Indiana University is a proud member of the Kentucky Research Data Center (KRDC) consortium. The KRDC is a collaboration between the University of Kentucky and the U.S. Census Bureau established by a grant from the National Science Foundation in 2016. KRDC is part of the nationwide system of Federal Statistical Research Data Centers. Through the KRDC, located in Lexington, KY, Indiana University researchers are able to access restricted data from participating federal statistical agencies.
Fall 2020 Informational Webinar
The Kentucky Research Data Center (KRDC)
KRDC is secure facility, and researchers wishing to use the facility must develop a project proposal, receive approval for the project, and undergo security clearance. More information is available on the KRDC's "Policies and Procedures" page. Researchers interested in developing a project proposal can start by contacting Emily Meanwell, Indiana University's KRDC advisory board representative.
There are no fees charged to IU researchers for using the KRDC, except for those additional fees assessed by the NCHS and BLS for their data products.
We have compiled a list of popular data resources available through the KRDC. Information is also available on the KRDC's "Data Products" page, as well as through ResearchDataGov.
KRDC Grants for IU Researchers
The Social Science Research Commons invites requests for funding to support research that uses the resources of the University of Kentucky RDC (KRDC). Requests can be made for funds to support travel to the RDC by faculty or their graduate students and for any charges associated with using RDC data. We expect that typical requests will be for $500 - $3,000.
All IU Bloomington faculty, and graduate students (with faculty sponsor) are eligible for funding. Researchers with multiple KRDC projects are encouraged to submit an application for each project.
Funding recipients must submit a brief 1-2 page report of the outcomes of the grant within 3 months of the end of the project period. Reports should address grant and fellowship proposals submitted or awards received as a result of the funded research, publications/presentations, and/or how the project advanced the recipient’s research agenda.
Submit the following materials to ssrc@indiana.edu:
- A copy of the project's proposal (to the Census, CDC, or other entity) or a project narrative describing the project’s goals and its advancement of empirical knowledge, theories, or methods (maximum 2 pages).
- A budget and short (1 paragraph) budget justification
- A list of personnel involved with the project, their statuses at IU (faculty, graduate student, staff, etc.), and their home schools and/or departments.
- Documentation of project approval from the appropriate entity (e.g. the U.S. Bureau of the Census).*
*Please note that researchers may submit requests for funding prior to receiving project approval from the appropriate federal entity, but will be required to provide documentation of project approval before funds will be disbursed.