How to Acquire Restricted Data at Cornell

1. Review requirements of the data provider
   
   In general, most secure data providers ask for a project description, security plan, and signed affidavit or pledge about the security of the data. Many applications are available on data provider websites. Restricted data can also be acquired from private individuals, companies, or other sources that don't normally deal in restricted data. CRADC staff is familiar with all of the major providers of restricted data, and can also help when negotiating with non-standard sources.
2. Prepare your application to the data provider with help from CRADC staff. They will provide you with the CRADC security plan, which can be customized to meet provider requirements. Be sure to request in your application that data be sent to:

CRADC Data Custodian
Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research
391 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

3. Obtain approved human participants protocol through the Institutional Review Board
   
   
   1. Complete online training. All Cornell investigators must complete training in the use of human participants before submitting applications to the IRB for review.
      http://www.irb.cornell.edu/training
   2. Complete initial approval request for IRB review, including your application for data. http://www.irb.cornell.edu/forms/
4. Once IRB approval is obtained, CRADC staff does a final review of the packet before it is turned over to the faculty member or researcher's home department.
5. The department administrator will prepare the Form 10; request necessary approvals and send the dataset application to OSP.
6. OSP will review, approve, and submit application to the data provider.
7. The PI will be notified when the agreement has been fully executed.
8. Upon receipt of the data, the CRADC Data Custodian will copy the data to the secure CRADC server, store original media in a safe in the CISER building, and arrange for the researcher(s) to sign a local computing use agreement (as shown in the CRADC security plan) based on the requirements of the data provider. Customized secure computing accounts will then be created and work can begin.

Note: if you currently use restricted data at Cornell and would like to make use of our services, contact cradc@cornell.edu and we'll help you transfer your restricted data to our highly secure and easy-to-use research environment.