Fiber Optic System to Measure the Size Distribution and Concentration of Airborne Aerosols in Multiple Locations of a Sampling Inlet.

The proposal addresses development of a tool to improve software cost and schedule estimating accuracy. After collecting and building a preliminary database of historical software cost, technical, and programmatic data, we will explore application ofinnovative methods and techniques to use in the software estimating tool. The anticipated results of this research include: 1) an increase in the accuracy of software development and maintenance cost and schedule estimates; 2) a more realistic anddefensible quantification of uncertainty (estimating error range); and 3) a reduction in the effort required to generate an estimate and calibrate the estimating tool.Our proposed software cost-estimating tool will be tailored to both the uniquerequirements of Department of Defense (DOD) organizations and to the unique needs of industry, including defense and other commercial concerns. Because the model will provide a more accurate and defensible cost estimate, we believe we will achievesubstantial market penetration within DoD. Consequently, defense firms developing and maintaining software would then have a strong incentive to also purchase and use this model in order to: 1) determine what the government's estimate of their projectwill be and 2) produce an estimate that the government is more likely to consider reasonable. Because of its proposed built-in capability to tailor itself to the salient attributes of a specific software organization, the model can also be rapidlygeneralized for use by other commercial firms.