This privacy notice explains how the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol) collects, manages, and uses your personal data for the purpose of managing the network.

‘Personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (the data subject).

This privacy notice adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principle of transparency. This means it gives information about:

• How and why your data will be used;
• What your rights are under GDPR; and
• How to contact UWE Bristol in relation to questions, concerns or exercising your rights regarding the use of your personal data.

Why are we processing your personal data?

Your data is being processed for the purpose of:

• Managing your membership to the network;
• Keeping you up to date with news, and organising events;
• Analysing membership information to ensure we develop a network with a strong and diverse representation, with equality and inclusion built in.

As a data controller we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 (or any successor legislation) and any other legislation directly relating to privacy laws that apply (together “the Data Protection Legislation”). General Information on Data Protection law is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office (https://ico.org.uk/).

How do we use your personal data?

We will only process your personal data when the law allows us to. In addition, we will always comply with UWE Bristol’s policies and procedures in processing your personal data.

Our lawful basis for using your personal data for the purpose of the network is ‘public task’, and necessary for the reasons of substantial public interest.

Where you confirm that you would like to be added to our membership directory and mailing list (for opportunities, events and newsletters), electronic communications will be sent to you on the legal basis of consent. You can withdraw this consent at any time by contacting Sophie Constant, or Vicky Trigle at Sophie.constant@uwe.ac.uk, Vicky.Trigle@uwe.ac.uk.

You can find out more information about lawful bases at the following webpage: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/lawful-basis-for-processing/

We will always tell you about the information we wish to collect from you and how we will use it. We will not use your personal data for automated decision making about you or for profiling purposes.

What data do we collect?

Name, address, email, postcode, age, location data, and career information. We also collect special category data such as race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, disability status, gender, and sexual orientation.

We may also collect anonymised statements should you partake in any focus groups about the network.

Who do we share your data with?

To manage the network we are required to share some of your personal information with our partner organisations. This includes:

• The University of York;
• The University of Reading;
• The University of Lincoln;
• The University of Leeds;
• The University of East Anglia;
• The University of Aberdeen;
• The Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC);
• The Royal Agricultural University;
• The Queens University Belfast; and
• Newcastle University.

Any personal data shared with our collaborators will be pseudonymous/anonymised where possible, and supported with legally binding contracts.

We are also required to share outcomes of this project (excluding your personal data) with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), who fund the network, along with the Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council (EPSRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

How do we keep your data secure?

We take a robust approach to protecting your information with secure electronic and physical storage areas for data with controlled access. Access to your personal data is strictly controlled on a need-to-know basis and data is stored and transmitted securely using methods such as encryption and access controls for physical records where appropriate.

Alongside these technical measures there are comprehensive and effective policies and processes in place to ensure that those who process your personal 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 available if needed.

How long do we keep your data for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as we need it to carry out the purposes in this notice.

Please see our University Records Management Policy and Records Retention Schedules for more detailed information. These are available by contacting our Data Protection Office at dataprotection@uwe.ac.uk

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 the University;
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).

To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, we will verify your identity before giving effect to your rights. To exercise any of your rights please contact the Data Protection Officer.

How to contact us

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 UWE Bristol’s Data Protection Officer (dataprotection@uwe.ac.uk).

For further information relation to the network, please contact:
Sophie Constant: Sophie.constant@uwe.ac.uk
Vicky Trigle: Vicky.trigle@uwe.ac.uk