PITA unites the physical and informational infrastructure expertise at Carnegie Mellon and Lehigh Universities with the capabilities and needs of Pennsylvania companies and agencies to develop solutions to some of the Commonwealth's most serious infrastructure problems which impact economic growth and quality of life.
Program structure
Proposals are solicited from University faculty through an RFP process in late summer and selected through a competitive process. Projects must address one of the following PITA technology focus areas:
- Transportation
- Telecommunications and Information Technology
- Facilities
- Water Systems
- Energy & Environment
- Public Health & Medicine
- Hazard Mitigation & Disaster Recovery
Project duration is typically 18 months. Project involves graduate and/or undergraduate students. Project targets $2 of leveraged funding for every $1 of PITA funding. All PITA funds are expended within the University.
The following strategic technology focus areas have been developed in consultation with Industry Advisory Board members.
Technology areas
Transportation systems
PITA is working towards safe and efficient highways, bridges, tunnels, mass transit systems, railways, and airports.
Check out our projects in the area of transportation systems.
Telecommunications and information technology
The PITA program aims to secure information technology systems that can withstand both intentional attacks and accidental errors.
Check out our projects in telecommunications and information technology.
Facilities
Facilities can include permanent and semi-permanent real property assets required to support a system, including studies to define types of facilities or facility improvements, location, space needs, environmental and security requirements, and equipment. It also includes facilities for training, equipment storage, maintenance, supply storage, and so forth.
Water systems
Our water systems research includes research on:
- the protection and restoration of water resources to provide an adequate drinking water supply
- treatment and control tools to improve water quality
- innovative technology for monitoring, managing, and operating critical waterway infrastructure (dams, locks and bridges)
Energy and environment
We're working towards clean, affordable and sustainable energy sources, reliable delivery of energy through electrical grids and natural gas pipelines, and efficient transmission and use of energy.
Public health and medicine
Our efforts include healthcare technologies to save lives, to improve patient quality of life, and to reduce healthcare costs.
Learn more about our projects on public health and medicine.
Hazard mitigation and disaster recovery
Our work aims to mitigate the impacts from natural hazards (floods, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes) as well as other hazards–such as explosions and fires–and to develop infrastructure systems that permit continued operation after a hazardous event.
Discover what projects PITA is working on in the area of hazard mitigation and disaster recovery.