Work with Us
As a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)—a nonprofit, public–private partnership that conducts research for the U.S. government—the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (SEI) has been working with government, industry, and academia since it was established in 1984. At the SEI, an expert staff develops and applies technologies to address issues in software engineering, cybersecurity, AI engineering, and other areas of computing.
How We Are Different
As an FFRDC sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, our research, systems development guidance, and analysis are objective and independent. We conduct business with all customers free from conflict of interest.
How We Work with Government
As an FFRDC, we fulfill core DoD software engineering needs that are unmet by in-house and private-sector R&D centers. By charter, we offer fast-track contracting for DoD and other federal organizations. We stay close to our sponsor in Washington, DC, with offices in Arlington, Virginia, in addition to our headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The SEI has completed projects across many government organizations. As one example, the U.S. Army and the SEI engaged in a multiyear partnership to improve the Army's capability to acquire software-reliant systems. On another occasion, our engineers helped a prototyping team accelerate its use of Agile methods in an acquisition for a critical U.S. Air Force intelligence system. We also collaborated with the Department of Transportation and US-CERT on research aimed at securing the U.S. government's fleet of vehicles.
We are constantly initiating new work with the U.S. government. How can we help you?
LEARN HOW TO INITIATE A NEW U.S. GOVERNMENT PROJECT WITH US
How We Work with the Private Sector
The SEI helps commercial organizations achieve a strategic advantage by rapidly applying improved software engineering technology. We combine our expertise with yours to mature new technology for the benefit of the entire software industry. Our industry R&D sponsors enjoy early access to results and can use this to improve development, streamline operations, and gain an edge on competitors.
SEI standards and practices, piloted with industry partners, are in use by major corporations in the supply chain for DoD software-reliant systems, including Cisco Systems and Oracle. SEI research helped create and extend the Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL), maintained by SAE International, the leading automotive and aerospace industry trade association. Also, the recently formed SEI Cyber Intelligence Research Consortium includes industry members such as PNC Bank and American Express.
We look forward to partnering with your company.
CONTACT US ABOUT PRIVATE-SECTOR WORK
How We Work with Academia
As part of the Carnegie Mellon University community, the SEI contributes to the intellectual capital of the university through research, collaboration, and teaching. Our technical staff maintain close relationships with top researchers and faculty in cybersecurity and software engineering, and we frequently collaborate with faculty at CMU and other universities.
SEI researchers—collaborating with a team of educators from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Monmouth University, and Stevens Institute of Technology—built a model curriculum for software assurance education and defined strategies to implement it. In another example, we collaborated with researchers from CMU and the Florida Institute of Technology on a dynamic network defense platform.
SEI staff publish dozens of papers in academic journals and frequently speak at top conferences in the field. We are eager to work with you on your research projects.
CONTACT US ABOUT COLLABORATING ON YOUR ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Active Contracts
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) operates and manages the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Enterprise Acquisition Services Division (AFLCMC/AZS), at Hanscom AFB administers the U.S. Air Force (USAF) contracts. The contract incorporates a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Sponsoring Agreement that establishes the mission, scope, and policy by which the Lab is operated and managed, consistent with FAR 35.017. The DoD Sponsoring Agreement details, and the USAF contract enforces, that projects operate with an agreement between CMU-SEI and the project customer (via the "Project Work Plan"). All government customers must utilize USAF Contracts for R&D work performed by CMU-SEI.
Contract Number
FA8702-15-D-0002
Base Ordering Period: 27 July 2015 – 30 June 2020
Option Ordering Period: 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2025