Information about you: how we use it and with whom we share it  (Last updated: 26.06.24)

ICMS is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

ICMS may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

If you have any questions, please email us.

1. Event Registration

This statement covers the management of your personal information if you attend any ICMS event, including Public Events, Workshops, Research-in-Groups programmes, and if you submit a proposal to ICMS for funding.

We use your personal data to allow us to process your funding application, registration, communicate with you about the application or events and obtain your feedback about the event. 

We are using information about you for these purposes because, by registering for an ICMS event or applying for funding from us, you are entering into a contractual agreement for us to do so.

1.1. ICMS Public Events

In order to facilitate online registration for our Public Events, we share information with the following third parties, which are not operated by the University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University:

• Eventbrite – their privacy policy can be found here

If you wish to attend an event organised by ICMS but do not wish to use Eventbrite, please email us.

How we use your information:

• We use your name and email address to process your registration and communicate with you about the event.
• For some events, we will ask whether you are 16 years or younger, in order to ensure we have the appropriate safe-guarding processes in place for the event.

We will hold the registration details you provided us for 2 years. If you have agreed to be contacted about future events by subscribing to our ‘Public Events Newsletter’, we will hold your personal data for as long as you subscribe to these updates.

1.2. ICMS Workshops and Seminars

In order to facilitate online registration for our workshops and seminars, we share information with the following third parties, which are not operated by the University of Edinburgh:

• SmartSurvey  - their privacy policy can be found here
• Heriot-Watt University  - their privacy policy can be found here

If you wish to attend an event organised by ICMS but do not wish to use SmartSurvey, please email us.

The event you are registering for will fall under two categories:

• Funded by an EPSRC grant
• Not funded by an EPSCRC grant

How we use your information:

1.2.1. Funded by an EPSRC grant

• We use your name and email address to process your registration, communicate with you and obtain your feedback about the event.
• For some events, we will ask whether you are 16 years or younger, in order to ensure we have the appropriate safe-guarding processes in place for the event.
• We provide anonymised statistics to our funders (EPSRC) on workshop diversity (career stage, sex, ethnicity, country of residence).
• We send participants follow-up surveys to obtain information about outcomes and impact resulting from ICMS (EPSRC)- funded activities.
• We add participants to an ‘ICMS delegate Newsletter’ outlining details of forthcoming workshops, events, details of new initiatives and funding opportunities (see ‘Mailing Lists’ policy below). This mailing list holds details of your email and the ICMS event attended.
• We share your information with Heriot-Watt University for reimbursement of travel expenses, where appropriate.

1.2.2. Not funded by an EPSCRC grant

• We use your name and email address to process your registration, communicate with you and obtain your feedback about the event.
• For some events, we will ask whether you are 16 years or younger, in order to ensure we have the appropriate safe-guarding processes in place for the event.
•  Where appropriate, we capture anonymised statistics on workshop diversity (career stage, sex, ethnicity, country of residence).  This information is not linked to you.
• We give participants the option to subscribe to an ‘ICMS Delegate Newsletter’ outlining details of forthcoming workshops, events, details of new initiatives and funding opportunities (see ‘Mailing Lists’ policy below). This mailing list holds details of your email address and the ICMS event attended.
• We share your information with Heriot-Watt University for reimbursement of travel expenses, where appropriate.

1.2.3. All workshops and seminars

If you have given us your permission, we will share your name, affiliation and contact details with the other participants in the delegate list. We will not share information about you with any other third party.

After the event, we might send you a feedback survey to help us improve any future events we organise. 

We will hold the full registration details you provided us for up to three years.  After three years, we will keep an historical record of the event only (the proposal, a list of attendees, event reports and feedback information).

For the ICMS Delegate Newsletter, we will hold your personal data for as long as you subscribe to these updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Any financial data such as a payment record will be held for seven years, but we will ensure that all information that can identify you directly is removed after six months.

1.3. ICMS Feedback

In order to report on the outcomes of our workshops, we contact delegates (where appropriate) to obtain feedback.  We use the following tool which is not operated by the University of Edinburgh:

• SmartSurvey  - their privacy policy can be found here

If you wish to provide feedback to ICMS but do not wish to use SmartSurvey, please email us.

How we use your information:

• We use anonymised feedback (e.g. benefit to research) you provide to report to our funders, EPSRC. Anonymised quotes may be used in reports/funding proposals.
• If we wish to attribute your quotes we will contact you directly to obtain explicit permission.

1.4. Proposals

How we use your information:

All proposals for funding, and related correspondence (regardless of outcome) are kept for five years.

Any financial data such as a payment record will be held for seven years, but we will ensure that all information that can identify you directly is removed after six months. 

We do not use profiling or automated decision-making processes.  

2. Online Event Management

This statement covers the management of your personal if you attend any online ICMS event, including Public Events, Workshops, Research-in-Groups programmes.

We use your personal data to allow us to manage ICMS events including: inviting registered attendees; hosting specialised sessions and socials; and recording, subtitling and disseminating events as appropriate.  

We are using information about you for these purposes because, by registering for an ICMS event, you are entering into a contractual agreement for us to do so.

In order to manage our online events, we share information with the following third parties, which are not operated by the University of Edinburgh:

• Zoom  - their privacy policy can be found here 
• Youtube (Google) - their privacy policy can be found here
• Mediahopper (University of Edinburgh) - their privacy policy can be found here
• Mural - their privacy policy can be found here
• Slack - their privacy policy can be found here

How we use your information:

• Your name and image may appear on screen during online events.

Most online events will be delivered via Zoom, accessible via a browser or via an app. People with the app will have to register with Zoom to log in. Your name will be viewable in most Zoom calls, but can be changed to be anonymised. You will have the option to turn your video and microphone ON or OFF.

For larger events, we may set up a Youtube livestream of the event. This will require no formal sign-in or attendee details.

Online events will be recorded if requested by the speaker(s). Recordings will only be published online with permission from the speaker(s) and everyone that appears in the video. We will ensure that any attendees that appear in the recording are removed during the editing process. ‘Social’ events will not be recorded.

Recordings without permission to be published will be deleted within 3 months.

All talks published online will have closed captions available. All talks recorded before March 2023 are hosted on Mediahopper and have subtitles automatically generated by Mediahopper, or manually edited.  Recordings made from March 2023 onwards are hosted on YouTube and have subtitles automatically generated by YouTube.

3. Mailing Lists

This statement covers the management of your personal information if you sign up to our Public Events Mailing List, or if you’ve been added to a delegate mailing list after attending an ICMS-funded activity.

We use your personal data to communicate with you about ICMS events and activities. We are using information about you for these purposes because, by subscribing to the ICMS newsletter, or by registering for an ICMS event, you are entering into a contractual agreement for us to do so.

In order to manage our mailing lists, we share information with the following third parties, which are not operated by the University of Edinburgh:

• DotDigital  - their privacy policy can be found here

3.1. Public Events Newsletter

How we use your information:

• We use your name and email address to communicate with you about ICMS Public Lectures and related activities.

You can unsubscribe from the mailing list at any time using the link at the bottom of the email. 

3.2. Updates Newsletter

How we use your information:

• We use your name and email address to communicate with you about forthcoming ICMS workshops, events, new initiatives and funding opportunities.

You can unsubscribe from the mailing list at any time using the link at the bottom of the email. 

4. Cookies

Please read our Cookie Policy