REU Site: Software Safety: Research, Practice and a Path Forward

University Of Texas At Dallas, Richardson TX

Investigators

Abstract

Title: REU Site: Software Safety: Research, Practice and a Path Forward Software today plays a significant role in controlling the behavior of many systems, including safety-critical applications. A hazard realized directly or indirectly through a software's operation can be very serious, resulting not only in monetary, time, or property losses, but also in loss of life. In response to such challenges, students at the REU Site at the University of Texas at Dallas, under close mentoring of faculty members and industry practitioners, research how to produce safe software more efficiently and effectively. The intellectual merits are that results of this REU site provide a comprehensive picture of how software safety can be achieved in a cost-effective way. Lessons learned help prevent similar safety hazards from recurring. The project's broader significance and importance are to provide students belonging either to underrepresented groups or to universities that have only limited research opportunities, experience in cutting-edge research in software safety, as well as a broadly applicable skill set. This includes critical thinking, research methods, problem solving, and oral and written communication, all of which are very important for academic and professional success in science and technology research. The subject of this project is software safety. The project focuses on evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing methodologies and current practices for safety assurance, and investigates (a) how the introduction of software safety requirements may affect the software lifecycle, and (b) how software processes, methods and tool support should be adjusted accordingly. The impact of the emerging IoT (Internet of Things), especially its scalability and heterogeneity, on software safety is also examined. In addition to research, REU students take field trips to industry sponsors, allowing them to speak directly with practitioners to better understand how software safety is applied to real-life applications. Workshops on technical writing and oral presentation are held to improve students' proficiency in preparing and delivering technical reports. Seminars on ethics and professional responsibility are given to ensure REU students behave properly and respectfully. Videos and PowerPoint slides of student presentations as well as lectures on software safety are posted at the project's REU website.