The NWFSRDC facility features eleven 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. In addition, limited on-site printing is available.
Research Facility
All research is conducted in a secure facility. Access is only given to qualified researchers with approved projects.
The Linux computing environment includes standard statistical, econometric, and programming software, such as SAS®, Stata, Gauss, MATLAB, and R.
Computing capacity to handle large data sets and complex calculations.
Documentation – code books, data dictionaries, harmonized variables, etc. – for a growing number of datasets.
Cross–RDC collaborations, including collaborations with Census Bureau researchers, are possible through the secure RDC computing environment.
This facility, located within the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, enables researchers to access restricted-use data. There are four types of data available:
1. Demographic data
2. Economic data
3. Linked business and household data
4. Public health data
Access to Data
Researchers who want to access the data available through an FSRDC must submit a research proposal and in most cases also explain how their work will provide benefits to the Census Bureau. Researchers must also acquire appropriate security clearance.
University of Washington faculty researchers with grants are expected to pay fees to access the NWFSRDC. University of Washington graduate students will not have to pay fees for dissertation related coursework. Non-consortium researchers (i.e. not a researcher at UW or at the state government of Washington) will pay fees in all instances.
The NWFSRDC administrator is a Census Bureau employee who interfaces with researchers, key US Census Bureau contacts, and the University of Washington administration. Please contact the administrator at nwfsrdc@uw.edu for information about conducting research at the NWFSRDC.
Restricted-use datasets available through the Federal Statistical Research Data Center Network.