Privacy policy for the funding programmes of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation
The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung - BIS) welcomes your interest in the funding programmes Exploration Grants, Plus 3, Rise up! and supporting scientific conferences. Below, we would like to inform you on how we process your personal data in conjunction with your proposal for these programmes.
1. General
1.1 Controller (GDPR, Article 4(7))
The controller – i.e. the body responsible for the processing of your personal data – is the Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung, (hereinafter referred to as the BIS or the controller). The controller’s contact details are:
Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung
Represented by the Executive Committee: Christoph Boehringer (Chairman), Professor Dr Franz-Ulrich Hartl, Dr Dr Michel Pairet, Professor Dr Jan-Michael Peters
Schusterstr. 46-48
55116 Mainz
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 6131 / 27 50 8-0
Email: secretariat@bistiftung.de
1.2 Contact address for inquiries concerning data protection
data-protection@bistiftung.de
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 BIS via the user’s respective Internet browser and stored in the BIS 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 BIS 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 BIS, 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 one of the funding programmes.
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 a funding programme
- We offer interested persons the opportunity through this website to apply online for a funding 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 whether or not and to what extent a project will be funded.
2.4 Application Process
Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation 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 at:
Exploration Grants, Plus 3 and Rise up!
https://www.boehringer-ingelheim-stiftung.de/en/what-we-fund/nationwide-funding/selection-process-1.html
Supporting scientific conferences
https://boehringer-ingelheim-stiftung.de/en/what-we-fund/scientific-conferences-1.html
In detail, we will process your data for the following purposes:
- Performing the selection process, management of applicants, documentation of the selection process;
- For statistical, internal and scientific evaluations to monitor the quality of BIS’ selection processes and of its funding programmes and their effects and to monitor the history of BIS 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;
- In case of your acceptance into the programme, we will also process your data to administer the funding.
- Publishing information about successful grant applications, including the name of the applicant, the institutions involved and their locations, the amount of funding, the field of activity, general title and a general summary of the research project e.g. for transparency reasons on the BIS website, in printed materials or other contexts.
- Contacting fellows and alumni via email or letter to inform about new funding programmes and BIS’ activities, to invite fellows and alumni to meetings and to network.
Processing of your personal data in conjunction with BIS 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 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.
We also process your personal data for our legitimate interest of optimisation of application processes, digitalisation of documents, controlling, planning of funding capacities, and the optimisation of funding and internal working processes in general. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR.
2.5 Recipients of personal data
After receipt of your application, your data will be reviewed by BIS’ staff. Eligible applications will then be forwarded to external reviewers and to our Scientific Advisory Board and our Executive Committee (only applicable for Exploration Grants, Plus3 and Rise up!). 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 will 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 Scientific Advisory Board)
- Contractors pursuant to Art. 28 of the GDPR (e. g., IT service providers, software support staff)
- 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 (Art. 44 GDPR), i.e. Australia 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, Art. 13(2)
3.1 Duration of storage
The initial storage of your data takes place upon receipt of your application. 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), 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 BIS 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 a respective supervisory authority.
4. Links to third-party websites
When visiting the BIS website, content may be displayed that is linked to the websites of third parties. The BIS has no access to the cookies or other functions employed by third parties on their websites, nor can the BIS control these. Such third parties are not subject to the data protection provisions of the website operator.
31.01.2025