The American Statistical Association (ASA) proposes to consolidate separate ASA/NSF Fellowship Programs with the Bureau of Census (Census), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) into a single program. This program bridges the gap between academic scholars and government social science research. Research Fellows and Associates will work on methodological problems and policy issues in a Federal statistical agency; government social scientists in turn will work with the visiting scholars to gain expertise in applying theoretical advancements to their work. Residence at the agencies allows for research impossible without direct day-to-day access to the Federal agencies' data and human capital resources. In addition, the proposed consolidation will allow researchers to work in more than one agency, stimulating new research applicable to a wide spectrum of statistical programs. Historically, Federal statistical agencies have realized significant benefits from on-site research conducted by ASA/NSF Fellows and Associates. Basic scientific knowledge also has advanced through the continued investigation of methodological and analytical problems growing out of their "hands-on" experience with these agencies. The planned consolidation of the three original Fellowship programs - Census, BLS and NCES - promises to enhance the yield of the overall project, while at the same time reducing its cost of operation.
