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Accessing the Data

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, to submit for approval a standardized research proposal application, and to undergo a background investigation, among other requirements.

The NWFSRDC Administrator Carlos Becerra and Executive Director Sofia G. Ayala 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

Accessible Accordion

> We will discuss with you:

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 reside currently in the United States, have a US institutional affiliation, and have had a physical presence in the country for 3 of the last 5 years – the years do not have to be continuous.

> Identify available datasets and access conditions at researchdatagov.org

> Review access guidelines from the federal agency whose data will be used in the research

> Review other resources

> Researchers must develop a research proposal.

  • The NWFSRDC Administrator Carlos Becerra 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. In addition, review if applicable:

> 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.

> A project may incur three different types of fees. Researchers should contact us for specific fee information applicable to your project and affiliation. Types of fees:

  • NWFSRDC access fees
  • Data fees
    • The Census Bureau does not charge data fees to access its data; all other agencies may.
  • Special Sworn Status application fee
    • Applies only to projects using NCHS, SAMHSA, and AHRQ data.

> All research findings obtained or products developed from research conducted with FSRDC data are required to undergo formal disclosure avoidance review before being discussed, presented, or released publicly, including to individuals outside the research team who do not hold SSS.

> For more information, please review FSRDC Disclosure Avoidance Review Procedures (DAP) Handbook 2024