Data Access

Under Data without Boundaries, academic researchers resident within the European Union member states (or associated countries) or the European Free Trade Association are invited to apply for access to highly detailed microdata from Research Data Centres (RDC) in the UK, Germany, Netherlands and France.   This is a unique opportunity for researchers to receive specialist support and reimbursement of costs to conduct comparative research across borders.

Depending upon the RDC, available datasets are social survey, census and business microdata considered to be too detailed, confidential or sensitive to be provided through standard access mechanisms.

Researchers should apply to access specific datasets to conduct research at one or more RDCs that are not in the country of their residence.  Links to information about the datasets are available on the web page Research Data Centres and Datasets. Successful applicants will visit the RDC to conduct their research onsite and / or receive training and will receive specialist support. Onsite research visits will last for one to three weeks, depending upon the research and the RDC.

For some RDCs remote access from the researcher's own country is also possible. For onsite access, researchers work in a secure environment at the relevant RDC.  They gain access to the 'real' data they have been approved to access and all the necessary statistical analysis and desktop software. Remote access, where researchers can conduct their research from their own desktop in their own country, varies according to the RDC.

In all cases, outputs are only released to the researcher for publication subject to Statistical Disclosure Control checks by the RDC.

For more details, follow the links at left.

Before sending a query, please visit the FAQs section.

Any queries about the call and the application process should be sent to tna@dwbproject.org.