The National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project builds steam in year 2

In response to the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022,” the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) is continuing its investment in the National Secure Data Service Demonstration Project (NSDS-D).

NSDS-D is designed to provide a platform for shared services that streamline data access, enhance data linkage, and strengthen privacy protections, thereby enabling broader data use across sectors. Collaboration with federal, state, local and tribal governments and nongovernmental stakeholders is vital to creating this secure data ecosystem. NSDS-D aims to support informed decision-making, particularly in evaluating and improving public programs and policies through the use of data.

NCSES utilizes America’s DataHub Consortium (ADC) to facilitate the NSDS-D pilot projects. Following a competitive selection process, NCSES awarded over $10 million in Fiscal Year 2024 to fund 10 NSDS-D projects across diverse organizations, including one nontraditional partner — an organization that has not typically worked with NSF. 

“It’s been an exciting couple of years for the ADC in its support of the five-year National Secure Data Service Demonstration project mandated by the ‘CHIPS and Science Act,'” said Emilda B. Rivers, NCSES director. “We have engaged with a diverse range of users and partners across the nation to identify needs and explore innovative solutions to evidence building. Progress includes developing features and tools that leverage privacy-preserving technologies and creating models for a comprehensive data concierge service. As we move forward into the third year of the five-year NSDS demonstration project, we invite you to help us explore your user journey experiences and to partner with us to test these services with high-impact use cases.”

The latest round of NSDS-D projects and awardees includes:

• Secure Compute Environment Testbed – NORC at the University of Chicago.
• Informing Evidence-Building Capacity among State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal Governments within a National Secure Data Service – Mathematica Inc.
• Data Access Alternatives: Artificial Intelligence Supported Interfaces – BrightQuery Inc.
• Building Capacity for State, Local, and Territorial Governments to Use Administrative Data for Evidence-Building – BrightQuery Inc.
• Data Integration to Estimate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Attrition and Workforce Supply: A Pilot Approach – University of Southern California.
• Data Integration to Estimate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Attrition and Workforce Supply: A Pilot Approach – The Coleridge Initiative Inc.
• Engaging Policy Stakeholders to Inform a Future National Secure Data Service – Clarivate.
• Synthetic Data Generation with Large, Real-World Data – Westat.
• AI-Ready Data Products to Facilitate Discovery and Use – BrightQuery Inc.
• Artificial Intelligence for Enhancing Data Quality, Standardization, and Integration – NORC at the University of Chicago.

The invaluable contribution from these projects, along with future initiatives, have the potential to significantly advance data privacy, security and the ethical use of data, benefiting both individuals and organizations.

Please visit the ADC Project Awards page for more information and a detailed overview of each project.