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 jani.little@colorado.edu Katie Genadek, Administrator katie.r.genadek@colorado.edu Phil Pendergast, Graduate Research Assistant philip.pendergast@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.

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

The Expanding Role of the FSRDCs Report of the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, Sept. 2017 Commissioned by Paul Ryan, Speaker of House and POTUS Recommendations—FSRDC should play a central role Establish a National Secure Data Service Maintain Stringent Privacy Protections Ensure access to administrative and survey data for evidence building Develop uniform process for external researchers to gain access to restricted data H.R.4174 - Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017 Sponsored by Paul Ryan, Speaker, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

9 in 2009 and 24 in 2016

Data Available in the RDC

Types of Census Restricted Data Available Economic Data Demographic Data

Economic data available in RDCs Microdata that is not available elsewhere Detailed geographies and industries Data linked over time Employee and employer linked data Full business register for the US Can link own data to individual businesses

Economic Data Advantages Establishment and firm level characteristics Detailed industry and geography Addresses, newer data had latitude and longitude Linking Data Consistent identifiers Business register Outside data

Types of Economic data available in RDCs Business Register Firm Surveys Establishment Surveys Economic Censuses Transaction or Trade data

Business Register Data Data Set Compustat-SSEL Bridge (CSB) Form 5500 Bridge File Integrated Longitudinal Business Database (ILBD) Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) Ownership Change Database (OCD) Standard Statistical Establishment List / Business Register (SSEL)

Firm Surveys Data Set Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) Business Expenditures Survey (BES) Business Research & Development and Innovation Survey (BRDIS) Enterprise Summary Report (ESR) Exporter Database (EDB) Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) Service Annual Survey (SAS) Survey of Business Owners (SBO) Survey of Industrial Research and Development (SIRD)

Establishment Surveys Data Set Annual Survey of Manufacturers (ASM) Current Industrial Reports (CIR) Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) National Employer Survey (NES) Quarterly Survey of Plant Capacity Utilization (QPC) Survey of Manufacturing Technology (SMT) Survey of Plant Capacity Utilization (PCU) Survey of Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures (PACE)

Economic Censuses Census of Auxiliaries (AUX) Data Set Census of Auxiliaries (AUX) Census of Construction Industries (CCN) Census of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate (CFI) Census of Manufacturers (CMF) Census of Mining (CMI) Census of Retail Trade (CRT) Census of Services (CSR) Census of Transportation, Communications, Utilities (CUT) Census of Wholesale Trade (CWH)

Transactions Data Data Set Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) Foreign Trade Data - Export (EXP) Foreign Trade Data - Import (IMP) Longitudinal Foreign Trade Transactions Data (LFTTD)

Linked Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD) LEHD data combine administrative data from states’ Unemployment Insurance systems with Census Bureau 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 data: Virtually any RDC data on businesses; SIPP; CPS March supplement; ACS The key is that you can link the worker and employer information to other data sets – economic or demographic.

Census Data: Demographic data available in RDCs More geographic detail Additional variables More observations Variables not censored (income) Additional detail within variables

Data Available Decennial Censuses Yearly ACS (American Community Survey) Current Population Survey Supplements American Housing Survey Survey of Income and Program Participation National Crime Victimization Survey National Longitudinal Mortality Study National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)

More information https://www.census.gov/ces/dataproducts/demographicdat a.html Public data and metadata

Linking to Census Data Link data by geographic area to demographic, survey, econonmic data Local data Survey data Proprietary data Linked data within the RDC

Detailed Geography Data Set Geography Decennial Census Block American Community Survey (ACS) Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Tract Current Population Survey* (CPS) – ASEC Supplement & Food Supplement American Housing Survey (AHS) National Longitudinal Survey (NLS) – Young/Mature Women Lat/Lon Block Group National Longitudinal Survey (NLS) – Young/Old Men County National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS)

Useful Websites Census Bureau Data: Center for Economic Studies http://www.census.gov/ces/ NCHS Research Data Center http://www.cdc.gov/rdc/ AHRQ https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_stats/onsite_datacenter.jsp

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

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

How and When Do I Get Started? See materials at the RMRDC website, the CES website, NCHS website 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 benefits to Census (PPS) help navigate the project approval process

Contact Information: Katie Genadek: katie.r.genadek@colorado.edu Jani Little: jani.little@colorado.edu Phil Pendergast: philip.pendergast@colorado.edu https://www.colorado.edu/rocky-mountain-research-data- center/