Partial Support of the Core Activities of the Committee on National Statistics

This project will provide partial support for the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. CNSTAT's mission is to advance the quality of statistical information, contribute to the statistical policies and coordinating activities of the federal government, and help provide a forward-looking vision for the federal statistical system and national statistics more broadly in service of the public good.

Established in 1972, CNSTAT harnesses knowledge and expertise across disciplines to provide trusted, independent advice to the nation on complex and challenging data and statistical issues in the 21st century. CNSTAT conducts much of its work through consensus studies carried out by panels of volunteer experts, and their reports often are used to inform policy and practice, establish a research agenda, or review specific statistical programs, measures, and infrastructure.

CNSTAT also advances the conversation around important statistical and data issues by convening experts at public workshops and seminars to engage in focused discussion and explore new ideas and solutions for the benefit of the statistical and research community. CNSTAT’s flagship publication, Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency, is in its 7th edition and is updated every 4-years.

The guidance in this publication helps protect the objectivity and credibility of federal statistics, educates the executive and legislative branches of government on the important public good provided by strong federal statistical agencies, and provides a code of ethics for the agencies.

CNSTAT's activities will contribute to improving the data and data infrastructure that are available for economic and social science research applied to important national needs, such as understanding the economy, technology and innovation, public health, education, welfare, and other areas. Relevant, objective, high-quality, timely, and accessible information produced by federal statistical agencies and offices is critical for informing decisions by policy makers in federal, state, and local governments as well as by private businesses, communities, and households.

Interacting with NSF, federal statistical agencies, relevant programmatic and research agencies, and the social and economic sciences research community, CNSTAT will identify priority issues for study involving federal and national statistics, data, and statistical methods. Specific studies will continue to build a vision for a 21st century data infrastructure for federal statistics and social and economic research by exploring the implications of blending multiple data sources for major survey programs, data equity, and approaches for data governance and protecting privacy.

Examples of work underway include integrating federal statistics on household income, wealth, and consumption and examining disclosure methods for protecting privacy in census and survey programs. CNSTAT also will update Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency for its 8th edition to be issued by early 2025.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.