The Research Data Centre (FDZ-RV) was set-up in 2004 as an integral part of the German Federal Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). Since then, the Research Data Centre produced several cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets, also called Scientific Use Files (SUF), available to researchers interested in issues of retirement, disability and rehabilitation. The datasets are released on an annual basis.
The Scientific Use Files are subsamples drawn from the pool of individuals who are insured in the Federal Pension Insurance. The information provided in the original datasets is necessary to administer the beneficiaries of the pension insurance.
The first project phase started in 2004 and will end in 2008. During this period the FDZ-RV is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Research Network on Pensions (FNA), which is part of the Federal German Pension Insurance. After the completion of this initial phase, the Research Data Center will continue to provide and even extend the data supply for the scientific community.
Data from the Research Data Centre of the German Pension Insurance is also available for researchers outside of Germany. The terms and rules for the use of the data are the same as for German researchers. Researchers are required to send a description of their research project and need to prove that a password-protected workplace in an academic institution will be provided.
Dr. Ralf K. Himmelreicher (Tel.: ++49 30 / 865-89540)
Tatjana Mika (Tel.: ++49 30 / 865-89541)
Dr. Michael Stegmann (Tel.: ++49 931 / 6002-519)
