Federal Data Users

Hi all, Wanted to share some updates and materials from the Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee (I-CSAC) fall meeting. Additionally, we are accepting suggestions for agenda topics for future meetings and more information can be found below. Thanks!

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The Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee, or I-CSAC, held its first meeting on September 18, 2025. The committee's reformation comes after the U.S. Commerce Department eliminated the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC) last spring. The committee, whose volunteer members include nationally recognized experts that were chosen and vetted by the Census Bureau, decided to continue their work with the same essential mission: to provide scientific and technical expertise to address Census Bureau objectives and programs.

"As stewards of the scientific record, the most important thing that we have to do is to make sure that the data that we have in the records that we produce are reliable, so that people in the present and people in the future can come back and make judgments and conclusions based on high-quality data that has been subjected not only to excellent collection but also to peer review and the expertise of people who are involved in getting it," said Dr. Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals, who opened the committee's first independent meeting. "This committee is committed to … making sure that the census data which are some of the most important that we have in social science and medicine continue to be collected at the highest possible standards." 

Dr. Barbara Entwisle, University of North Carolina sociologist, originally chosen to chair the Census Scientific Advisory Committee, who now chairs the I-CSAC, noted that they are blazing a new trail with some uncertainties. "Will our scientific advice still find an ear at the Census Bureau? I do not know," she said. "However, it is a certainty that our recommendations will have no effect at all if we do not provide them." 

• What's Available Now

  • Read the Committee's Recommendations
    The committee's formal recommendations from the Fall 2025 meeting are now available on our site. The recommendations cover the three agenda items from the meeting- The 2030 Disclosure Avoidance Research Program, Determining the Privacy Loss Budget for the IRS Use Case, and the Environmental Impacts Frame.
    View Online
    
    

  • Watch the Full Meeting & Access Materials
    The meeting recording, agenda, slides, and other materials are posted on the I‑CSAC website for those who want to review the discussion or share it with colleagues.
    Access Meeting Materials | Watch the Recording
    
    

  • Suggest a Topic for Future Meetings
    We've introduced a new suggestion page where you-and your network-are encouraged to propose topics for future meetings: What issues should I‑CSAC examine next? What technical or research questions need scientific input? Your ideas matter.
    Submit Your Suggestion

Thank you for your interest in I‑CSAC and your support for science-driven guidance that strengthens our nation's census infrastructure. We look forward to keeping you informed about future meetings and developments.

Warm regards,

Taylor Savell

On behalf of the CQR Co-Chairs, Dr. Allison Plyer and Cara Brumfield