PSC AS11

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) taxonomy classifies what the U.S. federal government buys so obligations can be tracked, analyzed, and reported consistently across systems such as FPDS and SAM.gov. The PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov governs updates and provides instructions for agencies to record the primary product, service, or R&D objective for each contract action, ensuring standardized reporting across the acquisition lifecycle. ¹

PSC AS11 is defined as “Transportation R&D Services; Surface transportation, public transit, and rail; Basic Research.” It is used when the predominant objective of a funded effort is to expand fundamental knowledge related to surface transportation modes, including public transit and rail, without a specific application in view. Agencies select AS11 for qualifying actions to reflect basic research within this transportation domain. ¹

See also on G2X:

• G2X — PSC AS11 overview
• G2X — PSC AS12 overview
• G2X — PSC AS13 overview

What this PSC covers

• Basic research targeted to surface transportation, public transit, and rail domains. ¹
• Work categorized as “basic research” under federal R&D definitions (theoretical or experimental studies to acquire new knowledge, not aimed at a specific application). ³
• Contract actions reported in FPDS using PSC data element 8A when this objective is predominant. ¹
• Efforts that are not applied research or development; those belong under AS12 or AS13. ¹
• Activities excluding R&D administrative expenses and R&D facilities/major equipment, which fall under AS14 and AS15, respectively. ¹
• Specific technologies, topic examples, or keywords: Not specified by official sources ¹.

Related NAICS and PSC codes

R&D type definitions used across the federal government

• Basic research: experimental or theoretical work to acquire new knowledge of underlying phenomena, without a particular application in view. ³
• Applied research: original investigation directed primarily toward a specific, practical aim or objective. ³
• Experimental development: systematic work drawing on research and practical experience to produce new or improved products or processes. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What does PSC AS11 represent?

  • AS11 denotes basic research in transportation focused on surface transportation, public transit, and rail. It captures contract actions whose primary objective is fundamental knowledge creation, rather than near-term application or development, within these domains. Agencies use it to reflect the basic research R&D type. ¹

• How is AS11 different from AS12 and AS13?

  • AS11 is basic research; AS12 is applied research; AS13 is experimental development. The distinctions align with federal R&D stage definitions and are reflected in PSC descriptors for transportation research. ¹

• When should AS15 be used instead of AS11?

  • Use AS15 when funding R&D facilities or major equipment, not the conduct of research itself. Select AS11 only when the predominant objective is performing basic research on surface transportation, public transit, or rail topics. ¹

• Are there official examples or keyword lists for AS11 topics?

  • Not specified by official sources. The PSC Manual provides the formal descriptor and scope but does not enumerate specific technologies, methods, or topical keywords under AS11. ¹

• Where are PSC codes used in SAM.gov?

  • SAM.gov enables users to search and filter opportunities by PSC. Its help resources describe how to apply PSC filters and interpret result sets, supporting market research and discovery of relevant notices aligned to specific PSCs, including AS11. ²

Useful resources

• Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual — April 2025 edition (official definitions and reporting guidance). ¹
• SAM.gov Help — guidance and videos on searching opportunities by NAICS or PSC. ²
• NSF NCSES — federal definitions for basic research, applied research, and experimental development. ³

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025. https://login.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. SAM.gov Help — Search by NAICS or PSC. https://sam.gov/content/help
3. National Science Foundation, NCSES — Definitions of Research and Development: An Annotated Compilation of Official Sources. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/ncses22209/section/11508