At a glance
- National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) charges researchers fees for projects that use restricted-use data.
- The Research Data Center (RDC) will charge most researchers a management fee and a use fee for their project.
- Find out more about charges and which payment options the NCHS RDC accepts.
About
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) charges user fees to help pay for administrative functions and operational support of the Research Data Center (RDC). In many cases, the RDC does not recover the full cost of services through user fees. NCHS expects researchers who use the RDC to pay user fees.
In most instances, NCHS charges researchers a management fee and a usage fee; please see details below. Also, there are additional fees for researchers who conduct their work at Federal Statistical RDCs (FSRDC); please see below for details. There is no discount or waiver of fees for students.
NCHS data partners and survey sponsors should refer to their inter-agency agreements with NCHS for more information about fees.
Management fee
The management fee covers the cost of:
- Processing the researcher's proposal or application.
- Processing required paperwork.
- Setting-up computer accounts.
- Creating/managing the researcher's analytic data file.
- Conducting a disclosure review of output as described in the approved proposal.
The table below provides the management fees you should expect for your project. Please note that data years are counted per year. For example, 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) is a single cycle that counts as five (5) years. Researchers cannot request a single year of data that is released in a multiple year cycle.
Table 1: RDC management fee based on data years
| Data Years Requested A | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | $3000 |
| 7 to 8 | $3,750 |
| 9 to 10 | $4,500 |
| 11 to 12 | $5,250 |
| 13 to 14 | $6,000 |
| 15 to 16 | $6,750 |
| 17 to 18 | $7,500 |
| 19 to 20 | $8,250 |
After proposal approval, researchers must merge as many of the public-use and external data files together as possible. Researchers also must deliver a complete merged file to the assigned RDC analyst to expedite creation of the analytic data file. The merged file must include only the public-use/external variables listed in the data dictionaries within the proposal.
Other fees
The RDC also charges fees for:
- Proposal amendments.
- Project renewals.
- Special Sworn Status (SSS) background checks for FSRDC researchers.
Please see details in the table below.
Table 2: Other fees for RDC services
| Type | Description | Fee |
| Amendment Fee | All RDC projects are limited to two (2) amendments during the three-year life of the project. There is a charge for any proposal amendment beyond this limit of two amendments. Proposal amendments can include adding public-use or restricted-use variables to the original data file, revising the requested output as listed in the original proposal or transferring projects between RDC locations. There is no charge for adding or removing persons from the project team. | $750 |
| Renewal Fee | For projects that need to continue beyond the three years, an updated proposal is required and a proposal renewal fee is charged. See Application Process for more information. | $1,500 |
| Special Sworn Status (SSS) Fee | The SSS fee only applies to researchers who will conduct their project at a FSRDC and do not currently have SSS. The Census Bureau determines the cost of the SSS application fee and passes this fee to NCHS. SSS application fee is independent of and in addition to the overall total project fee. | $1,800 per person |
Onsite usage fees
There is an onsite usage fee when you come to a NCHS RDC to conduct your research. To estimate the usage fee, consider:
- The amount of time needed to complete your research.
- Your programming skills.
- The research team's work processes.
A programmer responsible for reporting back to a team may want to factor in additional days to address team concerns. RDC applies the full usage fee for any fraction of a scheduled day. RDC invoices usage fees as onsite usage occurs. FSRDC usage fees vary by location.
Table 3: Onsite usage fees
| Access Location | Usage Fee |
| NCHS RDCs | $300 per day |
| Federal Statistical RDCs | Varies by location; please contact FSRDC administrator for details |
Example of RDC project charges
The table below provides an example of possible fees that a researcher might incur over the course of three years if the project were conducted at a NCHS RDC.
Table 4: Example of RDC project charges
| RDC Project Charges | Management Fee | Other Fee | Usage Fee | Total | |
| Year 1 | Management Fee: 1-6 survey years Onsite Usage Fee: 5 days @ $300 per day | $3,000 | $0 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| Year 2 | Onsite Usage Fee: 3 days @ $300 per day | $0 | $0 | $900 | $900 |
| Year 3 | Other Fee: 3rd amendment Onsite Usage Fee: 2 days @ $300 per day | $0 | $750 | $600 | $1,350 |
| Total | $3,000 | $750 | $3,000 | $6,750 |
Payment options
Credit card and electronic payments
The NCHS RDC prefers electronic payment for receipt of fees. This avoids lost checks. Please request electronic payments instructions from your RDC Analyst.
Checks and money orders
- Make checks payable to: DHHS for Statistical Services
- Note: DHHS refers to the Department of Health and Human Services
- Note: DHHS refers to the Department of Health and Human Services
- All checks and money orders must include the invoice number.
- Organizations must also include their institutional EIN (Tax ID).
- Payment must be received soon after receipt of the invoice.
Mail checks to:
Research Data Center
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd, Metro IV Rm 5583
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Note: The RDC is not responsible for checks lost in the mail. The RDC strongly recommends sending checks using a tracking number to help avoid lost payments.
Government agency payment options
Federal government agencies can pay by credit card or check. Discuss this option with your Financial Management Office.
An Interagency Agreement (IAA) must be at least $3,000 and cover all project cost for the period of performance. All IAAs must be processed before May 31st. For more information, please contact rdca@cdc.gov.
Refunds
The RDC does not have the financial capabilities to provide refunds.
- Add $750 for every 2 years of survey data over 20 years