Facility and Operation Information
All research is conducted inside the Federal Statistical Research Data Center facility. The RDC is a unit of the Social Science Research Institute, and jointly supported by the National Science Foundation, College of Liberal Arts, College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Health and Human Development, Eberly College of Science, Penn State Libraries, Population Research Institute, Social Science Research Institute, and Office of the Vice President for Research. During business hours, the RDC is staffed by a U.S. Census employee. He or she is a resource for research support, software information, and access to the center.
Penn State Federal Statistical RDC IRB Submissions No Longer Necessary
On February 15 2016, the Office for Research Protections (ORP) officially determined that IRB submission is not necessary for projects accessing data through the Penn State's Federal Statistical RDC. If an official letter from the IRB is necessary for a specific project (i.e. grant award), please submit to the IRB via CATS IRB and use the protocol template HRP-594- Protocol for Not Human Subjects Determinations. If you have any questions about an upcoming or an existing study, please contact your IRB Analyst at the ORP.
RDC Lab Features
- Eight terminals
- Locked storage area
- Space for each project
- Printer available in administrator’s office during business hours
Available Software
Support is available during business hours at the RDC facility. Consult with the RDC administrator for more information on what is needed to conduct your research.
Mailing Address
Penn State Research Data Center
Pattee/Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802
Funding and Fees
Researchers outside of the University should contact the RDC executive director or administrator for information on cost and services.
All publications that use results gathered from confidential Census Bureau data at Federal Statistical Research Data Centers must include the following disclaimer:
The research in this paper [chapter, ...] was conducted while the authors were Special Sworn Status researchers of the U.S. Census Bureau at the [XX Census Research Data Center]. Research results and conclusions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Census Bureau. This paper has been screened to insure that no confidential data are revealed