RMF Application Procedure

Application Process

All requests for access to RMFs must be made through the Researcher Online System for Applications (ROSA).

Only researchers who are employed by, or formally related to, a registered research organisation will be eligible to apply for access to RMFs. Research organisation registration establishes two roles, being:

• Senior Representative, i.e. someone with the authority to make commitments on behalf of the organisation, e.g. managing director, president, university chancellor or similar.
• RMF Contact, i.e. a person designated by the Senior Representative, who will be in charge of coordinating RMF project applications.

Researchers who have not previously been appointed as Officers of Statistics are required to contact their organisation’s RMF Contact who will set them up on ROSA. The researcher will then need to complete their own registration and training on ROSA.

The maximum period of appointment as an Officer of Statistics is one year. Researchers can apply to renew their project from two months prior to its expiry.

Approval Process 

In order for RMF access to be granted, approval must be granted by a Statistician, a Senior Statistician, an Assistant Director General and by the Director General of the CSO. Since the introduction of ROSA the duration of the approval process has been reduced significantly.  

Standard Agreement & Certificates 

On approval of an RMF Application, ROSA will generate and issue the  RMF Standard Agreement and Officer of Statistics certificate(s) to the applicant(s). The applicant(s) must accept both the terms and conditions of the RMF Standard Agreement and electronically sign the Officer of Statistics certificate. 

ROSA will notify successful applicants once all Officer of Statistics certificates and the RMF Standard Agreement have been electronically signed by the researcher(s).  Access may be granted on-site or off-site at the discretion of the CSO. 

RMF Access 

Access to RMFs will only be given when: 
Each researcher specified in the Agreement has accepted the Terms and Conditions of the RMF Standard Agreement. 
Each researcher has accepted the Declaration of Secrecy under Section 21 of the Statistics Act, 1993. 
Each researcher has completed the online training in ROSA which ensures awareness of the terms and conditions of the RMF Standard Agreement. 
Each researcher has been appointed an Officer of Statistics by the Director General of the Central Statistics Office under Section 20(c) of the Statistics Act, 1993. 
  

Expiry/Termination of Officer of Statistics Status 

The lead researcher on a project will be notified by ROSA two months before the project is due to expire at which time a renewal button will become available.