Overview of the FSRDC

What are Federal Statistical Research Data Centers (RDCs)?

  • Secure computing labs where qualified researchers conduct approved statistical analysis on non-public data.
  • These data are collected by various government agencies (Census Bureau, AHRQ, BLS, SSA, etc.).
  • Established through an agreement between federal statistical agencies and a local research community.
  • Managed by the Census Bureau.

Types of Restricted Data Available

  • Economic Data: Microdata on firms and establishments
  • Demographic Data: Microdata on individuals and households
  • Employer-Employee Linked Data: Data on employees linked with data on employers
  • Health Data
    • National Center for Health Statistics
    • Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis Data

Advantages of Restricted Data

  • Economic datasets that are not publicly available at the micro level
  • More detailed level of geographic identifiers
  • Much less top-coding
  • Restricted variables (e.g., birthdate)
  • Census datasets can be linked together and to external data

How to Access the RDC

  • Develop proposal
    • Different guidelines for Census data vs.NCHS/AHRQ/BLS/BEA guidelines
  • Submit proposal for agency review•
  • Obtain Special Sworn Status (SSS)
    • Security clearance
    • Swear to protect respondent confidentiality for life
    • Residency requirement for foreign nationals (3 years out of last 5 years)
  • May need to pay fees to other agencies and/or the local RDC

Nuts and Bolts of RDC Research

  • Research conducted on-site
  • Statistical software available: SAS, Stata, R, Matlab, etc.
  • Physically secure location, restricted area with badge access
  • No internet or laptops allowed in lab
  • No paper or output allowed outside of lab
  • Disclosure avoidance review required to present results
    • Discussion of specific results allowed only inside RDC (even among co-authors)

Contact and Resources

Stanford RDC Contact

More information about the RDC program

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