The New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS) includes de-identified individual-level data from multiple New Jersey state agencies, including the K-12 education system, colleges and universities, and workforce and training programs, all within a secure environment.

Approved requests will align with the NJSDS research areas listed in the current research agenda. These include: exploring pathways through services and systems to understand outcomes and patterns of service use; assessing outcomes of human capital investments, program participation, service receipt and factors and experiences that impact long-term outcomes; and exploring predictive analytics to offer early intervention warnings. 

There are three options for data requests: participating state agency access, aggregate-level data requests, and de-identified individual-level records.

• State agency access is restricted to staff at NJSDS-participating state agencies.
• Aggregate-level data requests are for summary information that the NJSDS research team will prepare and share with the requestor as a table via email.
• Individual-level data requests are for access to de-identified data that will be provided in a secure cloud-based platform and only available for a limited time. Individual-level data requests are subject to further review and eligibility requirements.

All requests are subject to approval by the NJSDS Executive Leadership Committee.

External data users must comply with the system’s acceptable use policy and data access and use policy. 

How to Request Access

1. Determine Eligibility

Researchers must meet the following eligibility requirements for data access: 

• Minimum training in research methods and the research process. To meet this requirement, applicants should meet one of the following criteria: 
  • Earned a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, OR  
  • Be a current student in a graduate degree program and sponsored by a faculty member with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, OR 
  • Provide documentation of equivalent experience in supervised or independent research. 
• Work must be conducted within the United States. 
• Researcher must have a sponsoring employer, educational institution, or organization. 
• Obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (note that Rutgers University is affiliated with Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative [CITI Program] and has reciprocity with institutions involved with that program). 
• Researcher must agree to sign the NJSDS Non-Disclosure Research Agreement. 

2. Determine Data Request Type

There are two options for external data requests: aggregate and de-identified individual level records. Aggregate-level data requests are summary information that our research team will prepare and share as a table via email. These summary tables have gone through quality checks and disclosure reviews and will be shared with requestors and posted on our website. 

Staff from NJSDS participating agencies may request data through an internal process by submitting the participating state agency request application.  

Sample aggregate table

Graduation Year	Median Earnings	Percent Employed	Year Post-Graduation
2014	30,521	52%	1
2015	32,144	55%	1
2016	32,910	55%	1
2017	33,877	56%	1
2014	37,333	61%	2
2015	39,648	62%	2
2016	40,365	62%	2
2017	42,199	63%	2
2014	42,914	63%	3
2015	44,925	63%	3
2016	46,335	64%	3
2017	48,692	64%	3

Individual-level data requests are subject to further review and requirements as outlined below. This data does not include personally identifiable information but still contains information about an individual. Approved requestors will never see an individual’s name or identifiable information, but will receive information about their school enrollment or employment, for example. Approved requestors will receive access to de-identified data in a secure cloud-based platform for a limited time period following the completion of required documentation. 

Full proposals are required for individual-level data access requests. 

3. Prepare Proposal

Proposals should provide a brief synopsis of the research plan. Proposals are limited to 3 single spaced pages with 1-inch margins and text no smaller than 11-point Times New Roman. Researchers are encouraged to review the data dictionary presented on the NJSDS website. The page limit does not apply to the reference list or the researcher’s curriculum vita. All proposals should cover the following topics: 

• Introduction explicitly describing which priority area the research will cover 
• Research question and purpose
• Brief literature review 
• Preliminary list of data elements required 
• Proposed method and statistical approaches, where applicable 
• References (not included in the page limit) 
• Curriculum vitae or résumé (not included in the page limit) 
• Qualification statement (if applicable – 1-page maximum beyond the page limit) 

Per NJSDS policy, all research questions must include data sources across two or more agencies to be eligible as a research project in the data system. If you are seeking data from a single agency, please reach out to them directly:

• New Jersey Department of Education: research@doe.nj.gov 
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development: WRAResearch@dol.nj.gov  
• New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority: Research@hesaa.org 
• New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education: research@oshe.nj.gov 

4.  Determine if eligible for/prepare Fee Exemption Form

As noted in the NJSDS Data Use and Access Policy, NJSDS may charge a fee to develop and process data.  A fee exemption request may be submitted with data request applications for those who qualify. Current students who meet the access eligibility criteria, state agency staff, or staff of related non-governmental entities such as local school districts, colleges, or workforce development boards are eligible for a fee waiver. For-profit and non-governmental organizations are subject to the fees as outlined on the Cost Recovery Policy.

5.  Submit a Proposal

• External researchers who would like to receive aggregate-level data via email should make a request by completing the Aggregate-level application.
• External researchers who would like to receive access to de-identified data via a secure cloud-based platform should submit their request via the Individual-level application.
• If you are employed by one of the four NJSDS-participating state agencies (NJDOE, NJDOL, HESAA, and OSHE) and would like to submit a request for data access, please use the State Agency request form.

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Evaluation Criteria and Timeline

Research projects will be pre-screened to meet the following criteria before undergoing a more in-depth review. The pre-screening criteria include: 

• Priority Research Area – The research plan adequately addresses one of the priority areas listed in the NJSDS research agenda. The research proposed is consistent with existing state and federal privacy/confidentiality laws. 

• Multiple Agency Data Use – The researcher proposed data elements belonging to two or more agencies. 

• Agency Approval – Agencies grant permission to use their data consistent with the purposes outlined in this application and have verified the legal authority under the law to conduct the project. 

After applications pass this initial screening, the application will be scored based on the following criteria: 

Criteria	Points
Literature Review/Context – The researcher provides documented evidence that work is not duplicative of other projects or they provide justification on how this project will contribute to state or national literature.	15
Research Design – The researcher clearly provides a research question, outlines a method consistent with the research question, and provides a justification for the method used to answer the research question. Note that descriptive studies and/or dashboards will be looked upon favorably as studies using statistical models. This section should also include a purpose statement regarding why you are conducting this research, and detailing any statistical methods if applicable.	45
Feasibility – The researcher’s method is feasible and the data elements they propose are available for use and are appropriate for the proposed study.	40
	100