Your research project at the RDSC

The Research Data and Service Centre (RDSC) provides various access channels to selected microdata collected by the Bundesbank for academic research projects.

Should you be interested in conducting your own research project, you can use the following overview as guidance; in general, every research project at the RDSC follows this procedure. Each of the seven steps is allocated to either the interested researcher or RDSC staff, depending on who is responsible.

Step 1 – Data selection

Your research project begins with the selection of the appropriate datasets from the microdata provided by the RDSC. When selecting datasets, please ensure that the data you have selected are available via the same access channel. You can find out more about the access channel in step 5.

Overview of the research data provided by the RDSC

Research Data

Step 2 – Application

Once you have decided on one or more data products, you should submit an informal application via email to the RDSC (fdsz-data@bundesbank.de). Please attach the following:
a short cover letter;
a curriculum vitae with a list of research activities;
a fully completed application form.

Further information as well as forms and a guide on completing the application form.

Application process

Step 3 – Application review

As soon as all application documents have been submitted to the RDSC in full, these are reviewed together with the business units providing the data according to formal and content-based criteria. Following this, you will be notified by the RDSC of the result of the review and informed of the next steps.

Step 4 – Contract

Once the review has been successfully completed, the RDSC draws up the contractual agreement. The RDSC sends two copies of the contractual agreements by post to each of the contractual parties involved, who then sign both copies and return one copy by post to the RDSC.
The form of the contractual agreements depends on various factors, such as the data requested. Although the contractual agreement is generally concluded with the researchers directly, in some instances a signature from the researchers’ respective institutions may also be necessary. In such cases, the RDSC will inform you in good time in step 3 about the relevant procedure.

Step 5 – Data provision

As a rule, the requested microdata are prepared by the RDSC or the business unit and made available for your research project. The microdata can then be used by visiting researchers during a research visit (secure on-site access; see step 6). The RDSC will inform you as soon as the data are available.
Exception for scientific use files (SUFs)
Data access via SUFs is an exception to the above. Please note that SUFs are only provided for the PHF, the BOP-HH and the OECD/INFE Survey of Adult Financial Literacy in Germany.

Further information

Off-site access Scientific Use Files (SUF)

Step 6 – Research

First research visit
Once all data have been provided, you can arrange an appointment by email.
On the day of your first research visit, you will first of all be asked by a member of RDSC staff to agree to maintain data confidentiality. This involves attending a corresponding briefing and signing a confidentiality agreement. More information can be found at the link below.
Further research visits
Please arrange an appointment with the RDSC prior to each subsequent visit. This also applies when visiting the external offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hanover and Munich.

Further information

Secure on-site access Workstations for guest researchers

Step 7 – Output and publication checking

Researchers must ensure that, for all results that leave the RDSC following a research visit, their calculation results do not contain any data that can be traced back to individual observational units such as banks, (non-financial) corporations, individuals or households.
All publications that come into existence as a result of your research project must be approved beforehand by the RDSC.

Further information

Please observe, in particular, the document “Rules for visiting researchers at the RDSC”

Output and publication checking

Your research project at the RDSC

Your research project at the RDSC

Exception for scientific use files (SUFs)

First research visit

Further research visits