1. ADRF Overview
The Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) is a secure platform provided by the Coleridge Initiative for researchers to safely access and analyze sensitive administrative data from government agencies. It offers a secure computing environment with tools for analysis, visualization, and data integration.
About the Coleridge
The Coleridge’s mission is to improve the access, usability, and impact of data for public policy by fostering collaboration between government agencies, researchers, and other stakeholders. It aims to create a data ecosystem where government data can be more effectively used to inform evidence-based decision-making, policy development, and research.
About the Administrative Data Research Facility
The Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) is a platform provided by the Coleridge that enables researchers to access and analyze administrative data from government agencies securely and efficiently. It offers a secure computing environment where researchers can work with sensitive data while ensuring privacy and confidentiality. The ADRF provides tools and infrastructure for data integration, analysis, and visualization, allowing researchers to conduct rigorous and reproducible studies using large-scale administrative datasets. By facilitating access to valuable data resources and promoting collaboration between researchers, government agencies, and other stakeholders, the ADRF supports evidence-based policymaking and advances research in fields such as public health, education, labor economics, and social policy.
The Five Safes Security Framework
The ADRF follows the Five Safes Framework, a data management framework commonly used in government agencies, to ensure the safe use of sensitive and confidential data assets. It considers five dimensions in making data-related safety and security decisions: Safe Projects, Safe People, Safe Settings, Safe Data, and Safe Exports.
Safe Projects - The ADRF contains only agency approved projects that have been proposed and agreed upon by project and dataset stewards. Only approved projects are housed within ADRF, only approved individuals are granted access to a given project, and project environments are kept separated from each other. These approved projects require signed agreements and only approved users can access the project workspaces within the platform.
Safe People - Only approved researchers are permitted to access project workspaces and related resources. Each individual with approved access must complete security training, agree to the ADRF terms of use, and sign relevant data use agreements. Individuals must authenticate to gain access to the remote platform and all ADRF activity is monitored.
Safe Settings - The ADRF is designed to provide secure methods of data transfer for agency micro-data, specifically data that includes Personally Identifiable Information. Only agency identified and authorized personnel are invited to perform data transfers.
Safe Data - Before transmission to ADRF, all data with personally identifiable or other sensitive information is hashed, and an online data stewardship application provides data stewards with information on who is accessing their data, how it is being accessed, what projects employ it, the characteristics of each data asset, and the status of user agreements.
Safe Exports - Users are prevented from unauthorized removal of any information within the secure environment.
Coleridge PASS (Privacy, Access, Safety, Security)
The Coleridge PASS web-based application is the central console for managing user onboarding, monitoring ADRF usage, and consolidating necessary training. Completing the tasks in the PASS Portal is mandatory before gaining access to your project workspace.
Obtaining Access
Agency-affiliated researcher. If you are an agency-affiliated researcher using an agency-sponsored account, you will be granted ADRF access once you complete your onboarding tasks and required data access agreements. If you are a self-paying agency-affiliated researcher, your ADRF access is conditional on receipt of payment. If your institution of Office of Sponsored Programs will be submitting payment on your behalf, please be aware of potential access delays. Whenever possible, the Coleridge Initiative advises paying with a personal credit card or institutional payment card and using the generated invoice to request reimbursement.
Individual part of a training program. If you are part of a training program, you will be granted ADRF access once you complete your onboarding tasks and required data access agreements.
Support
Need help?
Email: support@coleridge.us
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM ET