Introduction

NIAGADS (also referred to as ‘we’ throughout this document) is committed to protecting its users’ data and privacy. The purpose of this page is to provide you with information about how the data we collect from users of the NIAGADS DSS websiteis used or shared. We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We encourage you to visit this page frequently and take note of the date updated field above.

We do not use or share any of your personal information for any purpose unrelated to the functionality of the websites; however, we do collect some information to help us understand how our sites are being used in order to improve community support and to enhance the NIAGADS DSS community’s experience when visiting our sites.

Information Automatically Collected

When you browse the NIAGADS DSS site, certain information about your visit will be collected. We automatically collect and store the following type of information about your visit:

  • The public-facing IP address of the client making the request. Often the IP address is that of your personal computer or smart phone; however, it might be that of a firewall or proxy your internet provider manages.
  • The operating system and information about the browser used when visiting the site.
  • The date and time of each visit.
  • Pages visited.
  • The address of a referring page. If you click a link on a website that directs you to a NIAGADS DSS page, the address of that originating web page will be collected. This “referrer” information is transmitted as part of the browser and server communications; it is not based on any marketing or partnering agreements with the referring site.

This automatically collected information does not identify you personally unless you include personally identifying information in a support form request. We use this information to measure the number of visitors to our site. The aggregate data may be included in prospectuses and reports to funding agencies.

Information You Directly Provide

The User Login feature of the NIAGADS DSS website requires that you have an eRA commons username and password. NIAGADS DSS asks for your name, email address, and institution when you set up your user profile. We will not sell or distribute your name or institution to third parties.

When you log in, the public-facing IP address is recorded. This IP address can be correlated with the address automatically collected as noted above. If your user profile personally identifies you, then it may be possible to associate you with your detailed activity on the NIAGADS DSS site.

“Contact Us” Form

On the menu at the bottom of the page, there is a “Contact” link to a form where users can submit questions, error reports, and feature requests. Submissions through this form are emailed to NIAGADS DSS staff.

The form includes a field for an email address. If the email address identifies you personally (if you use your institutional email, for example) then your correspondence with us will likewise be linked to you.

How NIAGADS DSS Uses Cookies

The NIAGADS DSS uses cookies to associate multiple requests by your web browser into a stateful session. Cookies are essential to track the state of authentication and settings.

Some cookies persist only for a single session. The information is recorded temporarily and is erased when the user quits the session or closes the browser. Others may be persistently stored on the hard drive of your computer until you manually delete them from a browser folder or until they expire, which can be months after they were last used.

Cookies can be disabled in your browser (refer to your browser’s documentation for instructions); however, the website will not be able to persist your authentication, thus preventing use of the site, if cookies are disabled.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics provides aggregate measurements of website traffic including counts of page hits and unique users along with statistics on countries of origin.

The raw measurements and statistics are only available to approved NIAGADS staff. Aggregated data may be included in prospectuses and reports to funding agencies.

Third-Party Websites and Applications

Third-party websites and applications are not exclusively operated or controlled by NIAGADS. By using these third-party websites, individuals may be providing nongovernmental third-parties with access to personally identifying information.

Your Rights Based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you would like to read more about the General Data Protection Regulation, you can do so by clicking here: https://gdpr-info.eu.

  1. The right of transparency and modalities. The privacy policy should be clear and easy to follow in explaining what data we collect and how we use it.
  2. The right to be informed about when data is gathered. This is described in the privacy policy, during the registration process (if you choose to register).
  3. The right of access. You can ask for what specific data we have about you and how we use it.
  4. The right to rectification. We will correct any errors in your personal data that you point out to us.
  5. The right to be forgotten. We are happy to delete your account and info when you make such a request.
  6. The right to restrict processing. You have the right to request that we restrict the use of your data.
  7. The right for notification obligation regarding rectification/erasure/restriction.
  8. The right to data portability.
  9. The right to object to the processing of your personal data at any time.
  10. The right in relation to automated decision making and profiling. Basically, you have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing which significantly affect you.

To make any of the above stated requests or if you have any questions please email us at niagads@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.