What We Do
Accessing Restricted-Use Data
If you would like to access and work with restricted-use social science data, you will probably need a signed Data Use Agreement (DUA) that spells out the terms of use. You can work directly with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to submit an application for a DUA on your own, or the SSRI Data Resources Hub (DRH) can help you with this process.
- If you choose to submit on your own, please select “SSRI” as your department to allow us to check on its progress.
- If DRH submits on your behalf, we can reduce the number of clarifications you receive upon submission, follow the progress of the submission, and expedite the process.
Managing Data Use Agreements
DRH offers contract management services such as adding or removing personnel, writing and submitting annual reports, adding additional data to an existing data use agreement, and moving the location where your data are stored.
Securing Restricted-Use Data
DRH can assist you in writing your Data Security Plans for contracted data. We’ll work with the SSRI IT team to give you options and work through the multiple levels of data security.
IRBs & Sharing Your Data
DRH provides assistance in completing IRBs, including Not Human Subjects, Secondary/Existing data, and IRB of Record. DRH can also help if you would like to share your primary data collection with researchers outside of Penn State.
SSRI’s Data Resources Hub can help you access, manage, secure, and share restricted-use social science data.
Many restricted-use social science data sets require special protections because the data are sensitive. Penn State classifies data and its associated security risk into distinct tiers using tools like the Information Classification Decision Tool.
Most social science restricted-use data are classified as Level 2, such as:
- Add Health [https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/]
- Health and Retirement Study [https://hrs.isr.umich.edu/]
- Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)
Some social science data require more protection because they contain personally identifiable information (PII), are covered under HIPAA, or require protections under the NIST-800-171 protocol (e.g., genomic data). These data are typically classified as Level 3, such as:
- PA Health Care Cost Containment Council - PHC4
DRH has the following agreements approved and can quickly add your project as an amendment. Please contact us.
- Add Health
- Nielsen TDLinx
