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MiCDA Data Enclave Overview

The MiCDA Data Enclave is funded by the Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (NIA P30 AG12846), the Health and Retirement Study (NIA U01 AG09740), and the Michigan Retirement Research Center (SSA 10 P-98358-5). The Survey Research Center and the Population Studies Center of the Institute for Social Research also provide support for the operation of this facility.

Introduction

The Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA) Data Enclave is designed to assist:

prospective users of restricted data files who do not meet the requirements imposed by restricted data contractual agreements
researchers who have special data analysis needs that cannot be met under the terms of a standard restricted data agreement.

The term "restricted data" refers to data sets that cannot be distributed to the general public because of respondent confidentiality concerns or because third-party licensing or use agreements prohibit redistribution. The Data Enclave maintains respondent confidentiality by providing a controlled, secure environment in which eligible researchers can perform analyses using restricted data resources. An example of a restricted data resource would be the administrative data files prepared for distribution by the Health and Retirement Study, which are normally available only to recipients of United States federal grants.

How the Data Enclave Operates

The MiCDA Data Enclave is housed in a secure facility located within the Institute for Social Research, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Data Enclave is currently designed to serve three researchers at any given time. Each Data Enclave user is provided with office space and a high-capacity workstation that allows him/her to access the statistical analysis software, specialized application software, compilers and utilities that are necessary to manipulate and analyze restricted data files. The Data Enclave workstations communicate with a dedicated server on a network that has no physical connection to any other ISR network or to the Internet. A unique password-protected profile is created for each Enclave user which allows the user to access the restricted data files specified in the User Agreement from these workstations. The Data Enclave is open during normal weekday working hours, except for University holidays.

Eligible Users. Faculty members of accredited institutions of higher education, students who are currently enrolled in an accredited graduate or undergraduate program and other researchers who wish to use MiCDA restricted data files but are unable to fulfill the contractual conditions for off-site access.
Cost Recovery. Academic (faculty members of accredited institutions of higher education) or Government (Federal/State/Local) $200/day; Student (currently enrolled in an accredited graduate or undergraduate program) $50/day; Other: $500/day. Special funding mechanisms are in place for University of Michigan students and faculty; contact Data Enclave staff for further details.
User Dataset Preparation. Enclave staff ensure that all restricted and public use datasets listed in the user's approved Research Plan are available on the Data Enclave Workstation. Enclave users are responsible for developing and implementing all data management procedures necessary to produce datasets to be used for analysis. Researchers may provide outside data for use in the Data Enclave, subject to prior approval during the application process. See User-supplied Data for details.
User Assistance. Enclave staff provide assistance with dataset installation, software installation, operating system problems, statistical package operation, backups and user interface issues. Staff members do not provide assistance in carrying out statistical analysis.
Remote Job Submission (Revised Policy). Our expectation is that Enclave users will complete their analysis work during the course of their visit to Ann Arbor.We recognize that special circumstances may arise under which researchers will need to submit analysis runs for remote processing.

Remote job submissions will be accepted separately, each on a case-by-case basis, and will be processed only if the following conditions are met:
- The researcher must have completed an initial round of analysis activities at the Enclave in Ann Arbor.
- The total volume of work submitted remotely should be clearly much less than one day of work in the enclave. Otherwise the user should schedule another day in the enclave.
- Enclave staff are not responsible for:
  - Correcting program logic or syntax.
  - Creating new versions or modifying existing versions of restricted data files.
  - Integrating user files with HRS public data or derivatives thereof.
- Remote jobs may only be submitted for use with the restricted data sets defined in the User Agreement.
- Researchers should submit jobs via email, as ASCII attachments, to a designated Enclave staff member.
- Only SAS and Stata analysis runs will be accepted.
- Enclave personnel will run the batch jobs in off-hours.
- If the approved job runs successfully, the output will be reviewed for confidentiality and then forwarded to the researcher. If the job fails, the error message log will be returned to the researcher for resolution. The job may then be resubmitted by the researcher.
Pre-Export Disclosure Review. Users are allowed to remove results of statistical analysis from the Data Enclave only after Enclave Staff have conducted a disclosure limitation review in order to protect respondent confidentiality. The review process will include examination of both printed and on-line output. Machine readable data files containing analysis results can only be exported by Enclave Staff. See Rules for Pre-Export Disclosure Review for more information on the review process.
Archiving of User Files. Users store work files in their dedicated space on the the Enclave network server. Enclave staff create and maintain backup copies of all files stored on the server on a daily basis. The backup tapes are stored in a secure storage area accessible only to Enclave staff. User files are stored separately from System files and are only to be destroyed:
- upon the written request of the user or
- when the 2-year archive limit is reached.
To apply for access to the Data Enclave, to obtain information on procedural issues (housing, transportation, special needs), or to get answers to technical questions, prospective users should review the application materials and contact the appropriate person:
- Administrative Issues: Cathy Liebowitz (catlieb@isr.umich.edu)
- Technical Questions: Michael A. Nolte (manolte@isr.umich.edu)
More Background Information: Potential Enclave visitors as well as researchers interested in establishing a similar facility may wish to read Access to Restricted Data in a Controlled Environment: The Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging Data Enclave, a white paper presented at JSM 2001 that describes the establishment and operation of the MiCDA Data Enclave. Another paper that might be of interest is Research Use of Restricted Data: The Hrs Experience, presented at JSM 2004.

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