The Independent Census Scientific Advisory Committee (I-CSAC) was established to ensure that the U.S. Census Bureau continues to benefit from the highest levels of scientific expertise, independent review, and constructive feedback.

I-CSAC carries forward the vital work of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC), which was created in the 1990s to provide the U.S. Census Bureau with advice grounded in the latest statistical, demographic, and technological research. In 2025, CSAC was formally terminated as a federal advisory committee, but its mission—ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and usability of census data—remains essential.

To preserve that mission, I-CSAC has been constituted as an independent body, composed of formally appointed and vetted members of CSAC. This continuity ensures that the deep institutional knowledge, scientific expertise, and decades of collaborative experience within CSAC members remain available to the public, stakeholders, and policymakers.

Our members—leaders in statistics, demography, data science, sociology, geography, economics, and related fields—continue to review methodologies, identify emerging challenges, and recommend improvements to support high-quality census data including but not limited to decennial census data. While no longer formally part of the federal advisory system, I-CSAC remains committed to transparency, scientific rigor, and the principle that reliable census data is vital to guiding public policy, ensuring fair representation and resource allocation, and helping businesses, communities and individuals make informed decisions.

Our Purpose

  • Provide independent, expert review of Census Bureau methods and operations

  • Identify and assess scientific, technical, and operational risks to data quality

  • Offer evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the accuracy and usability of census data

  • Engage with stakeholders, communities, and researchers to ensure census data meets the needs of a changing nation

Through its independent structure, I-CSAC ensures that expert, science-driven guidance continues to inform the work of the U.S. Census Bureau, including the nation’s most consequential public data effort—counting every person once, only once, and in the right place.

About the Committee

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