1. 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
Jani Little, Executive Director
The Rocky Mountain Federal Statistical Research Data Center
(RMRDC)
Jani Little
Executive Director

2. What is a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC)?
--A secure computing lab where restricted data, collected by federal statistical 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
--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.

4. 9 in 2009 and 24 in 2016

5. The RMRDC Consortium Full Members: Supporting Members:
UC Colorado Springs
Colorado State Government

6. CSU (Ft Collins and Pueblo) Advantages to Faculty, Grad Students, and Affiliated Researchers:
--Free access to RMRDC services and secure laboratory
--NCHS Data Fees Paid for first three proposals
before July 1, 2020
--Researchers with continued use are expected to write grant proposals and include lab fees

7. RMRDC: The Physical Facility
Opened: August, 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

8. RMRDC: The Physical Facility

10. RMRDC: Current Projects as of January, 2018
Jeronimo Carballo (CU Boulder) “Analyzing the Impact of Firms’ Trade Activities on Labor Market Outcomes”
Wolfgang Keller (CU Boulder) "Offshoring and Innovation"
Philip Luck (UC Denver) "Trade Exposure and Firm Dynamics"
Richard Mansfield (CU Boulder) "Estimating Two-Sided Assignment Models Using LEHD Data"
Marcus Schneider (University of Denver) "Labor Market Segmentation and the Distribution of Income"
Jared Carbone (Colorado School of Mines) "How Do Households Relocate in Response to Changes in Moving Costs"
Chloe East (UC Denver) "The Effect of SNAP on Children's Health: Evidence from Immigrants' Changing Eligibility"
Richard Rogers (CU Boulder)  "Early Life Mortality in the United States"
Fernando Riosmena (CU Boulder) "The Role of Local Context on the Hispanic Health Paradox and Immigrant Health Adaptation Processes"

11. RMRDC: Projects under Review as of January, 2018
Wolfgang Keller (CU Boulder) "Innovation and Production: How Large are the Benefits of Co-Location?"
Patrick Krueger (UC Denver) “Small Businesses and Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance”
Ryan Lewis (CU Boulder) “The Welfare Implications of Corporate Policy"
Anita Alves Pena (Colorado State University) “The Role of Race, Economics, Financial Circumstances, Environment and Local Policy on Displacement and Resultant Local Residential Patterns”

12. Advantages of FSRDC Research:
--Microdata not available publicly
firms and establishments
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)
better estimates of rare events, small populations, small areas

13. 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

14. Specific Topics Today Neighborhood data Crime Recidivism
Business data
Agriculture
Renewable Energy
Oil and Gas
Finance
Hazards Research
Health Insurance
Research, Development, Innovation
General Individual/Household data
Employment Histories
Food security and Health
Neighborhood data
Crime Recidivism
Gentrification and Displacement
Health
Individual Health Data
Suicide and Deaths of despair
Child Mortality
Education and Health
Immigrant Health

15. Look at questionnaires for oil and gas and renewable energy businesses
Business Microdata
Longitudinal Business Database (LBD)
Annually
Establishment
1976–2016
Economic Census
Every 5 Years
1977–2012
Link to the survey questionnaires for each sector:
Look at questionnaires for oil and gas and renewable energy businesses

16. Excluded from the Economic Census is NAICS Code 11:
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting “
“Yet, the food-and-fiber supply chain stretches far beyond the farm gate, encompassing economic activity currently classified as manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, wholesale and retail trade and services.” Dunn and Hueth, Ameri. J. Agr. Econ. 99(2):

17. Business Health Insurance data
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (Insurance Component)
Annually
Establishment
2003–2016
Public and private employers are asked about the number and types of private health insurance plans offered, benefits associated with these plans, annual premiums, annual contributions by employers and employees, eligibility requirements, and employer characteristics.

18. Business R&D and Innovation data
Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS)
Annually
2008–2016
Purpose
To provide detailed statistics on global and domestic R&D expenses of U.S. based companies as well as statistics on the R&D workforce, intellectual property, technology transfer activities and innovation.
Coverage
All domestic, non-farm, for-profit businesses with more than 5 employees.
Methods
A survey of approximately 45,000 companies with 5 or more employees

19. Individual/Household Data—Employment Histories
Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD) combines data from state Unemployment Insurance systems with Census Bureau business data.
Workers: Employer history and quarterly wages, Individual characteristics (sex, age, race), Point in time residence and place of birth
Employers: Industry, employment, total payroll, location
Linkages between workers and employers
Links to other Census employer data
UNC researcher Adoption data base links individuals to their employment histories

20. Individual/Household Data—Food Security and Health
Current Population Survey Food Security Supplements
Annual , state representative, lowest geography is county,
general health question
American Community Survey
Annual , largest Census survey, 1.5% of U.S. population
Lowest geography is block group
Free and reduced lunch question
Health insurance question
Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS)
N=4826 nationally representative households 
Detailed information was collected about foods purchased at home and away from home
Includes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households,
Includes low-income households not participating in SNAP,
Includes higher income households.

21. Household Health Expenditure data
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (Household Component)
2yr panels
Households
1996–2016
Nationally representative sample drawn from the NHIS
Extensive questionnaire about
all aspects of care
assets
demography

22. Neighborhood Data (tracts or block groups)—used to characterize residential context
Decennial Censuses—% in race, immigrant, and age categories, pop density, % rentals, % vacancy, etc
Yearly American Community Survey
% poverty, mean home value, median income, % college educated, average number of people per household, % movers
Annual Housing Survey ( )
Home condition, occupant characteristics, home improvements, housing costs, home values, characteristics of recent movers, etc
National Crime Victimization Survey
Yearly ; ~90,000 households
Non-fatal and property crimes, reported and unreported; demographic information for respondent; demographic information of perpetrator

23. Neighborhood context used in studies to show effects on:
Physical and Mental Health
Gentrification
Criminal Recidivism
New Released data—Moving to Opportunity (MTO)
--a 10-year research demonstration that combines tenant-based rental assistance with housing counseling to help very low-income families move from poverty-stricken urban areas to low-poverty neighborhoods in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City 
--improved health effects have been found

24. Individual Health Data
National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) Data Release and Access Policy
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) linked with National Death Index ( )
Annual Sample that is Nationally and Regionally Representative
Family, Household and Person Self-Report Data
Extensive Health and Social Psychological Measures including
Depression, anxiety
Other Mental Health Conditions
Other Emotional or Behavioral Problems
Used to study
child deaths
suicides and deaths of despair

25. Individual Health Data
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
Health data comes from Medical exams
Provides prevalence data on selected diseases and risk factors
Monitors trends in diseases, behaviors, and environmental exposures
Mental Health Disorders, Depression, Sexual Behavior
Used to study
education and health
health of immigrants
Youth -- Alcohol and Drug Use, ADHD, STDs,

26. 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)

27. National Survey of Children’s Health
National telephone survey of households with at least 1 child,
N= 91,642
Demographics, Health and Functioning, Home Environment,
Early Childhood Care, Developmental Screening,
Adolescent School, Exercise, Emotional Difficulties
Family Functioning and Parental Health
Neighborhood and Community
All variables restricted
County and zip code geography available
Established differences between married and non-married and child health; Married; cohabiting step families; single parent, extended kin families
Linked with public data on state-level family and welfare policies

28. Useful Websites Restricted NCHS Data
Restricted AHRQ Data

29. Requirements for Any FSRDC Project:
--Research projects must undergo a formal approval process with the agency that owns the data, e.g., Census, NCHS, AHRQ, 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