Carnegie Mellon University

Software Engineering Institute

Always focused on the future, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) advances software as a strategic advantage for national security. We lead research and direct transition of software engineering, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence technologies at the intersection of academia, industry, and government. We serve the nation as a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and are based at Carnegie Mellon University, a global research university annually rated among the best for its programs in computer science and engineering.

The 2021 SEI Year in Review highlights the work of the institute undertaken during the fiscal year spanning October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.

The Stories

Photo of Greg Touhill, SEI CERT Division director.

Greg Touhill Takes Helm of CERT Division

The SEI appointed Gregory J. Touhill as director of the SEI’s CERT Division in spring 2021.

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SEI Leads Development of New SAE AADL Version

The SEI led development of the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) version 2.3.

Two helicopters in flight.

Applying AADL Expertise to Future Vertical Lift Modeling

The project assembled a tool chain that can seamlessly transition from a formal model to an executing, verified system.

Photo illustration of Alex Van Deusen.

Operationalizing Responsible Artificial Intelligence

The Defense Innovation Unit collaborated with the SEI to operationalize ethical AI principles.

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Quantifying Uncertainty in Mission-Critical AI Systems

Many machine learning models inaccurately estimate the certainty of their inferences about real-world data.

Building the Quantum Advantage Evaluation Framework

The framework will predict the computing applications that will show quantum advantage in one to three years.

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AI and Open Source Software Contribution

The SEI released several new tools and updated a number of existing open source projects in fiscal year 2021.

Agile Virtual Schoolhouse Enables Vital Distance Learning

In response to customer shifts in the pandemic, the SEI transitioned its Agile classroom courses to a virtual format.

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Building a Roadmap for System Cybersecurity Improvement

The Cybersecurity Engineering Review shows programs acquiring or engineering software systems how to bake security in.

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A Vision and Roadmap for Software Engineering Research and Development

Software development may soon look like a technical conversation between humans and computers.

Photo collage of Carnegie Mellon University, columns, hands exchanging books, a soldier checking a tablet, people sitting at tables, and the three pillars of AI engineering.

New Artificial Intelligence Division to Advance the Discipline

The AI Division researches the practical design and implementation of AI.

Illustration of a three-pillared building with books as the foundation and digital squares for a roof. The three pillars show a lock symbol, scaling symbol, and head portrait symbol.

AI Engineering: Building the Discipline and Growing an Ecosystem

The SEI has begun formalizing the field of AI engineering, much as it did for software engineering in the 1980s.

Illustration of an infinity-loop pipeline with people in lab coats at a Dev station, Sec station, and Ops station. The DevSecOps model diagram appears nearby.

Modeling DevSecOps for Software Pipeline Assurance

Until now, there has been no practical framework for implementing and evaluating DevSecOps.

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Enabling the Next Generation of U.S. Nuclear Deterrence

The SEI bolstered the software assurance and cybersecurity of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent system.

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Supporting Innovation Through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The SEI's new Office of DE&I is part of the entire employee lifecycle.

Illustration of soldiers and military devices sending signals.

Getting the Jump on System Failures in AI-Powered Data Processing Pipelines

AI End-to-End monitors pipelines and automatically reconstitutes them if the system or components fail.

Photo illustration of Bjorn Andersson with metronomes and a microchip.

Achieving Confidence in Multicore Processors to Enhance DoD Capabilities

Timing failures in multicore processors can have disastrous consequences.

Illustration of a highway.

Transitioning the DoD’s Software Acquisition Pathway to Programs

The SEI worked with early adopters of the policy to test its efficacy and deliver capabilities to warfighters.

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Accelerating New Capability Through Rapid Certifiable Trust

Cyber-physical systems require system verification techniques that can adapt to a faster deployment cadence.

Collage of U.S. Air Force and Navy personnel at computers.

Improving System Interoperability with a Data-Centric Universal C2 Language

Many DoD command-and-control systems use incompatible standards for information exchange and storage.