Duke University - Economics

Partnership Agreement Near Completion

The TCRDC partnership agreement is now nearing completion. Proposals from researchers at Duke and all 16 University of North Carolina Constituent Universities are now being accepted.

• TCRDC Annual Conference
• Center for Economic Studies Dissertation Mentorship Program
• Decennial Census Restricted Data Documentation
• NCHS data available at TCRDC
• LEHD Data now available
• Other New Data Sets

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TCRDC Annual Conference September 18, 2009

What is the TCRDC and How Can it Help Me?

During this conference you will be able to hear from local researchers using confidential microdata available at the TCRDC and learn how to gain access to similar microdata that could be beneficial to your research. The day is divided into four sessions-- feel free to attend one or all. We will also be hosting a working lunch for those interested in proposal development to use the TCRDC resources for your own research.

Sponsors: Economic Research Initiatives at Duke (ERID) Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). Register by September 10, 2009.

More information

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Center for Economic Studies Dissertation Mentorship Program to Assist Doctoral Candidates

The Center for Economic Studies wants to assist doctoral candidates who are actively engaged in dissertation research in economics or related fields using Census Bureau microdata at one of the Census Bureau’s Research Data Centers.  Program participants will be assigned one or more CES staff economists as mentors, who will advise students on issues related to the use of Census microdata.  Program participants will also be invited to visit the Center for Economic Studies at U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Washington DC, to meet with staff economists and to present research in progress.  Trip expenses (airfare, hotel, and meals) will be paid for by CES. 

Eligibility: Must be actively working on a Ph.D. thesis in economics or related fields using Census Bureau microdata at an RDC. U.S. citizenship is required.

To Apply: Submit title and abstract of dissertation (including a description of data being used), name of faculty advisor, and your contact information to Randy Becker (randy.a.becker@census.gov).

Deadline: Acceptance will be on a rolling basis, as funding allows.

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Decennial Census Restricted Data Documentation Now Available

The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research  (ICPSR) and the Michigan Census Research Data Center are pleased to announce the availability of new documentation for  the restricted versions of the Decennial Censuses of 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000. Working in conjunction with the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau, ICPSR’s Data Sharing for Demographic Research Project has created documentation for these restricted data. These data sets are based on the 
Decennial Long Form Samples and include variables such as age, ancestry, sex, educational attainment, income, household characteristics, migration, commute time to work, occupation, and place of birth. This recently available documentation provides file summaries and variable information and facilitates sorting of the data.

For more information and to access the documentation, please visit the ICPSR website. Access to the data themselves is available only within the Census Research Data Centers and requires approval by the U.S. Census Bureau. Procedures for accessing these data are available at www.ces.census.gov or www.isr.umich.edu/src/mcrdc/. Funding for this project was provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through ICPSR’s Data Sharing for Demographic Research project. Michigan Census Research Data Center Institute for Social Research University of Michigan 426 Thompson Street Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248 734-615-2535.

Link to Documentation Files

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NCHS data available at TCRDC

The Center for Economic Studies (CES) is pleased to announce that the Census Bureau has reached agreement with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to make NCHS data available to qualified researchers through the Census Research Data Center (RDC) network.

Proposals will be accepted by CES beginning February 15, 2007 to use many of the NCHS data sets (see the list below). NCHS will handle all proposal review and also disclosure avoidance review for their data, and will charge a small fee for creating the researcher's data extract. Standard Census RDC access charges, if any, will apply. Proposals to use their data at any site other than their headquarters site in Hyattsville MD will be submitted through the standard Census RDC proposal process, but will not have to meet Census Bureau standards, just NCHS standards (see the Guidelines on the NCHS RDC website). (Proposals to use confidential data from both the Census Bureau and the NCHS must use the existing Census Bureau application procedure, and will also be reviewed by NCHS.)

All researchers will need to become Special Sworn Status (SSS) employees of the Census Bureau -- in case of incidental access to confidential Census Bureau or Internal Revenue Service data while in an RDC -- and will also be required to become NCHS agents, and take the appropriate training for both roles.

Researchers currently using the Hyattsville NCHS RDC site will be able to transfer their research to a Census RDC site once they become SSS employees. Contact the appropriate Census RDC Administrator for more information on the SSS process.

For more information on the proposal process or the data sets, see the NCHS RDC web site.

NCHS Data Summary Matrix

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LEHD Data now available

The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) research program is centered on the creation and empirical analysis of confidential longitudinal linked employer-household microdata. This integrated microdata is generated within the Census Bureau using data collected for federal and state administrative purposes as well as confidential Census Bureau surveys and censuses. Research projects at LEHD are carried out both by LEHD permanent staff and by research associates using a secure network of 8 Research Data Centers (RDCs) that are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Economics Studies (CES). For more information on accessing LEHD data through the TCRDC, contact us.

For more information on ongoing research at LEHD as well as links to working papers for the related projects, select from the list of projects below:

• Confidentiality Research
• Low Wage Work
• Human Capital & Productivity
• Transportation
• Age & Pension Benefits

LEHD Disclosure Guidelines

LEHD PowerPoint Presentation

LEHD Documentation Files

• Overview
• Snapshot

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Other New Data Sets

SIPP Synthetic Beta data now available

There is a significant opportunity to use a new data product from the
Census Bureau, SSA, and IRS that is now underway.

The Census Bureau recently released the beta version of a new data
product that links the Survey of Income and Program Participation to the
respondents' full lifetime history of earnings (W-2, box 1, uncapped)
since 1978 and FICA eligible earnings since 1937. Social Security
benefit information is also included. The proposed public-use data were
synthesized to protect confidentiality.

While the file is in beta, anyone may use it but an application is
necessary, and only the variables on the proposed public-use file can be
used. The benefit of using the beta version of this file is that your
analysis will also be run on the underlying confidential data without
further application. For those who are unfamiliar with these data, use
of the underlying confidential data (SIPP linked to SSA earnings)
normally requires approval of an RDC-based project.

Full description of the application process and data:
http://www.bls.census.gov/sipp/synth_data.html

Full description of the analysis environment on the Cornell Virtual RDC:
http://www.vrdc.cornell.edu/news/?page_id=276

Email address for questions and applications:


This project was supported by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Social
Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the National
Science Foundation.

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AHRQ data now available

The Center for Economic Studies (CES) http://www.ces.census.gov is pleased to announce that the Census Bureau has reached agreement with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to make AHRQ's restricted Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data available to qualified researchers through the Census Research Data Center (RDC) network.

Proposals will be accepted by CES beginning July 1, 2007 to use AHRQ data sets. AHRQ has specified a proposal format on their data center website and will handle all proposal review and also disclosure avoidance review for their data; they have agreed to waive their fee for creating the researcher's data extract for RDC researchers. Standard Census RDC access charges, if any, will apply. Proposals to use their data at any site other than their headquarters site in Rockville MD will be submitted through the standard Census RDC proposal process, but will not have to meet Census Bureau standards, just AHRQ standards (see their website). (Proposals to use confidential data from both the Census Bureau and the AHRQ must use the existing Census Bureau application procedure, and will also be reviewed by AHRQ, and the Internal Revenue Service if tax data is involved.)

All researchers will need to become Special Sworn Status (SSS) employees of the Census Bureau -- in case of incidental access to confidential Census Bureau or Internal Revenue Service data while in an RDC -- and will also be required to become National Center for Health Statistics agents (as AHRQ data is based on the National Health Interview Survey), and take the appropriate training for both roles.

Researchers currently using the Rockville AHRQ data center will be able to transfer their research to a Census RDC site once they become SSS employees. Contact the appropriate Census RDC Administrator for more information on the SSS process.

For more information on the proposal process or the data sets, see the AHRQ data center web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/onsite_datacenter.jsp

List of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Data sets that will be available:
a. Household Component-Insurance Component linked file (1996-1999, 2001)
b. Nursing Home Component (1996)
c. Medical Provider Component (except directly identifiable data)
d. Two-Year, Two-Panel Files
e. Area Resource File (county-level data that can be linked to MEPS-HC)
f. MEPS-HC Public Use Files

AHRQ will create a custom extract (e.g., merged analytic files with linking variables removed) for each project.

Please contact AHRQ at CFACTDC@AHRQ.HHS.GOV for complete details on additional non-public MEPS data available for RDC use. Other AHRQ confidential data files may be made available at a later date.

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Trade data sets

Three trade data sets are now available to include in proposals for Census RDCs. These trade data include, export trade data (1992-2005), import trade data (1992-2005) and exporter database (1987,1992, 1996-2004).

1. Export trade data (1992-2005, approximately 24 million obs depending on year) Information on U.S. exports of merchandise from the U.S. to all countries, except Canada, is compiled from copies of Shipper's Export Declarations (SEDs) and SED data from qualified exporters, forwarders, or carriers.  Copies of SED's are required to be filed with Customs officials at the port of export. The SED is unique among Census Bureau forms since it is not sent to respondents soliciting responses as in the case of surveys. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection initially collects the SED at the port of export and subsequently transmits it to the Census Bureau. Each SED represents a shipment of one or more kinds of merchandise from one exporter to one foreign importer on a single carrier. Filing the SED is mandatory under Chapter 9, Title 13, United States Code. Qualified exporters, forwarders, or carriers submit SED data by automated means directly to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

2. Import trade data (1992-2005, approx 47 million obs depending on year)
Published information on U.S. imports of merchandise is compiled primarily from automated data submitted through the U.S. Customs' Automated Commercial System. Data are compiled also from import entry summary forms, warehouse withdrawal forms and Foreign Trade Zone documents as required by law to be filed with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Data on imports of electricity and natural gas from Canada are obtained from Canadian sources.

3. Exporter database (1987,1992, 1996-2004)
The exporter data, provided in “A Profile of U.S. Exporting Companies” (Exporter Profile), are compiled by the Foreign Trade Division of the U. S. Census Bureau, using the Exporter Database. The Exporter Profiles are developed to provide both government and private sector users with information about the exporting community including employment size, type of company, and major foreign markets.

For more info, see http://www.ces.census.gov

For additional Information regarding data sets visit our data page.