Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!math.lsa.umich.edu!sharkey!umich!ox.com!emv From: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) Newsgroups: comp.archives Subject: [comp.software-eng] Info on Software Engineering Research Center Message-ID: <1990Dec29.215816.11126@ox.com> Date: 29 Dec 90 21:58:16 GMT References: <12757@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> Sender: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti) Reply-To: spaf@uther.cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford) Followup-To: comp.software-eng Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University Lines: 135 Approved: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti) X-Original-Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Archive-name: case/research/serc/1990-12-14 Archive-directory: arthur.cs.purdue.edu:/pub/serc/ [128.10.2.1] Original-posting-by: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) Original-subject: Info on Software Engineering Research Center Reposted-by: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti) It's been some time since I posted any information on the SERC so I bet that many of you haven't heard the information. People interested in research on testing, debugging, metrics, prototyping, CASE tools, programming aids, analysis tools, user interface design, and more will probably be interested in this material. First, a *complete* bibliography with abstracts of all SERC technical reports is updated monthly for ftp. You can get the file, along with other information about the SERC, by anonymous ftp from arthur.cs.purdue.edu look in the directory ~ftp/pub/serc What follows is the "About-SERC" file from that directory: A decade or so ago, the National Science Foundation established a program to encourage cooperative research between academia and industry. The goal of the program was to establish self-sufficient research centers of excellence in areas of critical technology. These centers would be located at universities, and staffed principally by faculty and student researchers. Those researchers would cooperate closely with scientists and engineers at partner US industrial concerns, and conduct research into critical topics of near-term importance. The idea was simple enough -- industry folks would provide guidance and feedback, funding, and some cooperative research. Most importantly, they would provide real-world data and experience to help the researchers in their work. Meanwhile, the university researchers would contribute their time and talent, using (mostly) the research facilities of their universities, to conduct innovative research into topics that the companies were interested in but not able (or currently willing) to pursue. The industrial concerns would get first crack at licensing or developing the results of this research as a direct pay-back for their investment. The researchers gain from this because they get access to real-world data and experience to valiate their models and guide their research. They get to explore ideas they might not otherwise get to investigate. Furthermore, they gain in the interaction with researchers at affiliate companies, and they gain access to some stable, long-term funding for their work. The companies gain by having immediate access to innovative research that is often outside the areas they can support. They get to interact with some world-class researchers, and they often get to take advantage of new graduates, summer internships, and possibilities of sending their personnel for advance degrees while working on company-specific projects. It's a win all the way around. The SERC is one of over 50 such centers established by NSF, and the only one devoted to software engineering. It was founded in 1986. It has been self-supporting since its inception. The program is known at NSF as the Industry-University Cooperative Reserarch Center program (IUCRC for short). The SERC is co-located at Purdue University and the University of Florida in Gainesville. We also have active research associations with faculty and students at Ball State University, the University of West Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Minnesota, Georgia Tech, the University of Houston, UC Irvine, and the University of Massachusetts. We have a number of affiliate organizations -- our industry partners (see the "affiliates" file). And, of course, NSF is still a supporter of our work. We have had faculty and students from CS, EE, Industrial Engineering, Management, and Systems Engineering all involved with SERC projects. To go through an entire list would take too much space (we can send a tech report list on request). We've had projects in prototyping, user interfaces, CASE technology, design methods, software testing, program debugging, maintenance tools, management-oriented metrics, real-time analysis, management methods, object-oriented design, and more. Our research is also supported by outside funding sources as well as our affiliates. Currently, we have an approximate annual expenditure rate of over $1 million dollars. Our affiliates get to leverage into all this research and activity for a total committment of $30K per year. Yup, only $30,000 -- about 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of a MS-level software engineer. However, a chunk of that $30K comes right back as a special tax credit (the government very much wants these centers to continue their great success). Admittedly, there are some additional costs -- the company needs to have someone come to management meetings, and someone needs to take the time to read all the research information we send out! Overall, the cost is *very* reasonable for value received, and that is one reason the program has been so successful. We've got lots of other things we've been doing, too, including an extensive publications series, seminars, participations and sponsorship in workshops and symposia, national boards, and so on. The list goes on, but if you follow these things, you've already seen us listed. If not, we can send you further details if you want. I can send some printed info on the SERC, including an up-to-date tech report list and some past newsletters if you send me your postal (surface) address. I am also willing to follow-up to any e-mail or phone questions you may have. We have a short presentation we can make, in person or if you'd like to visit us and see some demos of our work. Just let us know. Current Commercial Affiliates: Andersen Consulting Co. AT&T Bell Labs Bellcore Bell Northern Research Computer Sciences Corporation Contel Digital Equipment Corporation GTE Data Services Harris Corporation IBM Corporation Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Current Organizational Affiliates and Contacts: Florida High Technology and Industry Council National Science Foundation US Army Information Systems Engineering Command Joining (early 1991): Rockwell Corporation Sun Microsystems Westinghouse (Savannah River Plant) -- Gene Spafford NSF/Purdue/U of Florida Software Engineering Research Center, Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-2004 Internet: spaf@cs.purdue.edu uucp: ...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spaf