On Sept. 16, 2022, USDA awarded approximately $1.2 million in grant funding that will enable research on the participation in and operation of SNAP over time and across state lines.
The SNAP Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) grant will go to the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the state agency responsible for administering SNAP in New York. OTDA will construct an internal longitudinal database, build a data warehouse to support data transfer to the Census Bureau and develop dashboards to allow it to identify trends in its SNAP caseload and participation, and provide data to help drive better decision making.
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 authorizes FNS to provide competitive grants to states to enable them to participate in the LDP.
To reduce the burden of participation for state agencies, protect the personally identifiable information of participants, and leverage existing federal resources, FNS collaborates with the Census Bureau to facilitate this project.