Changes to the Gross Receipts Calculation in the SBA Program Regulation
General
Legacy ID
10811
Secure Data Commons - Support
Training Materials
Series of training videos to get to know the SDC services and capabilities.
SDC 101 Overview
SDC Personas Guide
Overview of the different personas involved in the SDC including the Project Owners, Data Stewards, Data Providers, and Data Analysts.
How to Request Access to Datasets in the SDC
Inform Secure Data Commons (SDC) users how to request access to specific datasets through the SDC Web Portal.
Getting Started with DBeaver
Overview of how SDC Researchers can get started with using DBeaver.
How to Approve Data Exports out of the SDC
Overview of how SDC Data Stewards can approve data exports out of the SDC.
How to Access and Launch Your Workstations
Overview of how to access your workstations within the SDC.
How to Approve Trusted User Requests
Overview of how to approve trusted user export requests.
How to Request Trusted User Status in the SDC
Overview of submit approval to be a Trusted Researcher within the SDC to support automated exports.
SDC Vocabulary Video Part 1
SDC Vocabulary Video to inform researchers on what the SDC is and what workstations are.
SDC Vocabulary Video Part 2
SDC Vocabulary Video to inform researchers on what types of datasets that exist on the SDC.
Demo Videos
SDC Researcher Demos
Recorded video of an interactive demo of research tools and Notification Service
SDC User Guides
Research Team User Guide
User Guide for Researchers including materials on open source collaboration using GitLab.
Data Provider User Guide
For more videos and more information about the SDC please reach out to the SDC Support Desk.
Last updated January 2025
Secure Data Commons - Getting Data to SDC
Getting Data to SDC
Upload, store, and access your datasets quickly, easily, and securely.
The Secure Data Commons (SDC) enables collaborative but controlled integration and analysis of research data at the moderate sensitivity level, including personally identifiable information (PII) and confidential business information (CBI).
Within the SDC, you can upload data in near real time throughout your project. You can develop common data formats and fix issues as data starts to be generated.
As a data provider, you define the terms of access and grant/deny access to specific SDC users or groups. You can also control the type of derived data users can export or copy from the system.
Features That Matter
Frequent data transfers
- Real-time (e.g., streaming) data ingestion
- Batch (e.g., daily or weekly) data ingests
- Ad hoc (occasional) uploads
Cloud-based data management
- Strong security controls to export derived data out
- Set levels of data curation and warehousing to support analysis
- Validation of incoming datasets in near real time
- Real-time data ingestion streams and batch uploads
Strong access controls
- Multifactor authentication and personal identity verification (PIV) card integration
- Secure workflow for data import and export
- Controlled access to specific datasets and metadata by individual users and teams
Built-in data analysis tools
- Preestablished workstations with open source tools
- Ability to import and share code between researchers
Effective team collaboration
- Project-level controls and teams
- Shared team internal code repositories
Multiple data formats
- Raw
- Curated
- Published
What's Next?
User the steps below to bring your data into the SDC:
Contact the SDC team for a discovery meeting to discuss data restrictions, Data Provider agreement, and user access level to your data within the SDC. Review the Data Provider User Guide.
Once the data is in the SDC, work with the SDC team to monitor the quality and quantity of your data.
Our Enablement Services team offers custom upgrades to help to support your research mission needs along the way.
Last updated October 2023
Secure Data Commons - Enablement Services Program
Enablement Services Program
The Enablement Services Program provides options for you (project owners, data providers, data analysts) and your project team to optimize use of the Secure Data Commons (SDC). Project teams start with five offerings at the baseline category. You may select upgrades (silver or gold) for each offering to meet your project needs.
Still new to the SDC? You can learn more about what the SDC is.
Program Offerings
Project Onboarding and Training
Uploading Data
Data Cleanup
Analyst Setup and Collaboration
Data Analysis Consulting
Service Category Overview
Every project starts with baseline services for each offering. You may wish to upgrade to silver or gold services for additional assistance.
Baseline
Services
($)
Every project begins here, which includes:
- Overview web session
- Access to training materials
- Help for uploading data
- Analyst workstation setup
- Assistance with basic queries
- Cross-project collaboration
Silver
Services
($$)
Silver services include all baseline services, plus:
- Consultations with data analysts
- Pre-planning report
- Sessions about project costs
- Data preparation for queries
- Analytical tool installation and support
- Database optimization
Gold
Services
($$$)
With gold services, the premier option, you receive all silver services, plus:
- On-site consultations
- Building analytical tools
- In-person onboarding
- Specialized training
- Data documentation
- Automating data upload scripts
- Performance boost of analytical models
Available Program Offerings
See more information about each program offering below.
Contact the SDC team to get a quote, upgrade or change your services. If you are an independent analyst not on a project team, email us to find out how the offerings can work for you.
Email SDC TeamProject Onboarding and Training
Personal guidance and coaching about what you need to know to use the SDC
Offering Details
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
Offering Details Overview web session with your team
Baseline ($)
✔Checkmark
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering DetailsDocumentation and training materials
Baseline ($)
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Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering DetailsDiscovery sessions about business needs and costs
Baseline ($)
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Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Project pre-planning assessment report
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Multiple sessions to estimate and refine project costs
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Dedicated onboarding support
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details 2-day training with your team
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
✔Checkmark
Uploading Data
Working with data providers to safely upload data into the SDC, regardless of the size
Offering Details
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
Offering Details Process setup, provide user guide for secure upload
Baseline ($)
✔Checkmark
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Refining or development of your external scripts
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Build metadata, dictionaries for your project
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Software development for automating data upload
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Data Cleanup
Support to ensure quality, performance, and reliability of your data entering the SDC
Offering Details
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
Offering Details Setting up data for easy queries
Baseline ($)
✔Checkmark
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Making complex datasets available to query
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Error detection and reporting during data upload
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Building automated tools to fix errors for the upload process
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Analyst Setup and Collaboration
Help to organize and improve your analyst's research capabilities while using the SDC
Offering Details
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
Offering Details Analyst workstations that come with standard tools
Baseline ($)
✔Checkmark
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Help with installation of other approved open-source software
Baseline ($)
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Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Setting up collaboration tools based on individual needs
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Assist install of new analytical tools on the SDC
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Create custom analyst software, up to two per year
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Data Analysis Consulting
Tailored advice, including technical support and resources, to advance the performance of your models and analytical outputs
Offering Details
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
Offering Details Specific guidance on using SDC infrastructure
Baseline ($)
✔Checkmark
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Regular consultations to review challenges and SDC updates
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Database optimization for your project needs
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Reviewing and improving data scripts and queries
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
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Gold ($$$)
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Offering Details Support to boost the performance of data analyst models
Baseline ($)
Silver ($$)
Gold ($$$)
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Last updated November 2021
Secure Data Commons - Current Data
Featured Data
The USDOT Secure Data Commons (SDC) platform features datasets for the following projects - check back soon as new projects (datasets) are added:
Waze for Cities Program
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Safety Information System (HSIS)
Waze for Cities Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Safety Data Initiative (SDI) is a cross-cutting, collaborative effort within DOT, led by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. The intent of SDI is to build on and enhance safety efforts related to data, analysis, and policy making. SDI is integrating Waze data with transportation data to develop rapid crash indicators.
FHWA Highway Safety Information System (HSIS)
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) to support safety research programs and provides input for program policy decisions. HSIS is a roadway-based system that provides quality data on a large number of crash, roadway, and traffic variables. The crash, roadway inventory, and traffic volume data are acquired annually from a select group of States.
FHWA provides this data to researchers upon request through the HSIS webpage. Educators who wish to use HSIS data for instructional purposes in a road safety course should contact HSIS staff directly at charles.fay@dot.gov. For more information https://highways.dot.gov/research/safety/hsis
September 2025
Secure Data Commons - Conducting Analysis
Conducting Analysis in SDC
As a data analyst, work within the USDOT Secure Data Commons (SDC) to share code and data, upload datasets, and export approved derived analyses. Through the SDC, you can:
- Share code and data with other analysts
- Upload your own datasets
- Export approved derived analysis
We'll provide you with a cloud-based workstation with preloaded programming environments and software that grants you access to the data lake and data warehouse. The workstation also includes commercially available tools - no local software or tool installation needed!
Analytical Tools and Query Languages Supported
The SDC platform provides on-demand access to popular programming and statistical tool packages for cloud-based processing (for experienced analysts). Other, nonstandard software can be installed upon request, both individually and across user groups. For software requiring special licenses, analysts may provide their own existing licenses.
Analytical Tools
Custom options available upon request
Types of Datasets
The SDC platform provides a data lake of transportation-related structured, semi-structured, and unstructured datasets that are stored in raw, curated, and published formats. Each dataset has different data agreements based on the complexity and sensitivity of the data. Access to specific data is approved by data providers - learn more about specific dataset formats below:
Raw Datasets
Raw datasets are unaltered data are stored in their native/original "as-is" format. Uploads can be continuous through streaming sources (i.e., APIs or sensors) or through one-time uploads from external sources. This data can be structured (databases, logs, financial data), semi-structured (HTML, XML, RDF, CSV), or unstructured (images, PDFs, Word documents). Raw data cannot be copied or exported out of SDC.
Curated
Data curation is the organization and integration of raw data collected from various sources. The curated data is annotated, so that the value of the data is maintained and made available for reuse and preservation. During the curation process, data is transformed from unstructured and semi-structured formats to structured formats; and data deduplication, obfuscation, and cleansing processes are conducted - resulting in high-quality data that enables researchers to elicit meaningful insights.
Published
Researchers create published datasets to disclose their research and allow other users to verify and reuse the data beyond their original purpose. Published datasets are a result of combining analyses on curated datasets in the SDC platform with other datasets or algorithms owned or created by a researcher or data scientist.
What's Next?
As a data analyst planning to do analysis in the SDC, use the steps below to get started.
Download the access request form , fill out the required details, and send an email to sdc-support@dot.gov. Once approved, we will send you an email with the instructions for accessing the platform.
Follow the instructions in the Welcome Email from the SDC. Review the Research Analyst User Guide .
Our Enablement Services team offers custom upgrades to help your project team along the way
Last updated October 2021
Secure Data Commons - About
What is the SDC?
The Secure Data Commons (SDC) is a cloud-based analytics platform that enables traffic engineers, researchers, and data scientists to access, analyze, and connect transportation-related datasets. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) created the SDC to provide a secure platform for sharing and collaborating on research, tools, algorithms, and analysis involving moderate sensitivity level (PII & CBI) datasets using commercially available tools, without needing to install tools or software locally.
The SDC offers a common platform for innovative data analysis and sharing of results that allows research to cut across the data silos.How It works
With a robust security architecture that secures datasets and user workstations, the SDC:
Leverages cloud capabilities to share complex (high volume, velocity, or variety) transportation datasets with the transportation research community
Provides authorized access to users through a data use agreement with revocable access terms to protect the sensitivity of the data
Enables scalable data storage and analysis and user access protocol via cloud-based platforms
Ensures that sensitive data are protected through adherence to USDOT's security standards for information technology
Provides users with predefined tools for data analysis and encourages the creation of custom toolsets, open sharing of code, and addition of datasets among the user community
Provides users with capability to curate datasets from multiple data sources
SDC Capabilities
What differentiates the SDC from other platforms?
SDC Platform vs Other Cloud Platforms
The Secure Data Commons differs from other cloud platforms that are readily available to you.
SDC Cloud Computing Model
These cloud infrastructure components enable your research needs.
SDC Research and Analytics User Support
Provide a workstation for users to query multiple datasets from the SDC web portal
- Bring your own data, and combine with existing datasets from Waze and other 3rd party datasets
- Approve access to specific datasets
- Preload analytical tools to encourage open sharing of code and datasets
SDC Platform Engineering Services
Provide a cloud platform for research and analysis involving moderate sensitivity level datasets
- Maintain ATO with security policies and regulations
- Monitor to rapidly detect data anomalies
- Use cutting-edge AWS managed services to support innovative analytical data solutions
DOT Enterprise Cloud: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Provide SDC team access to cloud computing resources to enhance and maintain the platform
- Enable networking and active directory within DOT environment
- Allow SDC Team to provision and control of their own infrastructure and managed services
For more information on Secure Data Commons, please see SDC Capabilities (pdf).
Last updated March 2023
Secure Data Commons - Data Analyst User Guide
Disability Etiquette in the Workplace: Interviewing and Onboarding
This document provides examples of appropriate disability terminology, and provides tips for successful interviewing and onboarding of individuals with disabilities in the DOT workplace.
Promotion Statistics, FY 2020
This spreadsheet provides promotion statistics for FY 2020. Demographics are particularly useful to managers in the workforce planning process. This data is also used by Congressional staffers and others who have an interest in the size and makeup of the federal workforce, and by public and...