The Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) program provides a secure environment managed by the U.S. Census Bureau for qualified researchers on approved projects to access restricted-use federal microdata for statistical research. Access to the FSRDC network requires submission of a successful research proposal. For more information about how to submit a research proposal, visit the Census Bureau’s Restricted-Use Data Application Process webpage or the Standard Application Process (SAP) Portal at www.ResearchDataGov.org. Contact an FSRDC administrator in your area if you are interested in applying for data access using an FSRDC. In addition to access from more than 30 secure locations throughout the country, researchers on eligible projects may also be authorized to access the FSRDC computing environment to work on their approved project(s) from a secure designated space within their personal residence. There is no direct-to-remote option and all researchers that are new to the FSRDC network will be required to utilize an FSRDC lab to begin work on their first project.
Remote access is authorized on a project-by-project basis, usually in relationship to the data usage terms underlying the datasets on a project. It is common that researchers on multiple projects may not be authorized for remote access on all their projects. Likewise, not all researchers on an eligible project may be authorized for remote access. Ultimately, approval for researchers to work remotely is at the discretion of the Census Bureau and our partnering federal agencies, and subject to law, regulation, and the terms of any applicable agreements.
For more information on project and researcher eligibility for remote access see below:
Project Eligibility for Remote Access
Researcher Eligibility for Remote Access
If you have questions about the eligibility of data for a project you plan on submitting, or if you are a current researcher who has questions about the eligibility of your project(s) for remote access, contact your FSRDC administrator.