Modify an Agreement
Select a modification type to submit a modification to an existing Restricted Data Agreement (RDA), or to make changes to a submitted RDA Application. Note that modifications cannot be submitted for terminated RDAs.
Modification Type Descriptions
The information and documentation required for each type of modification is detailed below. Instructions above the gray boxes apply to all agreement modifications. Instructions that are specific to either VDI or Traditional License will appear in the gray boxes just below. Unless otherwise specified, attached documents must be in .pdf format.
Annual renewal
Your agreement must be renewed annually. Submit this modification within 30 days of your expiration date to maintain uninterrupted data access.
If you need to make changes to your agreement (add/remove team members, update data security or protection plans, etc.), submit the changes as separate modifications before you submit your annual renewal.
To submit this modification, you need:
- A brief description of how you've used HRS Restricted Data
- A brief description of any changes to your project research plan(s)
- A list of citations for any publications, papers, or reports that used HRS Restricted Data under this agreement
VDI
New Annual Renewal Requirements (Effective December 13th, 2021)
Effective December 13th, 2021, as part of the annual renewal process, you must review all approved Data Security Plans for all team members, and submit revised versions where needed. Revised Data Security Plans will be required on the renewal form, or can be submitted as separate modifications before the renewal form is submitted.
When your renewal is submitted, currently approved Data Security Plans that are not revised will still be submitted to be reviewed by HRS Staff. Approved Data Security Plans can be seen by viewing your agreement, and will also be listed on the renewal form.
Traditional License
Additional documents must be attached when renewing a Traditional License agreement:
- Documentation of IRB approval from your institution
- A Notice of Award or other proof of federal funding
New Annual Renewal Requirements (Effective December 13th, 2021)
Effective December 13th, 2021, as part of the annual renewal process, you must review and resubmit your Data Protection Plan and related documents (Data Security Plan Checklists or HRS RDA User Tracking Spreadsheet), including updates where necessary.
Update a project research plan or IRB review
Submit this modification to update the following information for a project:
- IRB review documentation
- Research abstract
- A short description of each of the following:
- The HRS Restricted data products and variables you intend to use in your research, including planned data analyses
- Why the public data are not adequate for your research purposes
- How the results you plan to export or publish will comply with the requirements of disclosure limitation review
Updated documentation of IRB approval is required to submit this modification.
Submit a CMS DUA
Submit this modification to add a CMS DUA to a project.
Remove team members from an RDA
Submit this modification to remove team members from an RDA. Removed team members will no longer have access to HRS restricted data.
Traditional License
For active Traditional License agreements, one or more completed User Termination Form is required to submit this modification.
Remove team members from a project
Submit this modification to remove team members from a research project.
VDI
Removed team members will no longer have access to HRS restricted data for the selected project.
Add team members to a project
Submit this modification to add team members to a research project.
For each new project team member who was not previously included in your agreement, you need:
- Name
- Role on project
- Phone number
- Email address
- Current CV
- Indicate if the team member requires access to the data
New team members will be asked to create an account on this website and submit the HRS Disclosure Limitation Review Policy Agreement form.
VDI
- New team members will submit their own CV, it is not required on the modification form (see below)
New team members who require access to the data will be asked to create an account on this website and submit a Data Security Plan, a signed MiCDA Data Enclave Confidentiality Agreement and current CV.
New team members who do NOT have access to the data will be asked to create an account on this website and submit only the HRS Disclosure Limitation Review Policy Agreement form.
Traditional License
For each new project team member who was not previously included in your agreement, you will also need:
- Address
- Phone number
- a completed Supplemental Agreement with Research Staff for Use of Restricted Data.
To address how and where the new team members will access the data, you may also need to attach:
- An updated Data Protection Plan
- New or updated Traditional License Restricted Data Security Plan Checklist(s)
- An updated HRS RDA User Tracking Spreadsheet in .xlsx format
Update a team member's information
Submit this modification to update project roles and data access requirements of a team member.
Name, contact information, and CV can also be updated if the team member does not have their own account on this website.
VDI
For VDI agreements, team members who did not previously have access to the data will be asked to create an account on this website and submit a Data Security Plan, a signed MiCDA Data Enclave Confidentiality Agreement, and a current CV.
Update or add a team member's Data Security Plan (VDI)
VDI
For VDI agreements, submit this modification to revise or add an additional Data Security Plan for the team member. An approved Data Security Plan is required for every computer/location the team member will use to access the VDI.
Request additional data for a project
Submit this modification to request additional data products for a research project.
Traditional License
For a Traditional License agreement, if you are requesting an updated data product, a Data File Destruction Certification for the original distribution media is required. For information on data destruction methods, review the suggestions in the HRS document Data Destruction Policy and Procedures.
Add a new research project
Submit this modification to add a new research project to an RDA.
To submit this modification, you need:
- Project title and research abstract
- A short description of each of the following:
- The HRS Restricted data products and variables you intend to use in your research, including planned data analyses
- Why the public data are not adequate for your research purposes
- How the results you plan to export or publish will comply with the requirements of disclosure limitation review
- Documentation of IRB approval from your institution, in .pdf format
Team members already included in your agreement can be selected and added to the new project. For each new team member (those not already included on your agreement), you need:
- Name
- Role on project
- Phone number
- Email address
- Current CV
- Indicate if the team member requires access to the data
New team members will be asked to create an account on this website and submit the HRS Disclosure Limitation Review Policy Agreement form.
VDI
- New team members will submit their own CV, it is not required on the modification form (see below)
New team members who require access to the data will be asked to create an account on this website and submit a Data Security Plan, a signed MiCDA Data Enclave Confidentiality Agreement and current CV.
New team members who do NOT have access to the data will be asked to create an account on this website and submit only the HRS Disclosure Limitation Review Policy Agreement form.
Traditional License
For each new project team member who was not previously included in your agreement, you will also need:
- Address
- Phone number
- a completed Supplemental Agreement with Research Staff for Use of Restricted Data.
To address how and where the new team members will access the data, you may also need to attach:
- An updated Data Protection Plan
- New or updated Traditional License Restricted Data Security Plan Checklist(s)
- An updated HRS RDA User Tracking Spreadsheet in .xlsx format
Update a Data Protection Plan (Traditional License)
Traditional License
Submit this modification to update the Data Protection Plan and/or associated documents for a Traditional License agreement.
One or more of the following documents is needed to submit this modification:
- An updated Data Protection Plan
- New or updated Traditional License Restricted Data Security Plan Checklist(s)
- An updated HRS RDA User Tracking Spreadsheet in .xlsx format
Update funding source (Traditional License)
Traditional License
Submit this modification to update the federal funding source for a Traditional License agreement.
A Notice of Award or other proof of federal funding is required to submit this modification.
Terminate a research project
Submit this modification to terminate a research project.
VDI
For VDI agreements, the principal investigator and team members will no longer have access to HRS restricted data requested for this project in the VDI.
Note that terminating a project does not terminate an agreement. This modification is only useful for agreements with multiple active projects.
Terminate agreement
Submit this modification to terminate an RDA. The principal investigator and all project team members will no longer have access to HRS restricted data.
To submit this modification, you need a list of citations for any publications, papers, or reports that used HRS Restricted Data under this agreement
Traditional License
When terminating a Traditional License agreement, a Data File Destruction Certification for the distribution media is required. For information on data destruction methods, review the suggestions in the HRS document Data Destruction Policy and Procedures.