Privacy

Data Consent and Privacy policy applicable to the funding programmes “PhD Fellowships” and “Travel Grants”

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) welcomes your interest in the funding programmes for “PhD Fellowships” and “Travel Grants”. Below, we would like to inform you on how we process your personal data in conjunction with your application for the respective funding programme.

Data consent and declarations of applicants
Please note that your application cannot be processed unless you agree to the following data consent and obligations.

I agree that

1. Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) processes and stores electronically and in paper form data provided in conjunction with this application for funding for processing and deciding on the application. The data can also be forwarded to peer reviewers and foundation committees as part of the evaluation and decision-making process;
2. BIF processes and stores electronically and in paper form my personal data and other data given in the application(s) for statistical, internal and scientific evaluations to monitor the quality of the Foundation’s selection processes and of its funding programmes and their effects, and to monitor the history of its funding and activities. In case external cooperating partners, e.g. scientists, might be involved in such evaluations or studies, it will be ensured that they also comply with all legal requirements;
3. information about successful applications, including the name of the applicant, the institutions involved and their locations, the amount of funding, the field of activity, the general title and a general summary of the research project can be published, e.g. for transparency reasons, by BIF on its website, in printed materials or other contexts.

I agree that the foregoing consent also includes processing of special categories of personal data referred to in Art. 9 Paragraph 1 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

I am aware that my personal data may be transmitted to external peer reviewers and/or board members who live in a so-called third country (Art. 44 GDPR), i. e. Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and USA. In case of absence of an adequacy decision referred to in Art. 45 (3) GDPR or of appropriate safeguards pursuant to Art. 46 GDPR, I however agree that my personal data can be transferred to the above-mentioned third countries. I am aware that – in case of absence of an adequacy decision and appropriate safeguards – such transfers may pose a risk to the security of my personal data (e.g. lower level of security of processing in these third countries).

I am aware that I can revoke or partly revoke the agreement in written form (at least email) with future effect and that in case of revocation any processing that has already taken place until the date of my revocation remains unaffected.
I confirm that I have read the privacy policy for the funding programme (see following pages).

I obligate myself

  • to notify Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds immediately about significant changes to the data given in the application;
  • to comply with all laws and regulations relevant to the project and in particular, to obtain any required approvals in due time;
  • to use the approved financing solely in the interest of efficiently pursuing the project as described in the application;
  • to comply with the rules of good scientific practice according to the DFG’s “Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice” (https://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/principles_dfg_funding/good_scientific_practice)

Privacy policy

1. General

1.1 Personal data (GDPR, Article 4(1))

Data protection refers to the protection of personal data (hereinafter also referred to as data), which in turn means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes, for example, data such as the person’s name, address, occupation, email address, marital status, telephone number and, if applicable, any Internet user data, such as an IP address.

1.2 Controller (GDPR, Article 4(7))

The controller – i. e. the body responsible for the processing of your personal data within the context of your application for funding – is the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (hereinafter referred to as the BIF, the website operator, or the controller). The controller’s contact details are:

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, Stiftung für medizinische Grundlagenforschung

Represented by the Executive Committee: Dr Jan-Michael Peters (Chairman), Professor Dr Dr Thomas Braun (Deputy Chairman), Dr Dr Michel Pairet

Schusterstr. 46-48
55116 Mainz
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 6131 / 27 50 8-0
Email: [email protected]

1.3 Contact address for inquiries concerning data protection

[email protected]

1.4 The opportunity to object

If, in accordance with this data protection declaration, you wish to deny the BIF permission to process your data entirely or for particular purposes, you can do so by sending an email to [email protected]. Please note that objecting to such data processing may limit or entirely prevent your use of the website and your ability to access the services offered on it.

2. Scope and purposes of data processing, legal basis, provision of data, and duration of storage

2.1 Access and use of the website

Each time the website and its sub-pages are accessed, usage data is transmitted to the BIF via the user’s respective Internet browser and stored in the BIF server’s log files. The stored data sets include the following information:

  • Date and time of access
  • Name of the accessed sub-page
  • IP address
  • Referrer URL (the URL from which you came to the website)
  • Amount of data transferred
  • The user’s browser product and version thereof

The log files are evaluated by the BIF in an anonymous state in order to further improve the website and make it more user-friendly, find and correct errors more quickly, and manage server capacities. Performing these evaluations enables the BIF, for example, to identify the time periods in which users particularly favour using the website, and thus provide adequate data transfer resources.

The admissibility of such processing is governed by Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, according to which such processing is lawful if it is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the data controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data. Making available a website that contains information, offering online application portals, and optimising website operation are legitimate interests of the website operator.

After you have ceased using the website, your IP address is either deleted or rendered anonymous. Anonymising an IP address consists of altering it in such a manner that, barring a disproportionately large amount of time, expense, and manpower, it can no longer be attributed to a specific or identifiable natural person.

The data processed by the data controller is needed to enable you to access and use the website to send your obligatory online application. This concerns data whose processing is necessary to the use of a given telecommunications medium. You are not obligated to provide this information. Not providing the data, in the present case, would render you unable to use some or all features of the website and in consequence you could not apply for the PhD Fellowship or Travel Grant Programme.

2.2 The use of cookies

We use two cookies:

  • The first stores your preferred language so that this site can be immediately displayed to you in the right language on subsequent visits. This cookie automatically expires 180 days after your last visit.
  • The second is the session cookie (standard), used to detect that you are connected. This cookie expires automatically when you close your browser.

2.3 Registration to apply for the PhD Fellowship or Travel Grant Programme

We offer interested persons the opportunity through this website to apply online for the PhD Fellowship or Travel Grant Programme. For this purpose, a registration with an email address and a password is necessary. This data must be entered via an entry mask and the email address will be transmitted to us for further processing.

Following the above-mentioned registration, you automatically receive an email to the email address you have used to register containing an activation link for your application account. After activation of your account, you can start your application which requires personal data (obligatory and optional fields).

The admissibility of such data processing is governed by Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, which states that data processing is lawful if it is “necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.” The data processed by the website operator are required to enable the data subject to register an account on the website and to complete the application process. You are not obliged to provide that data. Without providing the data, we cannot process your application and cannot decide on your acceptance into the PhD fellowship or travel grant programme.

2.4 Application Process

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds processes and stores electronically and in paper form data provided in conjunction with your application to assess your eligibility for the respective funding programme and to perform the selection process. You can find further information on our selection process at:

PhD fellowships:

https://www.bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/phd-fellowships/how-we-decide-phd.html

Travel grants:

https://www.bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/travel-grants/how-we-decide-tg.html

In detail, we will process the data for the following purposes:

  1. Performing the selection process, management of applicants, documentation of the selection process;
  2. For statistical, internal and scientific evaluations to monitor the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of BIF’s selection processes and of its funding programmes and their effects and to monitor the history of BIF funding and activities. In case external cooperating partners, e.g. scientists, might be involved in such evaluations or studies, it will be ensured that they also comply with all legal requirements;
  3. In case of your acceptance into the programme, we will also process your data to administer the funding;
  4. Publishing information about successful applications, including the name of the applicant, the institutions involved and their locations, the amount of funding, the field of activity, the general title and a general summary of the research project, e.g. for transparency reasons on the BIF website, in printed materials or other contexts;
  5. Contacting fellows and alumni via email or letter to inform about new funding programmes and BIF’s activities, to invite fellows and alumni to scientific meetings and to network (only applicable to PhD programme).

The admissibility of such data processing is primarily pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR, which states that data processing is lawful if you have given your consent to the processing of your personal data for one or several particular purposes. The consent also includes the processing of special categories of personal data (Article 9(1) of the GDPR).

Furthermore, processing of your personal data in conjunction with BIF funding programmes is pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, which states that data processing is lawful if it is “necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.” In particular, this concerns the processing purposes mentioned above under a) and c).

The admissibility of such processing is also governed by Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, according to which such processing is lawful if it is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the data controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data. Our legitimate interests include mainly optimisation of application processes, digitalisation of documents, controlling, planning of funding capacities, and the optimisation of funding and internal working processes in general.

The provision of personal data is also required for the execution of the funding. You are therefore obligated to provide the personal data requested in this context. Without the provision of these data, we cannot decide about your acceptance into the funding programme.

2.5 Recipients of personal data

After receipt of your application, your data will be reviewed by BIF’s staff. Eligible applications will then be forwarded to external reviewers and to our Board of Trustees (only applicable to PhD fellowship programme). Generally, only those persons have access to your data who require it for the processing of your application, the decision and the funding process itself.

In the context of the funding programme, your personal data can be forwarded to the following recipients:

  • Public authorities, who receive the data on the basis of legal requirements
  • Internal bodies, who are involved in the relevant processes (e.g. administrative staff, members of the Board of Trustees)
  • Contractors pursuant to Article 28 of the GDPR
  • Contractual and cooperation partners (e.g. external peer reviewers)

Personal data may be transmitted to external peer reviewers and/or board members who live in a so-called third country (Article 44 GDPR), i. e. Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and USA. In case of absence of an adequacy decision referred to in Article 45 (3) of the GDPR or of appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 of the GDPR, such transfers may involve a lower level of security of processing in these third countries.

3. Information according to GDPR, Article 13(2)

3.1 Duration of storage

The initial storage of your data takes place upon registration on our website. The duration of data storage is primarily determined by statutory data storage obligations and our legitimate interest in continuing to store the data. As soon as the data are no longer needed for the above stated purposes, they will be deleted.

3.2 Data subject’s rights

You have the following rights: the right to access (GDPR, Article 15), the right to rectification (GDPR, Article 16), the right to erasure (GDPR, Article 17), the right to restriction of processing (GDPR, Article 18), right to object (GDPR, Article 21) as well as the right to data portability (GDPR, Article 20).

If your personal data are processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, you have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular circumstances.

3.3 Withdrawal of consent

If you have given the BIF your consent to process your personal data and subsequently withdraw this consent, the lawfulness of any processing of data that has already been performed prior to your withdrawal of consent shall not be affected.

3.4 Right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the respective supervisory authority.

4. Links to third-party websites

When visiting the BIF website, content may be displayed that is linked to the websites of third parties. The BIF has no access to the cookies or other functions employed by third parties on their websites, nor can the BIF control these. Such third parties are not subject to the data protection provisions of the website operator.

 

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