PSC AH22

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is used by the U.S. federal government to classify the products, services, and research and development acquired, enabling consistent reporting in FPDS and management in SAM. PSCs are governed through the PSC Manual, which provides the authoritative structure and descriptors used across agencies. ⁴

AH22 denotes “Natural Resources and Environment R&D Services; Conservation and land management; Applied Research.” Agencies assign AH22 when procuring R&D aimed at conservation and land management topics at the applied-research stage within the Natural Resources and Environment portfolio. The PSC Manual lists AH22 alongside adjacent codes for basic research (AH21) and experimental development (AH23). ¹

See also on G2X:

• G2X — PSC AH22
• G2X — PSC AH21
• G2X — PSC AH23

What this PSC covers

• Applied research efforts addressing conservation and land management under the Natural Resources and Environment R&D portfolio. ¹
• Work categorized as applied research rather than basic research or experimental development in this subject area. ¹
• Studies intended to inform and improve conservation or land management practices without constituting design/development of specific end items (which would align to AH23). ²
• Projects under the conservation and land management sub-area, distinct from water resources (AH1x) or pollution control and abatement (e.g., AH42) within the same portfolio. ¹
• R&D efforts where administrative expenses or major R&D facilities/equipment would instead map to AH24 or AH25. ¹
• Classification is based on the predominant R&D objective; pollution-related work goes to the AH4x series (e.g., AH42) per manual guidance. ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Applied research in federal acquisition

FAR 35.001 defines applied research as effort that typically follows basic research and seeks to determine or exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvements to advance the state of the art, excluding design/development/testing of specific items (which fall under “development”). This definition governs what qualifies as “applied research” for codes such as AH22. ²

Coding boundaries and examples from the PSC Manual

• The Natural Resources and Environment R&D portfolio includes sub-areas for water resources (AH1x), conservation and land management (AH2x), recreational resources (AH3x), pollution control and abatement (AH4x), and other natural resources (AH5x). ¹
• Classification should follow the predominant R&D objective; for example, research on air pollution by aircraft is coded under Natural Resources and Environment “pollution control and abatement” (AH4x), not aerospace. ¹
• Use AH21 for basic research, AH22 for applied research, and AH23 for experimental development within conservation and land management; administrative expenses and R&D facilities/equipment map to AH24 and AH25, respectively. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does PSC AH22 represent?

  • AH22 is the PSC for Natural Resources and Environment R&D Services focused on conservation and land management at the applied research stage. It sits within AH2x alongside AH21 (basic) and AH23 (experimental development), and selection depends on the project’s predominant R&D objective. ¹

• How is “applied research” defined for federal R&D classification?

  • Applied research is work that follows basic research and seeks to determine or exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvements to advance the state of the art, while excluding the design, development, and testing of specific items, which constitute “development” rather than research. This definition underpins use of AH22. ²

• When should AH22 be used instead of AH23 or AH21?

  • Choose AH22 when the primary effort is applied research. Use AH21 for basic research and AH23 for experimental development. Code selection should track the project’s dominant R&D stage and stated objectives in the solicitation or statement of work. ¹

• Does AH22 cover pollution control research?

  • No. Pollution control and abatement falls under the AH4x series within Natural Resources and Environment R&D, such as AH42 for applied research. Use AH2x only for conservation and land management topics; pollution-focused efforts should be classified to AH4x based on the predominant objective. ¹

• Is there a mandated NAICS pairing for AH22?

  • Not specified by official sources [4]. Agencies select the appropriate NAICS based on the scope of work and industry of performance described in the solicitation and statement of work. Align NAICS to the primary activity, while AH22 captures the R&D stage and subject matter. ⁴

Useful resources

• Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual — April 2025 (official PDF). ¹
• PSC Manual document library (current and archives). ⁴
• FAR 35.001 Definitions (applied research and development). ²
• DPCAP Product Service Code Selection Tool. ³

References

1. Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (PDF), Acquisition.gov: https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
2. FAR 35.001 Definitions, Acquisition.gov: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/35.001
3. DPCAP Product Service Code Selection Tool, psctool.us: https://www.psctool.us/apidocs
4. Product and Service Code Manual (library), Acquisition.gov: https://login.acquisition.gov/psc-manual