FY2018 NITRD Program Component Areas (PCAs)

For general information about NITRD PCAs, see the NITRD PCA main page. For more information than is on this page about the FY2018 NITRD PCAs, see the FY2018 NITRD Supplement to the President’s Budget.

FY2018 Changes to the NITRD PCAs

Below are the NITRD program component areas (PCAs) used in the NITRD Program Supplement to the President’s Budget – FY2018. The FY2018 NITRD PCAs differ as follows from the FY2017 PCAs:

  • The FY2017 HCSS PCA was renamed to CNPS in FY2018
  • The FY2017 SEW PCA was renamed to EdW in FY2018, and Social Computing aspects of SEW are reported in the CHuman PCA starting in FY2018
  • The FY2017 HCI&IM PCA was discontinued; starting in FY2018, HCI activities are reported under CHuman, and IM activities of are reported under LSDMA
  • The FY2017 HCSIA was renamed to HCIA in FY2018

FY2018 Supplement IWG-to-PCA Mapping

For each annual NITRD Supplement, Agencies “map” their NITRD Program activities coordinated by Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) into Supplement sections and budgets organized by PCAs. Predominant FY2018 mapping by agencies: Graphic | Text.

FY2018 NITRD PCA List

FY2018 NITRD PCA Definitions

CHuman – Computing-Enabled Human Interaction, Communication, and Augmentation

R&D advances information-enabled systems that enhance the ability of individuals, teams, and communities to interact both with the systems and with each other to realize personal and shared goals. CHuman R&D investments provide Americans new tools and opportunities in such diverse aspects of their lives as distance education, decision making, healthcare, financial services, social media, citizen science, vehicle and traffic safety, and use of personalized software.
↑ PCA List

CNPS – Computing-Enabled Networked Physical Systems

Research and development to enable advancements in high-capability computing systems, spanning the hardware, software, architecture, system performance, computational algorithms, data analytics, development tools, and software methods for extreme data- and compute-intensive workloads; and developing fundamentally new approaches to high-capability computing systems.
↑ PCA List

CSIA – Cyber Security and Information Assurance

R&D pursues dramatic advancements in the resistance and resilience of information systems and networks to cyber threats, such as system penetration, information theft, identity theft, and risks to personal privacy. CSIA advancements protect every sector of the economy—including critical infrastructures such as power grids, financial systems, and air-traffic-control networks—as well as strengthen Federal missions such as national defense and homeland security and provide support for cybersecurity education and workforce development.
↑ PCA List

EdW – Education and Workforce

R&D aims to advance and apply IT in novel ways to markedly enhance the quality, accessibility, and personalization of education and training methods, generally, and for IT disciplines specifically. EdW advances will improve and broaden U.S. education across disciplines, age groups, and communities and build the Nation’s much-needed cyber-capable citizenry and high-tech workforce of the future.
↑ PCA List

EHCS – Enabling R&D for High-Capability Computing Systems

R&D pursues advancements in high performance computing (HPC)—also known as supercomputing—as well as revolutionary computing paradigms such as quantum, superconducting, and cognitive computing. This R&D ensures and advances U.S leadership in HPC in support of such priorities as national security, aerospace and defense technology, advanced manufacturing, medical advances in treatment and diagnosis, and materials science for technology innovation.
↑ PCA List

HCIA – High-Capability Computing Infrastructure and Applications

Investments provide high-capability computing systems, cyberinfrastructure, applications, and expertise that support national initiatives and advanced research to bolster the Nation’s security, economic competitiveness, and innovation ecosystem. HCIA investments make possible U.S. scientific advancements in such highly complex areas as cybersecurity, understanding of the human brain, Big Data, astrophysics, meteorology, nanotechnology, advanced materials, and precision medicine.
↑ PCA List

LSDMA – Large Scale Data Management and Analysis

R&D advances the capacity of the United States to manage and use its rapidly expanding wealth of Big Data. This allows the Nation to fully exploit the transformational opportunities of Big Data for priorities that include cyber threat detection, scientific breakthroughs, organizational efficiency and innovation, customs enforcement, improving first responder insight, and control of water-food-energy production.
↑ PCA List

LSN – Large Scale Networking

R&D provides the advanced infrastructure and superior performance needed for the U.S. networks that underpin digital interactions across commerce, defense, security, social networking, education, and science research. LSN advancements enable critical wireless and fixed communications for new and evolving multibillion-dollar IT industries, broad societal participation, cutting-edge science, global battlefield superiority, remote and mobile medicine, and informed emergency response.
↑ PCA List

RIS – Robotics and Intelligent Systems

R&D improves the capabilities of intelligent collaborative robots and other autonomous systems while improving safety and trust in human interactions with these systems. Increasingly sophisticated autonomous systems are beginning to assist people in learning and decision-making, conducting research, doing such challenging or dangerous work as complex surgery or disaster site cleanup, providing routine personal care, and automating some repetitive manual tasks.
↑ PCA List

SDP – Software Design and Productivity

R&D pursues rapid development of quality software that will improve the cost and effectiveness of applications ranging from smart cities to space exploration. This R&D will drive advancements in aerospace and defense, supercomputing, data and energy grid management, autonomous vehicle function, the emerging Internet of Things, networking operations, and countless other digital activities throughout the Nation.
↑ PCA List