Software Technology Research Laboratory at a glance

The Software Technology Research Laboratory (STRL) is an R&D group whose research activities are at the highest level of international excellence. These activities are organised into Research Themes supporting, and being informed by, a set of Applications. Themes and Applications are continually evolving as this is the nature of research. The laboratory has the Software Migration Ltd. University Technology Centre in Software Evolution (UTC) since 1998.

We also run a successful specialist M.Sc. in Software Engineering since 2007. Our funds are mainly from industry, MoD, NATO and Research Councils.

Research Themes

In themes we explore and advance fundamental issues. Each research theme is led by a senior member of the laboratory who draws up a clear, well defined and focused research agenda and is supported by a number of research fellows and graduate students. There are no sharp boundaries between research themes. This is a deliberate decision to maintain the overall aims of the laboratory.

• (RT-1) Theory and Computational Paradigms

  Theme leader: Antonio Cau

  Theme members: Ben Moszkowski, Francois Siewe, David Smallwood, Giampaolo Bella, Hussein Zedan

• (RT-2) Requirement and Knowledge Engineering

  Theme leader: Hussein Zedan

  Theme members: Feng Chen, Ali H. Al-Bayatti, Helge Janicke, Antonio Cau, Hongji Yang, Francois Siewe

• (RT-3) Software Evolution

  Theme leader: Hongji Yang

  Theme members: Martin Ward, Feng Chen, Hussein Zedan, Antonio Cau

• (RT-4) Semantic Web and Service-oriented Computing

  Theme leader: Amelia Platt

  Theme members: Hussein Zedan Ali H. Al-Bayatti, James A. Hendler, Antonio Cau, Feng Chen, Hongji Yang, Helge Janicke

• (RT-5) Computer Security and Trust

  Theme leader: Helge Janicke

  Theme members: Antonio Cau, Francois Siewe, Ali H. Al-Bayatti, Giampaolo Bella, Hussein Zedan

Applications

Applications cut across two or more Research Themes

Applications/Themes	RT-1	RT-2	RT-3	RT-4	RT-5
Context-aware Systems	X	X	X	X	X
E-Business	X	X	X	X	X
Computational Forensics	X	X		X	X
Grid Computing	X		X	X	X
Critical Systems	X	X	X		X
Computational Creativity	X	X		X

Projects

Our research is funded by the UK Research Council (EPSRC) and industry. Details of

• externally-funded research projects
• current student MPhil/PhD projects
• completed student MPhil/PhD projects

Technology Centre in Data and Information Fusion (DIF-DTC)

The STRL is a member of the first MoD-funded Defence Technology Centre in Data and Information Fusion (DIF-DTC). Members of the centre, which is led by General Dynamics UK, are BT, QinetiQ, Imperial College and the Universities of Bristol, Cardiff, Cambridge, Southampton, De Montfort, Surrey and Cranfield. Research Themes RT-1, RT-4 and RT-6 are directly involved in the Centre.

UK University Technology Centre - (UTC) in Software Evolution

The STRL has the first UK University Technology Centre - (UTC) in Software Evolution. The Centre is funded by Software Migrations Limited (SML) and aims to develop industry-strength techniques for software evolution. The UTC plays a fundamental role in Technology Transfer within the STRL.

NATO

The STRL is leading the NATO funded project (through their Security through Science call) Trust Management Systems in Network of Networks. The collaborator institutes are the Institute of Informatics, Macedonia and the University of Maryland USA.

Publications

The list of publications contains Books, Conference and Journal publications.

Theses

Completed MPhil and PhD theses.

Technologies

Central to our work is the development of a number of industry-strength technologies. Examples are

• AnaTempura,
• FermaT Maintenance Environment,
• FermaT,
• FLCHECK,
• SANTA,
• De Montfort Creativity Assistant and
• De Montfort Creativity Mapper.