Special Sworn Researcher Program
What are eligible research topics under the Special Sworn Researcher Program?
Research topics must serve the goals of the International Investment and Trade in Services Survey Act. For example, many projects are directed toward advancing knowledge of the effects of trade and direct investment on the national security, commerce, employment, inflation, general welfare, and foreign policy of the United States.
Research topics must also serve BEA’s mission to provide the most timely, relevant, and accurate economic statistics and to help promote a better understanding of the U.S. economy.
Who can apply to access BEA business data through the Special Sworn Researcher Program?
Researchers must be U.S. citizens, and there are other conditions of participation. For details, see the Special Sworn Researcher Program webpage.
What is the history of the Special Sworn Researcher Program?
The program was established in the early 1990s, partly in response to a recommendation by a National Academy of Sciences study panel that nongovernment users should be given greater access to trade and other international data compiled by the federal government. Before 2019, BEA called it the Special Sworn Employee Program. Researchers in the program are now known as special sworn research consultants of BEA.