Data available through FSRDCs may only be accessed by qualified researchers on approved projects. The process to acquire access requires researchers to satisfy multiple eligibility requirements that may vary by federal agency, submit for approval a standardized research proposal application, and undergo a background investigation, among other requirements.
The NWFSRDC administrator and executive director are here to facilitate and support your application for access.
We are here to help you!
Fill out our Intake Form
Steps to Begin an FSRDC Project
We will discuss with you:
- Your research idea and its feasibility
- Eligibility conditions for access
- Any potential access and data fees
- Direct you to the appropriate guidelines and appropriate FSRDC program contact at the federal agency whose data will be used in the research
- Census Bureau
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
- Bureau of Economic Analysis Data
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Data
- National Center for Health Statistics Data
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Data
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Data
IMPORTANT: U.S. citizenship is only required to use Bureau of Economic Analysis data. For any other data, there is no citizenship or U.S. residence requirement. The only requirements are for researchers to currently reside in the United States, have a U.S. institutional affiliation, and have had a physical presence in the country for 3 of the last 5 years.
> Identify available datasets and access conditions at researchdatagov.org
> Review access guidelines from the federal agency whose data will be used in the research
- Census Bureau
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
- Bureau of Economic Analysis Data
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Data
- National Center for Health Statistics Data
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Data
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Data
> Review other resources
> Researchers must develop a research proposal.
- The NWFSRDC Administrator and/or a subject matter expert from the federal agency whose data will be used in the research can guide and provide you with feedback to develop a high-quality proposal.
> The Standard Application Process User Guide provides all the required elements in a proposal.
> Proposed projects must:
- Have a statistical purpose
- Demonstrate need for non-public data
- Be feasible given the data
- Pose no risk of unauthorized disclosure
- Provide benefits to the federal agency whose data will be used in the research
> Other available resources include: for U.S. Census Bureau data, for Internal Revenue Service data, and for National Center for Health Statistics data
> Researchers must submit their final proposal through the Standard Application Process (SAP) portal at researchdatagov.org.
> All proposals to carry out research at an FSRDC must be approved by the Census Bureau. If data are provided by other agencies, the other agencies must approve of the project as well.
> The review process takes about 12 weeks, with additional 12 weeks per agency if multiple-agency review is required. The review clock restarts every time revisions are requested.
> Once the proposal has been approved, all project researchers who will need direct access to the restricted data must apply and be granted SSS by the Census Bureau.
> SSS requires a thorough background check which can take 2-3 months to complete for U.S. citizens and 4-6 months for non-citizens.
> Because SSS is an unusual process that requires an extra effort by researchers, we have dedicated a page on our website to explain what it is and the process to obtain it.