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Our research funding privacy notice

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The “charity”, “we”, “us”, “our” for the purposes of this notice means Worldwide Cancer Research, which is a data controller for the purposes of data protection law. 

As part of our research grant application and award management activities we collect, store and process personal data (referred to as ‘personal information’ throughout this notice) which may directly or indirectly identify you. We process personal information for a range of purposes relating to the administration of grant applications and awards. This Research Funding Privacy Notice sets out:

  • why we collect your personal information;
  • what information is collected and;
  • how it is processed 

 

Throughout this document we use the term “processing” to cover all activities involving your personal information, including collecting, handling, storing, sharing, accessing, using, transferring and disposing of the information.

We also collect data for diversity and inclusion monitoring purposes e.g. age, health, ethnicity, gender and nationality. This data will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be used in any way that allows individuals to be identified. It will not be linked to research funding applications and it will not be seen by anyone involved in the review processes, research funding decision-making or any other third parties except for our grant system provider (Symplectic Ltd). 

1.    Personal Information

a.    Why do we process your personal information?

The Charity will only collect personal information for research funding purposes: 

  • to process applications for funding and for administration of the grants we fund
  • to send you correspondence and communicate with you about your grant application/award or for general enquiries
  • to invite you to act as a peer reviewer for grant applications
  • to generate reports on our work, services and events
  • to communicate with the general public, our supporters and other research funding bodies about the research we fund
  • to meet our legal obligations for instance to perform contracts between you and us, or our obligations to regulators, government and/or law enforcement bodies. 

 

b.    What is our legal basis for processing your personal information?

Our legal basis for processing your personal information is that it is necessary for the performance of a contract. This applies to both successful and unsuccessful applications; as processing your personal information is required to decide whether to award you a research grant.

c.    How do we collect information about you?

Information you give us: The majority of personal information is given to us directly by you. When you make an enquiry to Worldwide Cancer Research, register on our online grant system, apply for a research grant or otherwise provide us with your details, we will collect, store and may further process your personal information. 
Your personal information may also be given to us as part of a research grant application or in relation to a grant award by another person – for example if you are a co-applicant, or a member of staff named on a research grant application or award. Whenever we receive your personal information in this way, the person providing us with your details is required to inform you that your personal information has been given to us. If you have any concerns about your personal information being provided in this way, please contact the person providing your details, or contact us using the details at the end of this notice.

Information available publicly: We may also obtain your personal details from third parties or from publicly available sources for the purposes of identifying suitable experts to review particular research grant applications or to join our Scientific Advisory Committee. For example, PubMed or institutional websites.

d.    What personal information will be processed?

The types of personal information we collect include

  • name
  • contact details (postal address, telephone number, email address and/or social media handle)
  • employment history
  • education history
  • professional expertise
  • photograph
  • salary information

 

e.    Who will see your personal information? 

Third party agents and service providers
We may need to share your information with our third party agents and service providers who are contracted by Worldwide Cancer Research, in order to fulfil the business purposes of the charity, e.g. our grant system provider, our grants payment-processing partner or our specialist intellectual property advisors.
External reviewers
We will share your personal information, included as part of a research grant application, with our Scientific Advisory Committee and the selected external reviewers.  Please also see section ‘f ‘ below on International Data Transfers for more information. 

Host institutions

If your application is successful, we will share personal information contained in the application with the institution(s) at which you will carry out your research.

Fundraising and marketing purposes

If your application is successful, we will use some of your personal information for promotional materials online or in our fundraising campaigns. This forms part of our award agreement.  We may use personal information such as your name and institution, and promotional photographs or videos you supply to, or are taken by, Worldwide Cancer Research. 

We may also contact you to request additional promotional material or to invite you to attend our events and conferences.

Other research organisations

We will also share details of research grant applications and awards, sometimes including associated personal information, with our funding partners (and potential funding partners) and research organisations such as the Association of Medical Research Charities, who monitor and regulate medical research in the UK, and the International Cancer Research Partnership, whose goal is to enhance global collaboration and strategic coordination of cancer research. This forms part of our award agreement.

f.    International Data transfers

As part of our research funding processes, we may transfer your personal information to countries outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). This forms part of our award agreement.  We will only transfer information outside of the UK and EEA for the purposes of reviewing a research grant application, to seek additional funding from our international partners, for grant/expense claim payments and to the International Cancer Research Partnership.

You should be aware that these countries may not have similar data protection laws. If we transfer your information outside of the UK and EEA in this way, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this notice. If you wish further details on these types of transfers, please contact us using the details at the end of this notice.

2.    Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring

a.    Why do we process your diversity and inclusion data?

Worldwide Cancer Research is committed to ensuring that its research funding is accessible to everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity or nationality, disability or age. We aim to ensure that our research funding application, review and award processes are unbiased and that every applicant is treated fairly. We are gathering and analysing diversity data, in order to review our processes to ensure they are unbiased and transparent, and do not have an adverse impact on any particular group.

b.    What is our legal basis for collecting diversity and inclusion data?

The basis for the collection of diversity and inclusion data is that there is a substantial public interest in equality of opportunity and treatment. To ensure that all our lead applicants have equality of opportunity or treatment, we collect this data at the application stage.

c.    How do we collect diversity and inclusion data?

The diversity and inclusion data that we collect is given to us directly by you as part of your application for a research grant. 
We recognise that some people may regard this information as private and have therefore included the option of ‘prefer not to say’ in all categories. You can choose this option instead of answering the question but it will help us improve our processes if you can complete as much as possible. 

d.    What diversity and inclusion data will be processed?

As part of our research funding application process we survey the following categories of data for diversity and inclusion monitoring:

  • Age
  • Disability and long-term health conditions
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Gender Identity
  • Nationality

 

e.    Who will see your diversity and inclusion data? 

The collection of diversity and inclusion data e.g. age, health, ethnicity, gender and nationality is for monitoring purposes only. This data will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be used in any way that allows individuals to be identified. It will not be linked to research funding applications and it will not be seen by anyone involved in the review processes, research funding decision-making, or any other third parties except for our grant system provider (Symplectic Ltd). 

3.    Storage & Retention 

We manage the research funding processes via our online grant system which has been developed and supported by our grant system provider (Symplectic Ltd).

Most information collected as part of the research funding processes is held indefinitely to enable the following activities:

  • General administrative purposes, such as responding to enquiries and expense claim payments.
  • Our external review processes used to assess research grant applications and make funding decisions.
  • Analysis and segmentation of our grant application and award information to help inform our strategy, and to monitor and improve our effectiveness.
  • Tracking the outputs and impact of our research funding and using this information, including your quotes and images as they relate to active and closed grants, in marketing and fundraising activities.   
  • Monitoring Diversity and Inclusion to ensure the equality of opportunity and treatment.

We regularly review our organisational retention periods and will not keep personal information longer than we require. 


4.    Your Rights

Data protection laws give you specific rights that help you be in control of your personal information. You have the right to:

  • Request and receive a copy of all information held about you by Worldwide Cancer Research
  • Ask to have all personal information that has been collected permanently erased 
  • Ask to have any part of specific personal information rectified
  • When collection of information is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at anytime
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK this is the Information Commissioners Office.

For more information about all of the rights available to you please read our full Privacy Policy here.

5.    Contact Information

If you have any queries relating to this notice, please contact

Worldwide Cancer Research
Third Floor South
121 George Street
Edinburgh
EH2 4YN

Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0300 777 7910


This privacy notice was last updated on 17/01/2024.