The Interagency Council on Statistical Policy has announced a new feature in the standard application process (SAP) portal, ResearchDataGov. The portal is now accepting applications for access to confidential data in the federal statistical system.
This marks an important milestone for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and other federal statistical agencies. For the first time, primary statistical agencies and units will be using the same application for access to their restricted-use data. The portal also facilitates data discovery by providing an online catalog of available data sets that users can search by topic, agency, and keywords.
The application process for requesting access to BJS's confidential data was made available through the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The Evidence Act commissioned the federal government to establish a standard application process (SAP) through which agencies; the Congressional Budget Office; state, local, and tribal governments; researchers; and other individuals, as appropriate, may apply for access to confidential microdata. In response, the federal statistical system developed the SAP portal, ResearchDataGov.
The ResearchDataGov portal serves as a one-stop shop for visitors to browse a web-based catalog of protected datasets, submit an application for access to data from one or more agencies, and track application status.
Users with questions about existing applications or arrangements for use of restricted-use data should contact BJS directly at [email protected]. Please put "SAP" in the subject line.
To learn more about the SAP, please visit the Standard Application Process Overview webpage.