The NWRDC is part of a network of research data centers (RDCs) around the country. The NWRDC provides qualified researchers on approved projects access to restricted use demographic, economic, business and public health data originating from Federal Statistical Agencies. Researchers who want to access the data available through an RDC must submit a research proposal. Researchers must also acquire appropriate security clearance and, if not at UW or the Washington Office of Financial Management, pay access fees.

The NWRDC facility features twelve workstations providing secure access through an encrypted VPN to a secure computing environment operating Red Hat Linux and standard statistical analysis software: SAS, R, STATA, Gauss, and MatLab. The NWRDC collaborates with and receives oversight from research faculty in the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology and the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences.

Executive Director

Mark Ellis, Ph.D.

Mark Ellis is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Director of the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, and Director of the Northwest Research Data Center at the University of Washington.

Contact Information

Carlos Becerra, Ph.D., Administrator

Northwest Research Data Center
University of Washington
Communications Building (CMU), Room B022
2023 King Ln NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Email: Carlos Becerra

Partner Institutions

The operation of each Federal Statistical Research Data Center (RDC) is supported by both the Census Bureau and RDC partner institutions. Some RDC partner institutions form consortiums to share the operational costs of the RDC and may waive user fees for their affiliates. Several RDCs have built branch locations to reduce the cost of researchers commuting to the core location while still maintaining the identical stringent information technology and physical security requirements.

University of Washington

The UW is a multi-campus university in Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell, as well as a world-class academic medical center.

Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

CSDE is a community of faculty and students associated to advance population science through research and training.