The Rocky Mountain Research Data Center Advancing the Frontiers of Social Science: Opportunities and Challenges Jani Little, Executive Director Katie Genadek, Expected Administrator The Rocky Mountain Research Data Center Introduction to Proposal Development Workshop Jani Little, Executive Director jani.little@colorado.edu The Rocky Mountain Federal Statistical Research Data Center (RMRDC) Jani Little Executive Director

What is a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC)? --A secure computing lab where restricted data, collected by federal agencies, can be accessed FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY --Made possible by a contractual agreement between a leading research institution and the U.S. Census Bureau --The Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies (CES) directs all FSRDCs and the FSRDC Program --FSRDCs are managed by an on-site Census employee—the administrator— who guides researchers on proposal development, enforces security guidelines, and serves as liaison with the research community.

9 in 2009 and 24 in 2016

The RMRDC Consortium Partner Members: Supporting Members: UC Colorado Springs Colorado State Government Colorado School of Mines National Center for Atmospheric Research National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Partner Consortium Members Faculty, Grad Students, and Affiliated Researchers: Free access to RMRDC services and secure laboratory Researchers with continued use are expected to write grant proposals and include lab fees

Advantages to Researchers and Institutions: --Greatly expands the policy and basic questions that can be addressed --Builds on past research findings with richer data --Improves competitive edge for grants and publications --Improves graduate education (big data/statistical techniques) and placement --Attracts and retains data-intensive faculty

Opportunities for Graduate Students: --Cornell University Course by Videoconference, Fall Semester 2017, held on CU Boulder Campus on Mondays --Census Dissertation Mentorship Program

Advantages Provided to Research: --Microdata not available publicly firms and establishments individuals and households (especially longitudinal studies) children --Variables not available in public versions of data sets (e.g., low level geography) --Full population counts or larger samples (Decennial Census, ACS, CPS) --Full range of response items (e.g., industry codes, occupational codes, detailed race answers, income is not top-coded, etc.) --Ability to make linkages with external data (e.g., via geocodes, establishment ID, etc.) between multiple internal data sets via non-public link keys

FSRDCs Used to Address Many Research Topics Business, Trade, Finance, and Management Crime and Crime Victimization Demography, Population Distributions and Trends, Migration, and Immigration Economics, Labor Markets, Entrepreneurship, Employment and Industry Education and Education Policy Hazard Mitigation, Environmental Impact Assessment, Pollution Abatement Health and Well-Being, Health Insurance, Health Policy Housing, Housing Markets, and Residential Patterns Poverty, Social Welfare Policy, and Social Mobility Transportation Analysis and Planning Urban and Regional Economics and Planning Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Manufacturing

Requirements for Any FSRDC Project: --Research projects must undergo a formal approval process with the agency that owns the data, e.g., Census, NCHS, BLS --Researchers must go through a background investigation that qualifies them for “Special Sworn Status (SSS)” which makes them an unpaid Census Bureau employee. --Results must be formally reviewed for disclosure violation before they leave the secure facility. Currently 260 active projects, 50% are Census

RMRDC: The Physical Facility Projected Opening: March, 2017 Location: IBS Building on CU Boulder Campus --10 thin client workstations to access FSRDC servers --Secure communications that tunnel over campus internet --Contains the Administrator’s office --Badge Reader at Entrance --24/7 Security System with camera --no electronic devices allowed --NOTHING leaves the secure lab without approval

FSRDC Server Software GeoDa Tomlab Knittro Madd QGIS StatTransfer Python - Anaconda Fortran Perl Tex/LaTex Gauss Stata Matlab & toolboxes PBS Pro Intel Composer XE NX Enterprise R  SAS SAS (Dataflux) SUDAAN

Components of Proposals: --Personnel and Time frame --Project Description (scientific merit, methods, feasibility, why requires restricted data) --Dataset(s), Variables, Geography --Results Expected and Disclosure Avoidance Strategies

How and When Do I Get Started? --See materials at the RMRDC website, the CES website, and other relevant sites. --Contact the RMRDC Director and Administrator for --data availability --project budget and timeline --contact information For Census projects, the Administrator will give invaluable guidance on --the proposal development process --the Primary Purpose Statement (PPS) --help navigate the project approval process

Major Partners in the FSRDC System U.S. Census Bureau Economic Data Demographic Data Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Data Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Other Federal Partners

Examples of Economic Microdata Data Set Frequency Unit of Enumeration Availability Standard Statistical Establishment List/Business Register (SSEL) Annually Establishment 1974–2014 Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) 1976–2014 Report of Organization Survey  Also known as Company Organization Survey (COS) Firm 2002–2013

Examples of Economic Data Data Sets Frequency Unit of Enumeration Availability Census of Auxiliary Establishments (AUX) Every 5 Years Establishment 1977–2007 Census of Construction Industries (CCN) 1972–2012 Census of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (CFI) 1992–2012 Census of Manufactures (CMF) 1963,  1967–2012 Census of Mining (CMI) 1987–2012 Census of Retail Trade (CRT) 1977–2012 Census of Services (CSR) Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities (CUT) Census of Wholesale Trade (CWH)

Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Data Set Frequency Unit of Enumeration Availability Sponsor Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Annually Establishment 1973–2014 Census Bureau Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) Various 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 Energy Information Administration (EIA) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Insurance Component (MEPS–IC) 1996–2006, 2008–2015 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Employer Survey (NES) 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 Department of Education (DOE) Survey of Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures (PACE) Various (Discontinued) 1974–1982, 1984–1986, 1988–1994, 1999, 2005 Census Bureau / Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

National Science Foundation Data Set Frequency Unit of Enumeration Availability Sponsor Business Research & Development and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) Annually Firm 2008–2013 National Science Foundation Survey of Business Owners (SBO) Every 5 Years 1982–2012 Census Bureau

Examples of Demographic Data Data Set Frequency Unit of Enumeration Availability Sponsor American Community Survey (ACS) Annually Housing Unit 1996–2015 Census Bureau American Housing Survey (AHS) 1984–1999, 2001–2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement (March) Household 1967–2015 Census Bureau and  Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey (CPS) Food Security Supplement (December) 2001–2012 Census Bureau and  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Current Population Survey (CPS) Tobacco Use Supplement Irregular 1998-1999, 2000, 2010-2011 Census Bureau and  National Cancer Institute (NCI)

National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Annually 2006–2014 Decennial Census Every Ten Years Household 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 Census Bureau National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Annually 2006–2014 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) School Crime Supplement 2013 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS) Variable Individual Through 2011* Census Bureau, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and National Institute on Aging (NIA) National Longitudinal Survey (NLSY79) Biennial 1979–1994 1996-2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) Every Two Years 1970-2015 National Science Foundation (NSF)

Examples of Restricted Health Data Geographic Codes for all NCHS Surveys National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) National Health Care Surveys National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS) and National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS) National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) and National Home Health Aide Survey (NHHAS) National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF) National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP) National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS)

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS) National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)

NCHS Data Linkage Activities Linked Mortality Data Products Linked Medicare Enrollment and Claims Files Data Linked Medicaid Enrollment and Claims Data Linked Social Security Benefit History Data National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) Data Release and Access Policy National Maternal and Infant Health Survey