Restricted Data

L.A.FANS Restricted Data Version 3

L.A.FANS Restricted Data Version 3 is the highest level of released Restricted Data that includes geographic coordinates and requires the use of a secure data enclave. Restricted Data Version 3 includes geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) of addresses for several important locations from respondents' daily lives (e.g., location of home, work, place of worship), Census tract and block numbers, the ability to incorporate untreated neighborhood characteristics based on tract or block number, access to the L.A.FANS Neighborhood Observations database, name and code for the schools attended by all children in the L.A.FANS sample, as well as variables describing distances between geographic locations (e.g., between home and work).

Eligibility and Requirements

To apply for Version 3 of the L.A.FANS Restricted Data, researchers must be the Principal Investigator (PI) of a federally-funded research project, or a researcher working in a federally-funded research center (including, but not limited to, an NIH-funded Population Research Center or Center for the Demography of Aging). The PI must also have a permanent faculty appointment (or faculty-equivalent research appointments) at an organization with a current Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) Certificate.

Preliminary Application

Researchers interested in using the L.A.FANS Restricted Data Version 3 must first submit a preliminary application. This package should include (1) a brief Research Proposal, (2) a detailed Data Protection Plan, and (3) a check to cover administrative and handling costs.

Research Proposal

The Research Proposal shall be no more than two pages long and should include each of the following items:

Specific aims of the project;
Scientific significance of the proposed research;
List of main L.A.FANS variables to be used;
Justification of the need for the Version 3 Restricted Data;
An analysis plan;
A proposed start date and end date for the project (with a project duration of no more than three years);
Full details of current federal funding for researchers applying for Restricted Data Version 3 (including agency, grant number, dates of grant or contract, and name, phone number and e-mail address of the federal program officer with responsibility for the project);
If the researcher applying for Restricted Data Version 3 does not have a current federally-funded grant but is an associate of a federally-funded research center, the application must include a letter of support for the application from the Center Director assuring that the center will supervise the use of these data according to the conditions specified in the Restricted Data Use Agreement and the project's Data Protection Plan, if RAND approves the application.

The letter must include the description of the federally-funded center grant(s) (including agency, grant number, beginning and end dates of grant or contract, and name, phone number and e-mail address of the federal program officer with responsibility for the project). For example, in the case of an NIH-funded population research center, this information must be provided for the R24 grant that provides infrastructure funding for the center.

Data Protection Plan

Researchers must provide a concise but detailed Data Protection Plan as part of their application to receive L.A.FANS Restricted Data Version 3. The Data Protection Plan is an important part of the signed agreement between RAND and the Restricted Data Investigator’s home institution. All members of the research team with access to the Restricted Data are contractually obligated to follow all aspects of the Data Protection Plan.

The fundamental goal of the protections outlined in this plan is to prevent persons who are not signatories to the Restricted Data Use Agreement or the Supplemental Agreement with Research Staff from accessing the data. RAND will not approve the preliminary application if the plan is not written with sufficient specificity, or if RAND does not deem the data protections to be adequate.

The Data Protection Plan applies to the original L.A.FANS Restricted Data files received from RAND (regardless of its format), to any copies made by the research team, and to any new data derived solely or in part from the original L.A.FANS Restricted Data files. The plan also should address how computer output derived from the data (for example, case listings and printouts), will be protected and disposed of securely.

Application Fee

The non-refundable application fee for Version 3 is $500. RAND cannot accept payment by credit card.

Checks should be made payable to RAND Corporation and should be mailed to:

L.A.FANS Database
RAND Corporation
1776 Main Street
P.O. Box 2138
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138

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