Research Portfolios

Key technology areas

PSCR has a comprehensive technical research program to facilitate communications interoperability, broadband capabilities, and information sharing between wireless and IT systems and the public safety community.

By working in coordination with public safety, industry, academia, and local, State, tribal, and Federal practitioners, PSCR has identified critical communications technology gaps that public safety faces every day. As a result of this coordination, PSCR prioritizes the following key technology areas to drive its R&D program:

• The User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) portfolio strives for first responders to have tools designed around their specific context, tasks, and requirements, based on user-centered design and feedback.
• The Mission Critical Voice (MCV) portfolio concentrates on four areas of communications for first responders: direct mode, mission critical push to talk, LMR to LTE, and public safety user quality of experience.
• The Location-Based Services (LBS) portfolio focuses on the fields of indoor mapping, tracking, and navigation for the public safety community.
• The Security portfolio aims to develop and enhance security solutions to current and future public safety communications. This initiative cuts across multiple technology areas including cybersecurity and the four other research portfolios.
• The Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) portfolio executes prize challenges that incentivize industry and researchers to develop drone technology to assist fire responders in search and rescue operations.

Archived portfolios

Two former PSCR research portfolios were archived in 2023. However, publications and resources from these portfolios are still publicly available:

• The Analytics portfolio supported research around algorithms, datasets, and open-source tools that can be leveraged by public safety organizations to analyze emergency events.
• The Resilient Systems portfolio ensured first responders' technology works when they need it most under dangerous and life-threatening circumstances.