New Federal Statistical Research Data Center opens in Dallas
Ribbon cutting on December 5 including Dr. Wenhua Di (second from left) and Ron Jarmin (third from left) of the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) Foundation was on hand Dec. 5 for the official opening of the Dallas-Fort Worth Federal Statistical Research Data Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. DFWHC Foundation President Kristin Jenkins and Dr. Sushma Sharma, the Foundation’s director of public and population health research, serve as board members of the new data center.
In addition to giving area researchers access to high-quality, in-depth economic, demographic and health data, the new research center provides approved researchers with secure access to restricted-use microdata.
Administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, the center is a partnership of area institutions led by the Dallas Fed and University of Texas at Dallas. Additional members include UT Southwestern Medical Center, UT Arlington, Southern Methodist University, Texas Tech University/Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, University of North Texas and Texas Christian University.
“The significant research population in the Dallas-Fort Worth area supports the demand for this facility,” said Wenhua Di, executive director and co-principal investigator for the center. “The center will advance scientific knowledge, improve data quality and inform public policy in fields spanning social, behavioral and economic sciences and the health professions, and extending to urban planning, and engineering,”
The DFW center is the 29th in the nation and was awarded as the result of an extensive competitive grant application process involving contributions from each consortium member and a review by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Census Bureau.