University of Michigan Research Data Center

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The grant provides funding to open a Research Data Center (RDC) within the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. The RDC would provide researchers access to source data collected by the Census Bureau and other agencies. These confidential data are placed within a secure facility at the Survey Research Center. To gain access to these data, researchers with approved projects would obtain special sworn status within the Census Bureau. Researchers can publish results of analysis carried out within the RDC subject to a rigorous protocol for protecting the confidentiality of the underlying data. The purpose of this access would be to conduct academic research using data on individuals and firms. The ability to analyze the source data has enormous scientific benefits. These include the ability to make full use of the information collected by government agencies; to analyze the behavior of individuals and firms taking into account the heterogeneity of behavior and characteristics; and to combine sources of data at the individual level to study relationships obscured by more aggregate data. This RDC promotes productive interaction between the data collection agencies and the research community. Typically, researchers using government statistics are passive consumers of the data, which is usually collected for a purpose other than academic research. By providing a vehicle for working with the source data in collaboration with the Census Bureau, the RDC allows the research community to participate effectively in improving Census data.A Research Data Center would build on the University of Michigan's long-standing strength in social science research and in the processing and analysis of large-scale databases. The Institute of Social Research and its Survey Center and Population Studies Center house substantial expertise in the management of such databases and for maintaining the confidentiality of information on individuals. The University, the Institute, and the Centers have an established record in providing wide access to data and in improving quality data.