Privacy Notice

Purpose of this Privacy Notice

This statement explains how the SWCTN collects, manages and uses your personal data before, during and after you participate in SWCTN knowledge exchange and research activities. SWCTN is a partnership between the following data controllers: University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, Bath Spa University, Falmouth University, University of Plymouth, Watershed (Bristol) and Kaleider (Exeter).
Personal data is defined as any information that can be attributed to a living individual. We adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principle of transparency and this Privacy Notice informs you about:

  • How and why we use your personal data for research;
  • What your rights are under GDPR, and;
  • How to contact us if you have questions, concerns or wish to exercise your rights regarding the use of your personal data.

Why are we processing your personal data?

As data controllers we will only process your personal data in accordance with the GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and any other privacy laws that apply (“the Data Protection Legislation”). We will always tell you about the information we wish to collect from you and how we will use it. We use personal data for programme delivery, evaluation and research with appropriate safeguards in place under the following lawful bases:  fulfilling tasks in the public interest to conduct research and for the evaluation purpose of reporting to our funder, Research England and for archiving purposes in the public interest, for scientific or historical research purposes.

Meeting legal obligations

Legitimate interests such as programme delivery and evaluation where your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests

We will obtain your opt-in consent for SWCTN programme marketing purposes, as well as your informed consent for the collection and use of your data in specific research projects you participate in, and only process your data in line with this consent. Full details will be provided to you in a participant information sheet should you be asked to participate in research activities.

Our research is governed by robust policies and procedures and is subject to appropriate ethical scrutiny.

What data do we collect?

The data we collect will vary depending on your level of participation with SWCTN. SWCTN team members will only collect data that is essential for the purpose of the project and will be fully transparent with you in the participant information you receive.

When you apply to participate in the SWCTN, we will collect personal data including name, email address, occupational and employer information, home and work postcodes, project keywords and description, and network affiliations in the Southwest (e.g. your relationship to university and industry partners).

For individuals selected to participate in the SWCTN network as a fellow or part of a funded prototype team, we will collect additional data such as your headshot, professional biography, as well as qualitative and quantitative data related to your engagement with the SWCTN programme, such as date of attendance at SWCTN events, public comments on online collaboration platforms facilitated by SWCTN (Slack), and individual and project outcomes related to your participation in SWCTN. We will also collect data regarding accessibility, allergy and dietary requirements in order to ensure health, safety and accessibility for all participants as SWCTN will plan activities in multiple venues across the southwest region.

Who do we share your data with?

Data will be shared between the partners in the SWCTN: UWE, Bath Spa University, Falmouth University, University of Plymouth, Watershed and Kaleider.

We also share data with third party service providers, such as hosting or email service providers, who provide services to us so that we are able to fulfil our obligations to you. Any data processed on behalf of SWCTN is processed only to the extent required by them to perform the services that SWCTN requests. Any use for other purposes is strictly prohibited within a data sharing agreement between us and the provider. Furthermore, any data that is processed by third parties must be processed within the terms of this policy and in accordance with the United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016.

Pseudonymised data will be shared with our funders and public stakeholders, unless we have your informed consent to share identifying information.

We may also share your data when we have a legal obligation to disclose your information.

How do we keep your data secure?

We take a robust approach to protecting your information with secure electronic and physical storage areas for research data with controlled access. Alongside these technical measures there are comprehensive and effective policies and processes in place to ensure that users and administrators of information are aware of their obligations and responsibilities for the data they have access to. By default, people are only granted access to the information they require to perform their duties. Mandatory data protection and information security training is provided to staff and expert advice is available if needed.

How long do we keep your data for?

Your data will only be retained for as long as is necessary to fulfil the cited purpose of SWCTN programme delivery, evaluation and research. Data will usually be stored in an anonymised or de-identified format. Unless you object, your personal information will be for up to six years after programme completion (June 30, 2027).

De-identified data may be stored in our research data archive or another carefully selected appropriate data archive.

Your Rights and how to exercise them

Under the Data Protection legislation you have the following qualified rights:

  1. The right to access your personal data held by or on behalf of SWCTN
  2. The right to rectification if the information is inaccurate or incomplete
  3. The right to restrict processing and/or erasure of your personal data
  4. The right to data portability
  5. The right to object to processing
  6. The right to object to automated decision making and profiling
  7. The right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Please note that some of these rights do not apply when the data is being used for research purposes if appropriate safeguards have been put in place. We will always respond to concerns or queries you may have. If you wish to exercise your rights or have any other general data protection queries please contact dataprotection@swctn.org.uk.

If you have any complaints or queries relating to specific research aspects you are taking part in, please direct them to the named researcher on your participant information in the first instance. Otherwise, please email dataprotection@swctn.org.uk.

This Privacy Notice was published in 26 November, 2018. It will be reviewed 30 June, 2019.