Government agencies have a powerful opportunity to modernize in ways that strengthen their impact. By integrating siloed systems, improving data quality, and strengthening governance around how restricted-data requests are submitted, reviewed, and approved, agencies can deliver more responsive, efficient, and transparent services while safeguarding privacy and deepening public trust.
In this environment, access to data is no longer a back-office function. It is foundational infrastructure.
In 2026, in support of the National Science Foundation and the Office of Management and Budget, Mathematica will lead the redesign and maintenance of the federal Standard Application Process (SAP) Online Portal, the central gateway through which researchers request access to restricted federal data. This platform modernization reflects a broader shift in federal priorities: building integrated, governed infrastructure that enables researchers to responsibly access federal data for research and evidence building.
Integration as infrastructure
The SAP was created under the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (also called the Evidence Act) to streamline how researchers apply for restricted-use data across federal statistical agencies. The proof-of-concept portal launched in 2019, and the SAP moved into full production in 2022. This next phase—phase 2 of the production portal—focuses on making the system more scalable, coordinated, and user-centered so it can support real-world demand across agencies.
A modernized SAP portal will support a more integrated federal data ecosystem, enabling agencies to coordinate review workflows, manage permissions consistently, and reduce duplicative administrative effort.
In this context, modernization is more than a technical refresh. It’s a step toward expanding secure, streamlined access to critical data that supports research and accelerates evidence-building across agencies.
Governed access as the foundation for trustworthy analytics and AI
Demand for AI and advanced analytics is accelerating across government. For restricted federal data, readiness for this work starts with governed access: knowing what data exist, who can access them, under what conditions, and how those decisions are documented. That requires standardized metadata, clear access controls, transparent workflows, and auditable decision processes.
The redesigned SAP portal will draw on secure, scalable infrastructure and open-source technologies such as Drupal and CKAN, which support role-based access control, accessibility compliance, standardized metadata schemas, and application programming interface (API) integration. These capabilities will help agencies maintain consistent oversight of application workflows, permissions, and approval decisions.
This is governance by design.
When access systems are integrated, transparent, and defensible, agencies can support responsible use of data by improving how access is governed. They can also maintain a clear record of who was authorized to use which data and why—a practical prerequisite for scaling advanced analytics and evaluating future AI use cases in ways that are explainable, compliant, and trusted.
Human-centered design reduces friction—and risk
Complex, multiagency review processes highlight the need for integrated, user-centered systems that streamline coordination, reduce burden for both applicants and reviewers, and accelerate research timelines. Well-designed systems can improve efficiency and strengthen the foundation for evidence-based policymaking.
Mathematica will apply human-centered design principles to improve navigation, streamline workflows, and strengthen communication throughout the review process. Enhancements such as threaded communication, improved comment management, and more intuitive application tracking will make the process clearer and more collaborative without compromising rigor.
Usability is not cosmetic. It reduces friction, shortens review cycles, and strengthens accountability.
Modular, scalable, and future-ready
Federal IT strategy increasingly favors modular, configurable platforms over bespoke systems that are difficult to adapt. By building on open-source frameworks with robust API support, the SAP portal can evolve as policies, agency participation, and technology needs change.
That flexibility matters. As new agencies join, federal data access and coordination efforts expand, and AI tools mature, infrastructure must be able to adapt without wholesale redesign.
Scalable architecture ensures that modernization efforts endure beyond a single procurement cycle.
Strengthening the evidence ecosystem
The modernization of the SAP portal is part of a larger shift in how government approaches evidence infrastructure. Secure data access is not a peripheral administrative task; it is a strategic capability. When data access systems are integrated, governed, and user-centered, agencies and researchers can move more quickly from question to insight to action.
This work reflects Mathematica’s Data Solutions focus: modernize, integrate, and govern data to support secure, well-managed access and enable trusted analytics as agency needs evolve. Where AI becomes part of that future, strong access controls and auditable workflows will help agencies use restricted data responsibly. By combining secure infrastructure, policy expertise, and modern system design, we help clients build the foundations required for responsible innovation.
Modernizing the front door to federal data is more than a platform upgrade. It is an investment in governed infrastructure that enables evidence-driven decisions, today and as federal analytics capabilities continue to evolve.
