue to benefit the academic vitality and economic life of Pittsburgh," congressman Mike Doyle said.
About the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute
The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University.
The SEI works with organizations to make measurable improvements in their software engineering capabilities by providing technical leadership to advance the practice of software engineering. The CERT Division of the SEI is the world's leading trusted authority dedicated to improving the security and resilience of computer systems and networks and a national asset in the field of cybersecurity.
