To offset the costs of providing the operational and audit functions required by ERC contracts and to comply with the rules of the Texas education agencies and the ERC Advisory Board, the Texas ERC levies the charges shown below in the Annual Access Fee schedule. The Texas ERC may, at its sole discretion, waive or modify access fees.
Current Annual Data Access Fees
| Type of Researcher | 1-5 Year Project (non-students) | Total Researchers Allowed per Project | Additional Researchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular (non-student) Researcher | $10,000 | Two (2) | Inside UT System: $1,000 per additional researcher/year Outside UT System: $1,500 per additional researcher/year |
| Student Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin | $500 | Student researcher and faculty advisor (if desired) | No additional researcher |
| Student Researchers NOT at The University of Texas at Austin | $5,000 | Student researcher and faculty advisor (if desired) | No additional researcher |
Data access cannot be granted to researchers until fees have been paid.
- The fee is per project, per year; project yearly dates begin on the day of approval from the Advisory Board.
- Student Researchers should be the only researchers on their dissertation/job paper project, except for a faculty advisor.
- If more than two researchers are needed/requested, Additional Researcher fees will apply and be charged.
- Due to resource restrictions, there is a limit of four (4) researchers per active project.
Supplemental Data Fee
Projects that require individual-level supplemental data to be linked by TEA will be charged a one-time fee of $5,000.
Researchers should have secured funding in place prior to submitting a project proposal to cover the appropriate fees, should their project be approved. Researchers should describe their secured funding agreement and number of years as part of their original project proposal (or project extension proposal) to assist the ERC and Advisory Board in determining the appropriate approval period for the project. If the researcher/proposal has special conditions or requests regarding funding, please contact the Director of the Texas ERC.
Please note: ERC fees and charges are subject to change without notice. Please check this site regularly for current and updated fee information. For Approved Projects with special requirements, annual fees may be negotiated between the Texas ERC and the principal investigators.
Definitions
- Approved Project – A research project utilizing the ERC data, to be conducted under the auspices of the ERC and for which approval has been granted by the Advisory Board.
- Authorized Representative – The State of Texas’ designated ERC (The University of Texas at Austin and the other at The University of Texas at Dallas) are considered authorized representatives of the state as defined by Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
- ERC Authorized Researcher – An ERC Authorized Researcher is considered an Agent of the ERC. An Agent is a person who is authorized to access the ERC data to conduct work as part of an approved project at a designated ERC access location. An Agent or ERC Authorized Researcher must either be a primary investigator designated for an approved project or be assigned to conduct work on behalf of an approved project by one or more of its primary investigators of record. An Agent or ERC Authorized Researcher must have a current, signed confidentiality agreement on file with the Texas ERC.
- Student Researcher – An ERC Authorized Researcher who is currently seeking a college degree and has received IRB Approval from their respective institute of higher education.