Project Name:

Expanding Equitable Access to Restricted-Use Data through Federal Statistical Research Data Centers

Contractor: Regents of the University of Michigan

Lessons Learned

The lesson learned from this period is the importance of stakeholder engagement. To reach the diverse stakeholder community to inform this project, the team has worked closely with NCSES to develop an Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Act package seeking approval to contact stakeholders.

In April-June, our project learned about the Fast-Track review process for Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance. We learned about the timeline for Fast-Track PRA review, the requirements for submitting the request, and the requirements of the content itself.

We experienced lower participation than expected from non-profit and government groups during data collection for the national survey and focus groups. We learned these audiences may be harder to reach with current FSRDC and National Secure Data Service outreach strategies and may require different approaches. They don’t seem to feel that the FSRDCs provide a service that is relevant to them. We also learned in the focus groups that some researchers from underrepresented groups or institutions thought that the idea of providing mentoring to them was condescending as they are already well-trained researchers. Efforts to share the specialized knowledge that facilitates successful projects in the FSRDCs should be attuned to this reaction in how they present themselves.

 

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Disclaimer: America’s DataHub Consortium (ADC), a public-private partnership, implements research opportunities that support the strategic objectives of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). These results document research funded through ADC and is being shared to inform interested parties of ongoing activities and to encourage further discussion. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed above do not necessarily reflect the views of NCSES or NSF. Please send questions to ncsesweb@nsf.gov.