Research Proposal Protocol, 1980

Through his international consulting work (see the Consulting series) and computer industry and academic associations, Habermann developed a network of sources for funding CMU academic programs and graduate student research in computer science applied toward corporate or governmental contracting. This network was instrumental in the establishment and maintenance of CMU's Software Engineering Institute. Represented associations include contacts with ASCII and other Japanese corporations regarding the foundation of a CMU computer science institute in Japan (see especially the folders on CMU president Richard Cyert's fact-finding mission to Japan); proposed founding of CMU institutes in robotics and computer science research by Westinghouse and the National Science Foundation, respectively; and Siemens' interest in the Micon system, Gandalf software, and neural networks research. Other CMU external relations are represented: the university's joining the Computing Research Board in an effort to give the computer science research community a stronger voice in national policy; a proposed association with the Intergrand company to develop and distribute CMU software; and the Open Software Foundation, a leaguing of seven leading computer companies toward a standard software environment, from which CMU sought exportability of the MACH system. The External Relations series (two and one-quarter boxes in length) was assembled from folder sets titled Funding and External Relations in Habermann's office files. The series is arranged in alphabetical order by title of corporation or government agency, then by date of association. Researchers examining CMU's external relations with sponsoring agencies should review the Teaching series for evaluatory materials regarding externally funded academic programs. See also the Talks series for presentations given at meetings of CMU's Industrial Affiliates Program in 1986 and 1987.