Data Privacy Policy

AQUASERV PRIVACY POLICY

AQUASERV - Research Infrastructure Services for Sustainable Aquaculture, Fisheries and the Blue Economy Project is coordinated by CCMAR with 39 beneficiaries, affiliated entities, and an associated partner that have signed a Consortium Agreement. This privacy policy will explain how the project uses the personal and digital data collected from project users and stakeholders.

Data Protection and GDPR

The collection and treatment of the AQUASERV project personal data conform to European regulation 2016/679 on data protection (GDPR). All partners of the AQUASERV consortium have appointed a DPO (data protection officer) or a contact person to manage the personal data under their responsibility.

In cases where data is transferred outside of the EEA (e.g.: when external reviewers are recruited outside of the EEA), data processors will be bound by a confidentiality agreement that ensures they do not transfer personal data. USTIR and Instruct-ERIC are out of the EEA (UK) but operate within the UK GDPR policy, which was recognised as equivalent to GDPR by an adequacy decision on the 28th of June 2021. UiB, NTNU, and IMR from Norway and Tubitak from Turkey must comply with the European regulation 2016/679 on data protection (GDPR).

Data collection and processing period

AQUASERV is a 5-year project running from 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2029. Still, a follow-up project of a similar nature (promotion of access to research infrastructures through transnational access) may take place. In that case, re-use of personal data will be considered, mainly to ensure seamless dissemination of results.

A delay of five years for storage of personal data after the project end date is the delay set by the European Commission for a possible audit of the AQUASERV project, for which the effectiveness of our activities may need to be proven, for which personal data on users, experts, project members may be required.

Protection of the data subjects' rights and freedoms

Data subjects will be fully informed about their rights and freedoms through the consent forms used in the project to collect data. All requests to exert those rights and freedoms should be addressed to aquaserv@ualg.pt.

What personal data will we collect and why?

Transnational Access (TA) applicants

TA applicants are individual scientists applying to the Transnational Access programme of AQUASERV, which offers "free of charge" access to the research infrastructures operated by AQUASERV project members. Applications to TA will be made online through ARIA, a web platform Instruct-ERIC provides and maintains.

Data collection circumstances: Registration, submission, and administration of a project on the ARIA web-based application system.

Data categories: Name, Surname, professional contact details, gender, nationality, project outline, project results, CV.

Purpose of processing: Project evaluation, provision of infrastructure services, reporting of results and dissemination.

Data transfer outside of the EEA: This may happen if external reviewers are recruited outside the EEA. All reviewers will be bound by a confidentiality agreement that ensures they do not transfer personal data. USTIR and Instruct-ERIC are out of the EEA (UK) but operate within the UK GDPR policy, which was recognised as equivalent to GDPR by an adequacy decision on the 28th of June 2021. UiB, NTNU, and IMR from Norway and Tubitak from Turkey must comply with the European regulation 2016/679 on data protection (GDPR).

TA Users

TA users are TA applicants selected by AQUASERV for funding. Additional data is needed from these users to organise their access to research infrastructure.

Data collection circumstances: Administration of access to the research infrastructure (after a project has been selected and accepted).

Data categories: Name, surname, professional contact details, gender, nationality, date of birth, project outline, project results, CV, proof of employment (working contract), ID documents, banking details, as required by local administration.

Purpose of processing: Authorisation to enter and use the facilities and reimbursement of travel costs.

Expert reviewers, selection panel members

Expert reviewers are individual scientists who are asked to review TA proposals submitted to AQUASERV. Internal expert reviewers are from within the AQUASERV consortium, unlike external expert reviewers from outside the consortium. The Selection panel members are Executive Committee members and individual scientists chosen by their expertise and commitment to participate in the AQUASERV Selection Panel, which makes decisions on financing TA projects based on expert reviews.

Data collection circumstances: Registration on the ARIA web-based TA management system (all). CCMAR will collect personal contact details, ID documents, and banking information to enable payments to external expert reviewers and external selection panel members.

Data categories: For all: Name, Surname, gender, professional contact details, professional qualifications (CV). For expert reviewers, selection panel members external to the consortium: personal contact details, ID documents, and banking information (data collected and processed by CCMAR).

Purpose of processing: Participation in the project evaluation workflow on the ARIA system operated by Instruct-ERIC, as well as financial compensation for those external to the consortium.

Data transfer outside of the EEA: Expert reviewers and selection panel members will be bound by a confidentiality agreement that ensures they do not transfer any personal data.

Project members

Project members are employees of the AQUASERV Project partners who have been declared as having a role in the project (scientific, technical or administrative).

Data collection circumstances: data provided by the primary contact of each partner at the project building stage and amended upon necessity (changes in personnel) throughout the project. Each partner shall inform the coordinator of changes in the project members when they happen and review their project member list in January each year.

Data categories: Name, surname, professional contact details, gender, professional qualification.

Purpose of processing: Project administration, reporting, provision of project information

Digital communication users

Any visitor connecting to the AQUASERV website and/or subscribing the project newsletter.

Data collection circumstances: Connection to the AQUASERV-RI.EU website (cookies); subscribe to the newsletter by clicking a link and ‘opting in’.

Data categories: Analytical data is collected on an aggregated basis for all visitors to the website. The data collected through Google Analytics is anonymised and is therefore not personally identifiable. For communication and dissemination, news, events, and the project newsletter will be shared via email using Mailchimp. Users can sign up for this e-newsletter and project news via the “Subscribe to news” link on the website homepage. To sign up, it is required that you provide your email address and your first and last name. Optionally, further details, such as organisation name and stakeholder group, may be provided. The Mailchimp privacy policy can be viewed at https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/. A cookies banner will be added to enable the selection of user-accepted cookies.

Purpose of processing: Analytical data collected on the website is used to track/monitor communication engagement on the project website and used to inform project reporting necessary for the EC. Email addresses collected from a subscription list will be used to share project news, events, updates and newsletters.

Brokerage events participants (stakeholders)

Participants in AQUASERV brokerage events (in person or online)

Data collection circumstances: Administration and processing associated with planning an event and informing interested parties.

Data categories: Name, Surname, professional contact details, nationality, gender, organisation name, organisation type, position/job title.

Purpose of processing: event organisation, reporting of attendance and categories of attendees, follow-up with parties interested in the innovations presented at the brokerage events.