ACDEB’s Vision of a National Service for Evidence Building

Emilda B. Rivers, Director 

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)

October 25, 2023

2023 Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) 

Advances in Implementing Title III of the Evidence Act: 

Enhancing Public Trust in Official Statistics and 

Expanding Data Access for Evidence Building

(ACDEB=Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building) 
Today’s focus 

• ACDEB Vision for a National Secure Data Service (NSDS)

• CHIPS and Science Act and the National Secure 

Data Service Demonstration Project

• Continuing Progress for Evidence Building

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Vision for a NSDS 

Philosophy: 

As a philosophy, the NSDS will produce 

value for the American public by 

facilitating evidence building.

Service: 

As a service, the NSDS will provide 

coordination and capacity-building 

services for data users, data providers, 

and related communities of practice. 

Place:

As a place, the NSDS will be a legally 

recognized entity that functions within 

the larger federal ecosystem, with 

hardware, software, and administrative 

infrastructure and capacity that allows it 

to meet its mission.

The NSDS will be an important component of the broader evidence-building ecosystem, 

whose goal is to develop evidence for decision-making. As such, the NSDS will build on 

the framework established in the Evidence Act and advanced through the Federal Data 

Strategy, including operating under CIPSEA and complying with associated privacy and 

confidentiality requirements

CIPSEA=Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act) 
The Vision for the NSDS

• Functions

The NSDS would enter the existing evidence ecosystem as a new partner, striving to 

complement and enhance—rather than supplant or replace—current actors, infrastructures, 

and capabilities. The NSDS should fill gaps in the ecosystem through its core functions.

• Technical Infrastructure and Tools

To make the path for evidence building easier and more predictable—both for data access and 

privacy protection—the NSDS must provide technical infrastructure and tools to support its 

core functions, operating under the same CIPSEA frameworks as the federal statistical 

agencies.

• Resources and Funding 

For the data ecosystem to flourish, there must be adequate resources available. 

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ACDEB 

Recommendations
ACDEB’s Charge

To review, analyze, and make recommendations to the OMB Director on 

how to promote the use of federal data for evidence building, 

with an emphasis on Title III of the Evidence Act

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Advisory Committee on Data for Evidence Building (2020-2022) 
An actionable path for evidence building 

CHIPS Act Requirements:

• Congress mandates a 

demonstration project managed by 

NCSES to inform potential 

implementation of Evidence Act

ACDEB Report Requirements:

• ACDEB made recommendations on 

how to promote the use of Federal 

data for evidence building

• Recommend America’s DataHub is 

foundational pilot

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America’s DataHub is a collaborative public-private partnership

Consortium Management Firm, facilitates 

ADC collaborative activities, contractual and 

financial administration of research projects.

Government PMO

Lead agency, 

Agreements Officer 

(AO) and AO 

Representative “The Bridge”

Overarching 

Other Arrangement

Government (Public) Consortium (Private)

• Federal Statistical Agencies

• Other Federal Agencies

• State/Local Agencies

• Tribal Governments

• Other Public Stakeholders

Industry leaders, nontraditionals, & academic 

organizations conduct the research projects.

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(a) In general...

Section 10375 

NSF (NCSES)

establishes NSDS 

Demonstration 

Project

Director of 

OMB

National A.I.

Interagency

Committee

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Shall...

Establish a demonstration project 

to develop, refine, and test 

models to inform the full 

implementation for a 

government-wide data linkage 

and data access infrastructure for 

statistical activities conducted for 

statistical purposes, as defined in 

chapter 35 of title 44, United 

States Code.

Consultation with...

National Secure Data Service Demonstration, Section 10375 of 

CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
Scope

Focus on novel capacity building, data sharing and access, research

collaborations, user needs and experiences, data linkage

methodologies, and privacy preserving technologies and techniques.

Explore innovation

Will not be a data warehouse

Data will not be collected and housed under the demonstration project.

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National Secure Data Service Demonstration, Section 10375 of 

CHIPS and Science Act of 2022

Pilot potential shared services, technologies, and techniques that

might be used within a potential National Secure Data Service
• Demonstration project fully launched in January of 2023

• 16 projects initiated in FY23 to test potential NSDS capabilities

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National Secure Data Service Demonstration, Section 10375 of 

CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
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Examples of Current NSDS Demonstration Projects

• Creating and Validating Synthetic Data (NCSES/Census)

• Evaluation of Noise Infusion for Large-Scale Demographic Sample Survey (NCSES)

• New Opportunities for Interoperable Data -- National Vital Statistics System 

Modernization (NCHS)

• Privacy Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL)...

• Linking Data from Two Federal Statistical Agencies (NCHS/NCSES)

• Strengthening the use of Parent and Statistical Agency Data by Informing Programs 

& Policies (NSF/NCSES)

• Secure Compute Environment Scan

*These projects have multiple vendors; primary contractors are teaming with other vendors, including non-traditional vendors. 
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Examples of Current NSDS Demonstration Projects

• Data Protection Toolkit Use Case Analysis

• Models for a Data Concierge Service

• Privacy Preserving Technology Scan

*These projects have multiple vendors; primary contractors are teaming with other vendors, including non-traditional vendors. 
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National Secure Data Service Demonstration, Section 10375 of 

CHIPS and Science Act of 2022

Expanded Access & 

Collaboration

Communication & 

Transparency

Fast, Flexible, & 

Seamless Execution

 Number of “nontraditional” innovators: 60

 Agencies and entities who have participated: Over a dozen federal 

agencies (e.g. BEA, Census, BLS, DOT, Federal Maritime Commission) 

 Updates on projects and initiatives: https://ncses.nsf.gov/nsds

 Upcoming collaboration event and continued briefings and engagement 

with various communities (e.g. State Chief Data Officers Network)

 Streamlined acquisition instrument (not FAR-based)

 Rapid contracting support (target 90-day awards)
We need your input

• The Idea Bank went live early September and is currently accepting 

submissions. 

• Project evaluation expertise

• Consortium membership

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NSDS: Demonstration Project

CHIPS Act authorizes 

5-yr NSDS Demo

FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 FY28 +

Report due to Congress ADC established 

August 2021

End of demo

• Validate shared-service 

operational model

• Test features/ functions

• Create Website

• Broaden engagement and 

opportunities for 

innovation

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Continuing progress for evidence building

• Expanding secure data access

• Achieving greater cross-agency coordination

• Enhancing stakeholder engagement

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