U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Research Opportunities

at the Census Bureau

The ASA/NSF/Census Bureau Research Fellow Program

Issued October 2003

DIR/01-RFP (Revised)
Research Opportunities

at the Census Bureau

U.S. Department of Commerce

Donald L. Evans,

Secretary

Economics and Statistics Administration

Kathleen B. Cooper,

Under Secretary for

Economic Affairs

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Charles Louis Kincannon,

Director

Issued October 2003

The ASA/NSF/Census Bureau Research Fellow Program DIR/01-RFP (Revised)
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Charles Louis Kincannon,

Director

Hermann Habermann,

Deputy Director

Cynthia Z.F. Clark,

Associate Director for

Methodology and Standards

Economics and Statistics

Administration

Kathleen B. Cooper,

Under Secretary

for Economic Affairs
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Table of Contents

Program Description ......................................................................................................... 3

About the Census Bureau .................................................................................................. 4

Advantages of This Program ............................................................................................. 4

Suggested Projects ............................................................................................................ 4

Social and Demographic Studies ....................................................................................... 5

Economic Measurement and Analysis................................................................................ 8

Statistical Methodology and Computing .......................................................................... 11

Administrative Information ............................................................................................. 14

Application Procedure ..................................................................................................... 15
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Program Description

The ASA/NSF/Census Bureau Research Fellow

Program will help to bridge the gap between

government and academic science. This approach brings researchers closer to the production of the data sets relevant to their research.

The program allows senior statisticians, social

scientists, computer scientists, geographers,

and others to come to the Census Bureau as

Research Fellows for a period of 6 to 12 months

to use Census Bureau data sets and interact with

Census Bureau staff.

Applicants for fellowships should have recognized research records and considerable expertise in their areas of proposed research. The

proposed projects may be in any area related to

Census Bureau methodology or data. Research

topics of interest to the Census Bureau are cited

in this brochure.

We also encourage proposals in other areas

relevant to Census Bureau data or methodology.

Applicants must submit detailed research proposals for competitive evaluation. A Program

Review Board composed of staff from the Census

Bureau and members of academic associations

relevant to the areas of research review the

applications and select the Fellows for the

program.

We encourage researchers to seek further support from the National Science Foundation (NSF)

for their work begun under, or stimulated by, the

research program. Such support requires applying to NSF for a regular project grant. Information about procedures for submitting proposals

to NSF should be requested soon after entering

the research program. If such continuing research is funded, it may continue at the Census

Bureau or at an academic or supporting institution.

See Administrative Information for the application procedure.

Program Director

Dr. Cynthia Z.F. Clark

Associate Director for Methodology

and Standards Directorate

Room 2026-3

Telephone: 301-763-2160

E-mail: Cynthia.Z.F.Clark@census.gov

Statistical Methodology

Dr. William Bell

Senior Mathematical Statistician for

Small Area Estimation

Methodology and Standards Directorate

Room 3240-4

Telephone: 301-763-1683

E-mail: William.R.Bell@census.gov

Direct questions about fellowships or research topics to any of the following program representatives

at the U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233.

Social and Demographic Studies

Dr. Daniel H. Weinberg

Chief, Housing and Household

Economic Statistics

Room 1071-3

Telephone: 301-763-5791

E-mail: Daniel.H.Weinberg@census.gov

Geography

Arnold Jackson

Assistant Director for Decennial Census

Room 2018-2

Telephone: 301- 763-8626

E-mail: Arnold.A.Jackson@census.gov

Economic Studies

Ron S. Jarmin

Acting Director, Center for Economic Studies

Room 206 WP2

Telephone: 301-763-6460

E-mail: Ron.S.Jarmin@census.gov

ASA/NSF/Census Bureau Research Fellow Program
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About the Census Bureau

The Census Bureau is the largest generalpurpose statistical agency in the United States.

By conducting censuses and surveys of households, individuals, business firms, and governments, the Census Bureau produces demographic and economic statistics. These statistics

count and profile the people and institutions of

the United States and their interaction with the

rest of the world. Specifically, the Census Bureau

conducts censuses and sample surveys in the

areas of population, housing, manufactures,

business (wholesale trade, retail trade, and services), mineral industries, construction, finance,

transportation, governments, and foreign trade.

The Census Bureau produces data for publication

and use by other government agencies. By conducting surveys for other government agencies,

the Census Bureau actually collects and tabulates

much of the data these agencies publish. Examples include the American Housing Survey for

the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Crime Victimization Survey

for the Department of Justice, the Manufacturing

Energy Consumption Survey for the Department

of Energy, and the Consumer Expenditure Survey

for the Department of Labor. In addition, the

Census Bureau makes extensive use of other

federal agencies’ administrative records in

compiling its statistical data. The Census Bureau

has garnered the reputation as the “Factfinder

for the Nation.” The annual Census Catalog

and Guide is the best reference on the Census

Bureau’s programs. This reference contains a

product overview and index, abstracts of products released since 1980, ordering information

and forms, lists of sources of assistance, and

an informative series of facts on Census Bureau

programs. The publication is available in local

libraries and from the Customer Service Center,

Marketing Services Office, Census Bureau,

Washington, DC 20233-1900, 301-763-4636.

The Census Bureau conducts its own methodological and subject-matter research aimed at

improving its data production programs. Current

broad research areas include statistical standards, survey design and estimation, evaluation

and quality assurance, confidentiality, nonsampling errors, automation, data analysis, time series

analysis, statistical computing, and organizational research.

Advantages of This Program

By conducting research projects at the Census

Bureau, the researchers have a unique opportunity to make major advances in methodology

and applications in many areas. These areas

include, but are not limited to, the suggested

projects discussed in this brochure. This opportunity is unique for three reasons: (1) researchers become special sworn Census Bureau employees; (2) researchers can work directly with

Census Bureau staff who are most familiar with

the data and with methods of producing the

data; and (3) researchers have the opportunity to

become more familiar with federal statistical

agencies and resources in the Washington area.

The status of a special sworn Census Bureau

employee gives the researchers access to survey

microdata that regular Census Bureau employees

have. This is particularly advantageous as

microdata are not generally released because of

the legal requirement to protect respondent

confidentiality. Researchers have the same

responsibility as employees to protect the confidentiality of Census Bureau data.

Suggested Projects

Suggested projects are listed under three headings reflecting the organization of the Census

Bureau: social and demographic studies, economic measurement and analysis, and statistical

methodology and computing. Proposed projects

may fall into more than one category and are

not limited to those listed here. Any proposed

project should have the potential to encourage

further significant broadly based research and
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should require hands-on access to Census

Bureau data. We welcome projects that could

lead to improvements in the quality and usefulness of our data.

Social and Demographic Studies

Projects in this area concern Census Bureau

surveys and censuses of households and individuals.

Decennial Census Undercount Research.

Much discussion in the legal, political, and

statistical communities concerns estimating the

undercount in the census. We are soliciting

proposals to investigate the following issues:

• How census coverage can best be measured?

• How local area estimates of coverage can

best be made?

• How census coverage might affect critical

uses of the data?

Survey of Income and Program Participation

(SIPP). The SIPP is a series of nationally representative panels of the noninstitutionalized

population. To date, there have been ten panels

introduced annually; each panel typically remains in the survey for 2 1/2 years. In 1996, a

new panel was introduced to last 4 years. Each

SIPP panel provides detailed information through

personal interviews at 4-month intervals. The

information contains intrayear sources of money

and nonmoney income, taxes, assets, and liabilities. Information is also collected on special

topics, such as education and work history,

health and disability, fertility, migration, and

employer-provided benefits.

Research Fellows may use SIPP data for conceptual, methodological, or applied studies on large

longitudinal social science databases. One

particularly useful approach might be to match

contextual variables to the local geography.

Some principal areas of research interest include

the following:

• Sources of, and reasons for, intrayear

changes in income, assets, and program

participation.

• Methods to compensate for attrition and

nonresponse.

• Stochastic modeling of events, such as

movement into and out of poverty.

• Measurement of the dynamics of household

and family composition and how they relate

to program participation and poverty status.

The American Community Survey (ACS).

The ACS is being tested as an eventual replacement for the census long form. Starting in 2003,

the ACS will sample 250,000 different addresses

each month, providing detailed demographic and

social data for geographic areas and population

groups. Between now and 2003, there is ongoing testing and evaluation of the ACS, including

detailed comparisons of 1999-2001 ACS averages with the Census 2000 estimates. Areas of

research interest include:

• Methods for analyzing moving averages,

including uses in formulas to allocate funds

according to measures of need.

• Statistical modeling of effects on survey

data due to differences in questionnaires

and residence definitions.

• Models to estimate survey costs and

optimize survey operations.

Analysis and Evaluation of Housing Statistics. Statistics on housing are available from

the decennial census and from several periodic

national surveys. We welcome proposals for

applied studies using these data and for the

following projects that are of particular interest:

• Use of modeling to help improve estimates

of households’ utility costs.

• Evaluation of data items on the quality

and value of housing.

• Research to explain consistent differences,

across censuses and surveys, in the numbers

of owner-occupied housing units and rented

units.
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• Design of a sampling frame to estimate

additions to the housing stock from sources

other than new construction.

• Development of county-level estimates of

the number of housing units.

Intercensal Population Estimates and Population Projections. This project develops,

produces, and disseminates population estimates

and projections by major demographic characteristics for the nation, states, counties, and subcounty areas in a timely fashion. Population

estimates are produced using the last census

data as the base, and current administrative

records, such as births, deaths, federal tax

returns, medicare enrollment, immigration, etc.,

for changes since the last census. Population

projections are estimates for future dates and

illustrate plausible courses of future population

change based on assumptions about future

births, deaths, international migration, and

internal migration.

Projects in this area could include a wide variety

of topics:

• Exact matching techniques for

administrative data sets.

• Geographic coding procedures to

match mailing address information

to census geography.

• Methods of correcting for biased

coverage of administrative records.

• Methods for expanding the level of

geographic and characteristic detail

in Census Bureau estimates.

• Procedures for combining short- and

long-term population projection models.

• Methods of estimating and presenting

multiple projections scenarios versus

forecast intervals.

• Application of time series methods to

population projections.

• Combination of demographic and

economic methods in population

projections.

• Development of current measures of

the various components of international migration, including measures of

unauthorized and temporary migration

and emigration.

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.

The Census Bureau has begun a program to

provide a biennial series of estimates of six

statistics of income and poverty—per capita

income, median household income, and the

number of persons below the poverty threshold

for four age groups (age 65 and over, age 5-17,

under 5 years of age, and all ages)—for states

and counties. County-level estimates have been

issued for income years 1993, 1995, and 1997,

and state-level estimates for years 1993, 1995,

1996, and 1997. State-level estimates will be

issued for income year 1998 in 2001, and

county-level estimates for income year 1999 in

late 2002. Estimates are based on models

combining decennial census estimates, direct

sample estimates, and federal administrative

data. Projects in this area could include:

• Investigations relating concurrent

measurements of basic income and

poverty statistics from any pair of

sources—the decennial census and

current surveys, the census and administrative records, or current surveys

and administrative records.

• Optimal methods for combining

“symptomatic indicators”; e.g., number

of food stamp recipients, with more

direct measures of income and poverty.

• Validation studies.

Research is also needed on methodological

topics including: using of mixed Generalized

Linear Models to address the discreteness of the

county poverty data; developing better ways to

integrate the state and county models; improving estimates of mean squared error for the

model-based estimates; assessing alternative

ways of incorporating 2000 census data into the

models; and developing and assessing alternative procedures, and possibly models, for the

school district estimation.
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Estimation and Analysis of Biases and

Errors in Demographic Estimates. From a

demographic or statistical perspective, Research

Fellows would investigate ways to improve

Census Bureau postcensus demographic estimates. These data include estimates of population by age, race, and sex for national and

subnational geographic areas. Research would

center on gaining a better understanding of

biases in the current estimation methods,

specifying new methods to reduce these biases,

and estimating error variances of the methods.

Sample topics include the following:

• Investigation of possible basic deficiencies

in the Census Bureau’s handling of demographic accounts for estimates (especially

the international migration component),

such as whether the demographic components are adequately measured or estimated

or whether better estimation procedures can

be devised using other indicator variables or

relationships than are now used.

• Use of statistical or simulation methods to

quantify biases in demographic estimates

and the sensitivity of the estimation

methods to changes in their underlying

assumptions.

Adjusting for Nonsampling Errors in Income Surveys. Income statistics derived from

Survey of Income and Program Participation and

the March Current Population Survey are subject

to nonsampling error problems. These errors

affect the accuracy of our measures of income

inequality, estimates of the low- income population, and estimates of participation in government transfer programs. The researcher would

develop profiles of the level and characteristics

of the nonsampling error for specific income

types and would investigate alternative procedures for adjusting the survey data at the

microlevel to reduce the magnitude of these

errors.

Coverage Evaluation in Demographic Surveys. Undercoverage in demographic surveys is

much higher than in the decennial census, and it

varies across demographic groups. For example,

the estimate for undercoverage is more than

15 percent for Black males and is even greater

for young Black males in the Current Population

Survey. Research could focus on:

• Reasons for greater undercoverage in

surveys than in the census.

• Types of people missed in surveys who

are not missed in the census.

• Coverage comparisons among different

Census Bureau surveys or between Census

Bureau surveys and those of other countries.

• Field tests of methods that may improve

coverage.

Valuation of Noncash Benefits. Noncash

benefits have become an increasingly important

component of economic well-being in the United

States. These benefits are received by households all along the income distribution, ranging

from means-tested transfer provided by the

government to various fringe benefits provided

by employers. Although extensive survey information is available on the recipiency of these

benefits, much more work is needed to assign

dollar values to them. Extensive work has been

done at the Census Bureau to value the major

government-provided benefits, such as food

stamps, free or reduced-price school lunches,

public housing, medicaid, and medicare. Additional work is needed, however, to refine these

estimates, particularly for medical care. Work

is also underway for valuing employer-provided

benefits, such as contributions for health care

and pensions, but much more effort is needed.

Such privately provided benefits are much more

difficult to value than government-provided

benefits because they come in so many different

forms, and independent administrative data

are often scarce. The researcher could develop

methodologies to produce and refine estimates

of noncash benefits, assess the accuracy of

these estimates, and examine the effect on

measures of income distribution and poverty.

Analysis of Special Population Groups.

The Census Bureau conducts research on a wide

array of population groups for whom the agency

collects data in its current surveys and in the

decennial census. Among these groups are

those identified in questions on age, gender,

race, Hispanic origin, ancestry, place of birth,

citizenship, and year of entry. One key focus is

on the five standard Office of Management and

Budget racial categories (White, Black or African

American, American Indian and Alaska Native,
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Asian, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific

Islander), the Hispanic population, and the

foreign-born population. In addition, there is

considerable interest in issues affecting the

population by gender and also for particular age

groups, especially the older population. Finally,

there is increasing interest in the population that

resides transiently or not at all in households,

including some components of the institutionalized population (e.g., prisons and jail inmates),

group quarters population (e.g., shelter residents), as well as the population with no usual

residence. Some of the salient research issues in

this subject-matter area are:

• Reasons for persistently greater undercoverage in surveys and the census among

certain population groups (e.g., Blacks or

African Americans, American Indians and

Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and the foreign

born).

• Methods for improving coverage among

persistently undercounted groups.

• Social, economic, and demographic differentials among population groups.

• Cultural changes and differences that

affect questionnaire design and survey

procedures.

• Changing living arrangements occurring

in today’s society.

International Demographic and Socioeconomic Analysis. The Census Bureau has

working relationships and information exchange

programs with many national statistical offices

around the world and therefore has a wealth of

international statistics, including a 100,000

volume international library. It produces population estimates and projections for all countries

of the world and makes these data available in

a database on the Internet. Areas of interest

include:

• Demographic methods for incomplete and

defective data.

• Population projection methods for

subnational areas.

• International demographic and socioeconomic aspects of population aging.

• The demographic impact of HIV/AIDS

in developing countries.

• Building geodemographic databases and

analyses.

• Social, demographic, and economic trends

in post-Soviet Eastern and Central Europe.

Economic Measurement

and Analysis

Projects in this area concern censuses and

surveys of business establishments, firms, and

public sector agencies. General areas of interest

include the following:

• Conceptual and empirical issues in the

measurement of economic and related

variables.

• Procedures for assessing the accuracy

and improving the measurement of

economic variables.

• Development and application of appropriate

economic and econometric frameworks for

analyzing detailed Census Bureau data for

businesses and other economic entities.

• Analysis of changes in federal, state, and

local fiscal responsibility for providing

services.

• Survey implications measuring e-business

and other new economy issues.

• Survey implications of the introduction of

the North American Industry Classification

System and the revised Standard Occupational Classification.

• Exploration of forecasting and policy uses

of Census Bureau data at the national and

regional levels.
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• Topics of particular interest are noted

below, but we encourage proposals in

other areas.

Analysis of Establishment and Firm Data.

The Longitudinal Research Database (LRD) is

available for econometric studies of establishments and firms. The LRD contains annual

data from 1972 to the most recently completed

survey year, covering over 350,000 manufacturing establishments in census years and from

55,000 to 70,000 in noncensus years. The

microdata in the files are confidential, which

precludes direct use except by sworn Census

Bureau employees, including Research Fellows

and Census Bureau Scholars. Together with data

from other surveys (e.g., Research and Development, Capacity Utilization, Pollution Abatement),

the LRD enables researchers to conduct a wide

range of economic and econometric time series

and cross-section studies of individual establishments and groups of establishments. The data

are well suited for econometric studies of production relationships and industrial organization

studies.

Econometric studies of production relationships,

such as:

• Production and cost models.

• Interrelated factor demand analyses.

• Technical change, productivity, and

 efficiency.

• Economies of scale and scope.

• Input and output measurement.

Industrial organization studies, such as:

• Entry and exit of firms.

• Mergers and acquisition.

• Relationship between firm size and

employment dynamics.

• Effects of technical change on market

structure.

Analysis of Research and Development

Activity. The Census Bureau conducts an

annual survey of research and development

(R&D) expenditures by major R&D performing

and sponsoring companies. Both cross-section

and time series studies can be conducted using

company-level files containing data from 1972.

These data contain a wide range of information

on firm R&D, including expenditures by type,

location, and industry. These data permit researchers to address a wide range of important

R&D-related economic measurement and policy

issues. Some examples are:

• R&D in relation to productivity.

• Innovation and its diffusion.

• Demand for scientists and engineers.

• Capital formation and R&D.

Economic Measurement and Analysis in the

Service Sectors. The Census Bureau is expanding industry coverage and the types of data

collected for these sectors, especially telecommunication, real estate and finance, transportation, and various business services, such as

advertising, accounting, and legal services.

We welcome proposals on the following topics:

• Output measurement and deflation

(particularly in multiple-output or

multiple-characteristics frameworks).

• Input definition and measurement,

technological change.

• Capital input measurement, depreciation,

and obsolescence.

• Economies of scale and scope.

• Conceptual framework for product

classification system for services.

• Market share definition, stability, and trends.

Construction Cost and Output Indexes.

Indexes used by the Census Bureau to deflate

the value of new nonresidential construction put

in place have been inadequate. Research to

develop a new indexing program would involve

development of cost models for different types

of nonresidential construction, such as industrial, commercial, and medical; a review of

current program data for application to cost

models; and recommendations for additional
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data collection to support improved index methods.

Small Business Entrepreneurship: The

Characteristics of Business Owners (CBO)

Survey. This survey is sponsored by the Census

Bureau, the Minority Business Development

Agency, and the Small Business Administration.

The survey presents data about the demographic, sociological, and financial characteristics of minority- and women-owned businesses,

as well as a comparable nonminority male

business universe. The data from this sample

survey were collected as part of the economic

censuses and are intended to expand and

augment the data published in two economic

censuses reports—the Survey of Women-Owned

Business Enterprises and the Survey of MinorityOwned Business Enterprises. Research Fellows

will have access to the microdata from the CBO

survey (covering 125,000 business owners and

their enterprises in each of 1982, 1987, and

1992). These data are particularly suited to

studies of minority small business entrepreneurship.

Improving Merchandise Trade Statistics.

The Census Bureau is responsible for compiling

detailed U.S. merchandise trade statistics, using

documents collected by the Customs Service,

Department of the Treasury. In recent years,

increasing concern has developed about the

economic effects of foreign trade, resulting in

criticism of the scope, accuracy, and timeliness

of the available data on trade.

We welcome research proposals that may lead to

improved estimates, especially in the following

areas:

• Determining what trade information is likely

to be most in demand and require the greatest accuracy in the coming decades, and

suggesting changes in the existing data

system to provide this information.

• Improving data collection, data processing,

estimates of low-valued transactions, and

quality assurance through such means as

introducing sampling into the collection

process and increasing the use of automation.

• Improving monthly real (deflated) estimates

of merchandise trade flows.

• Evaluating the coverage of the merchandise

trade statistics, particularly for exports.

• Evaluating the impact of the new Automated

Export System on the coverage, accuracy,

and consistency of the trade data.

• Evaluating the interpretation, quality, coverage, and consistency of the subnational trade

data, such as by state or metropolitan area.

Measurement of Capital Investment in

Economic Surveys. The Census Bureau measures capital investment in a variety of ways in

its economic survey programs. A primary use

for these data is in the nonresidential fixed

investment component of the Gross Domestic

Product. Conceptually, these data are not completely consistent with each other or with the

Gross National Product investment definition.

The Census Bureau welcomes proposals that

would help provide greater standardization and

consistency among these measures of capital

investment. A related issue is the improvement

of measures of capital stocks, taking into account such factors as the economic life of capital

goods and the sensitivity of capital stocks to

changes in technology and relative factor prices.

Microfoundations of Macroeconomics.

Recently, researchers at the Census Bureau and

elsewhere have begun to recognize that understanding aggregate (macroeconomic) fluctuations requires studying the behavior of individual

plants and firms. For example, studies using

data from the Longitudinal Research Database

show that when economic conditions change,

plants’ and firms’ adjustments in employment

and investment are often lumpy (not smooth)

and that such microeconomic reallocation and

restructuring has macroeconomic effects. The

currently available macroeconomic time series

often mask these effects. Further, some researchers suggest that our understanding of

aggregate fluctuations could be enhanced if

certain new aggregate measures were made

available—based on the higher moments (e.g.,

skewness, kurtosis) of the cross-section distributions of variables, such as investment and

employment. Research proposals in this new

research area are particularly welcome.
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E-Business Measurements. The integration

of information, communication, and computer

technology opens new purchasing channels to

consumers and provides firms with the opportunity to fundamentally change the way they

operate and conduct their business. The Economic Directorate has an ambitious program

underway that provides the first official government estimates of e-commerce sales and

e-business process use. Research is underway

to better understand the impact of e-business

processes on industries, companies, and our

programs. The research includes such areas as:

• Measuring and analyzing e-business

processes.

• Designing surveys of the supply chain,

based on recent research on how e-business

processes are changing supply chain relationships and functions.

• Surveying e-business activities of government entities.

• The impact of electronic distribution and

delivery of products on the nation’s foreign

trade statistics program.

Statistical Methodology

and Computing

This area includes research that is not necessarily tied to particular Census Bureau data sets, but

has broad application to the collection, processing, or analysis of Census Bureau data. Survey

methodology and related areas are of particular

interest, along with any other research topics

that may lead to improved data quality and

reduced costs.

Survey Methodology. The Census Bureau is

interested in projects dealing with any aspect of

survey methodology, which (for purposes of this

brochure) encompass all the steps taken in

conducting a survey or a census:

• Determining survey objectives.

• Defining the target population.

• Selecting the frame (or frames).

• Designing the sample.

• Choosing the method of measurement

(e.g., personal or telephone interviews,

or mailed questionnaires).

• Selecting the information to be obtained

and the questions to be asked.

• Selecting and training interviewers and

other field workers.

• Conducting pretests.

• Organizing the fieldwork.

• Organizing data management (data

processing and quality control).

• Data analysis, particularly of longitudinal

data.

These items are of continuing interest to the

Census Bureau because the Census Bureau is

continually developing and redesigning its

surveys and censuses. Many of the Census

Bureau’s demographic surveys (of households

and individuals) are redesigned around the time

of the decennial census, and many of the economic surveys (of business establishments and

firms) are redesigned around the time of the

various economic censuses which are conducted

in years ending in “2” and “7.” Many of the

projects below and those in other sections of

this brochure relate to particular problems of

survey methodology.

The Adjustment for Nonresponse in Sample

Surveys and Censuses. Research in this area

would be aimed at improving data quality by:

• Developing data collection procedures

that reduce nonresponse (e.g., through

improved questionnaire design, training

in interviewing techniques, etc.).

• Exploring and evaluating new or existing

techniques for reducing nonresponse bias

in estimates.
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Quality Improvement and Its Measurement.

The Census Bureau encourages proposals for

ways to apply a wide range of quality improvement methods to a variety of Census Bureau

operations, including interviewing and data

processing. Researchers could investigate such

topics as the following:

• Methods to objectively estimate costs to

users of various kinds of errors in Census

Bureau data (loss functions).

• Integrated overall error models, with

provisions for estimating magnitudes of

relationships among various error sources.

• Methods of adapting evolutionary operations

techniques to various Census Bureau operations, especially controlled experiments

under operating conditions.

• Ways to measure how quality and productivity relate to factors, such as alternative

organizational structures, or presumed

morale builders, such as quality circles.

• Effective patterns of quality control feedback,

training, and incentives for enumerators and

managers that would be applicable to large

economic or demographic censuses and

surveys.

• Ways to report to users most usefully and

objectively the levels and relationships of

errors.

Cognitive Processes and Question Response. The construction of questions and

questionnaires is frequently described as an “art”

or “craft.” Survey methodologists have studied

such issues as the effects of question placement

within a questionnaire and the tendency of

respondents to recall events as happening more

recently or more distantly than they actually

occurred. Proposals are sought from those who

would use the methods of the cognitive sciences

to improve the understanding of such questionnaire construction issues as question order, the

choice of vocabulary in a question, the choice of

response categories, and response analysis

studies of questionnaires. The topic offers

cognitive and other social scientists the opportunity to use Census Bureau surveys to extend

laboratory-based theories of the way in which

people comprehend, store, and retrieve information, make judgments and causal inferences, and

respond to questions.

Telephone Survey Methods. In anticipation

of the increasing use of centralized telephone

interviewing in data collection, the Census

Bureau has conducted experiments with

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing

(CATI) and Random Digit Dialing (RDD) telephone

sampling. In addition, the Census Bureau has

investigated dual-frame mixed mode sampling

designs. Developmental and evaluative research

topics in this area include the following:

• Modeling and estimation of telephone

survey nonsampling error.

• Comparison of CATI and conventional

interviewing in terms of data quality,

costs, and estimates produced.

• Touchtone data entry and voice recognition.

• Cost modeling of new and conventional

collection methods and minimization of

survey costs.

• Improving the efficiency of RDD, list-assisted,

and related telephone sampling methods.

• Optimum allocation of resources in dualframe sampling designs, taking both sampling and nonsampling errors into account.

Confidentiality Protection and Related

Topics. Statistical confidentiality deals with the

problem of releasing statistical data that are as

accurate and complete as possible while avoiding disclosure of information collected from

individual respondents. We welcome proposals

that would supplement the Census Bureau’s

research in the following topics:

• Masking and microaggregation techniques.

• Rounding and other perturbation techniques

for frequency counts.

• Cell suppression strategies for aggregate

data based on mathematical programming

formulations.
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• Development of suitable measures of

disclosure risk and the effects of disclosureavoidance methods on data usefulness.

Related areas of interest for proposals include:

• Development of public use files of economic

microdata (see Developing Public Use Files of

Economic Microdata above).

• Statistical database security.

• Methods to assess and improve or maintain

public attitudes about confidentiality in

federal statistical programs.

Small Area Estimation. The Census Bureau

has broad interests in research into statistical

methods for small area estimation with application to Census Bureau surveys. One important

application is the Small Area Income and Poverty

Estimates program, discussed earlier under

Social and Demographic Studies. Other areas

of potential application include the American

Community Survey and small area coverage

estimation for the decennial census. Research

interests cover a wide range of small area topics

relevant to models of survey aggregates or to

unit level models.

Census Coverage Estimation. The Census

Bureau has had a long term commitment to

continually improve the coverage of the decennial census. A critical component of an

ongoing research effort is to obtain new and

improved measurements of census coverage.

For Census 2000, the Accuracy and Coverage

Evaluation (A.C.E.) provides an independent

assessment of census coverage. The methodology, known as dual-system estimation, is based

on the capture/recapture technique to estimate

net coverage error. Continued research is needed to develop better estimators so that coverage

properties of the decennial census can be better

understood. In particular, more research is

needed on better statistical methods to estimate

the gross error components of census coverage

for both housing units and persons. Additionally, research is necessary to determine how

these errors are distributed to small geographic

areas. Possible areas of exploration include

developing enhanced missing data procedures,

new post-strata, new models for estimating net

or gross error, new models for small area estimates, or new models for joint coverage of

persons and housing units. The A.C.E. provides

a wealth of data for researchers to explore and

analyze new techniques. Research is needed to

develop innovative ideas that could improve the

quality of the next decennial census.

Geographic Issues for Current Surveys.

The Census Bureau publishes data for several

subnational geographic units, such as states,

regions, counties, and metropolitan areas. Many

data users say that the Census Bureau should

publish more data for different types of geographic units. Suggestions include types of

settlement areas (e.g., neighborhoods, inner-city

areas, or open countryside) or substantive types

of places (e.g., expanding or declining housing

markets). Research in this topic could focus on:

• What geographic units best measure various

subnational social, economic, and demographic phenomena.

• How the Census Bureau can effectively

incorporate such units into its survey

programs to produce more useful

subnational data.

Time Series Methods for Periodic Surveys.

Research has shown that time series techniques

can use both past and current data to produce

improved current estimates for periodic surveys.

Additional research is needed on practical problems that arise in applying these techniques,

such as modeling the covariance structure over

time of the sampling error, dealing with the

effects of establishing benchmarks, and handling

data problems, such as outliers, missing data,

and changes in sample design or sample size.

Investigation of the amount of improvement over

conventional estimates that can be realized in

practice is also needed.

Time Series Analysis. As a publisher of large

numbers of economic and demographic time

series, the Census Bureau has a strong interest

in the development and application of time

series methodology, and provides an excellent

environment for research in this area. Areas

of interest cover a broad range of topics in univariate and multivariate time series methodology

and applications. Topics of particular interest

include the following:
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• Modeling and forecasting of demographic

time series.

• Analysis of spatial data (such as state or

county data).

• Methods of dealing with outliers in time

series modeling and seasonal adjustment.

• Various topics in seasonal adjustment,

including estimating error variances for

seasonally adjusted data.

• Methods for modeling, forecasting, and

seasonally adjusting large numbers of

time series.

Statistical Computing and Graphics. The

Census Bureau is conducting a research and

development program to provide the most

modern statistical computing support to its

research and data analysis programs. The major

subject areas in this research are statistical

databases (including development of a statistical

database for tabulating and analyzing data from

Census Bureau surveys); statistical graphics

(including use of color graphics); generalized

statistical software, such as for data editing or

record linkage, artificial intelligence; and software requirements for data analysis workstations

for nonprogrammers. We welcome proposals

that relate to one or more of these areas.

High-Speed Networking. The Census Bureau’s

network is one of the more advanced networks

in the world. In keeping pace with emerging

technologies, the Census Bureau has developed

an architecture for audio, voice, video, and

integrated data. Videoconferencing and internet

protocol television are key components of this

approach that also includes implementation of

leading edge voice-over-internet protocol or

internet protocol phones. It operates on Cisco

Catalyst 6500 series gigabit capable switches

and virtual LANS. It is a totally redundant network with no single points of failure. Asynchronous Transfer Mode 100 baseT and 10 baseT

are all running over this network. This system

gives us a cost-effective solution with modern

functionality, voice mail scalability, and unified

messaging, which allows integration with Lotus

Notes. The Census Bureau is implementing a

small scale pilot for telecommuting with plans

to expand the opportunity to its employees.

The remote access system is protected by multiple firewalls and is one of the most secure in

the federal government. The remote access

system was converted from a Windows NT 4

domain-based authentication for remote access

to RADIUS-based authentication using netware

directory services. Storage has always been a

critical element of any information technology

organization, but now with the requirement to

provide fast access and retrieval of data at

anytime, it is imperative to have a well thoughtout solution. The storage area network is being

built to eventually handle up to thirty terabytes

of data at any given time, day or night, which is

beyond the capacity of many storage systems.

Topics of particular research interest include the

following:

• Voice-over-internet protocol expansion

of internet protocol phones throughout

the Census Bureau’s area network.

• The integration of the remark voice mail

system with Lotus Notes.

• Migration from NT4 to Windows 2000.

• Expansion of videoconferencing and internet

protocol television video capability and

storage of a minimum of three terabytes

of video on the storage area network.

• A phased approach to manage Unix with

e-directory for password synchronization.

Administrative Information

Conditions of Appointment and Benefits

Research Fellows and Census Bureau Scholars

will conduct their research at the Census Bureau

in Suitland, Maryland, a suburb of Washington,

DC. While participating in the program, they are

to follow normal Census Bureau policies and

practices. The researchers are reimbursed by the

ASA and are on a guest worker arrangement with

the Census Bureau, or they are paid under the

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).
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The stipends received by researchers in this

program are commensurate with their qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits and travel

allowances are negotiable. Usually, the Census

Bureau can negotiate retention of fringe benefits

with the permanent employer.

The duration of the fellowship appointment is

flexible; the usual term is 6 months to 1 year.

Extensions to appointments, appointments split

into two separate terms, and part-time fellowships are also possible.

Census Bureau computing resources available to

the researchers include Unix servers and workstations, DEC minicomputers, and various personal computers. Computer networks also

provide internal electronic mail, as well as access

to the Internet through our isolated server workstation. Other support provided to researchers

includes technical and secretarial support, library

facilities, a travel allowance, and interaction with

the Census Bureau’s professional staff. Funds

are also available to accommodate specialized

needs for computer software and hardware.

The researchers who work with Census Bureau

computing equipment are subject to a routine

security clearance.

Application Procedure

The following information is required of all

fellowship applicants:

1. A curriculum vitae.

2. The names and addresses of three

references who may be contacted.

3. Three copies of a detailed research

proposal to include the following:

a. Short descriptive title for the project.

b. If the applicant is applying to any of the

other fellowship programs in addition

to the Census Bureau (i.e., BLS or NCES),

please indicate the agency.

c. Abstract of one-half page or less that

summarizes the project.

d. Proposed term (approximate dates).

e. Background information on research

topic with references.

f. Statement of relevant work already

accomplished by the researcher.

g. Proposed research plan with sufficient

detail for evaluation of expected results.

h. Significance of expected results.

i. Advantages of conducting the research

at the Census Bureau.

j. Requirements for research support

and work facilities.

k. Budget required for appointment

including:

- salary costs for term of appointment,

- benefits,

- research assistance costs,

- hardware costs, and

- travel costs.

Note: The following are not eligible for these

fellowships: U.S. federal government employees,

members of Review Boards of ASA-sponsored

fellowship programs, and members of the Board

of Directors of ASA.

Applications for the ASA/NSF/Census Bureau

Research Fellow Program should be sent to:

 Ms. Carolyn Kesner

 ASA/NSF/Census Bureau Research

 Fellowship Program

 American Statistical Association

 1429 Duke Street

 Alexandria, VA 22314-3415

 E-mail: carolyn@amstat.org

The application deadline is December 10.

Final decisions will be made by March.