Privacy statement

Privacy statement

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) values your privacy. This privacy statement explains what personal data NIOO-KNAW collects, and how and for what purposes they are processed.

You can count on us under all circumstances

  • not to request any more data from you than is strictly necessary
  • not to store your data any longer than is necessary, while making sure data related to scientific research are retained for long-term archiving
  • to give as few people as possible access to your data
  • to make sure your data are kept secure

Who are we?

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) carries out fundamental and strategic research. Our researchers study how nature works, covering the full range of plant, animal and microbial ecology both on land and in water.

NIOO-KNAW is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

If you have any privacy-related questions, please send them to privacy@nioo.knaw.nl. More information follows below.

What personal data do we process?

Our institute may process the following personal data:

  • name
  • address/place of residence
  • e-mail address
  • social media account name
  • sex
  • date and place of birth
  • company details
  • account number
  • curriculum vitae
  • geographical location (for observations)
  • your picture(s)
  • any other personal data you submit to us

For what purposes do we collect personal data about you?

Below we list the situations in which we collect your personal data, and the purposes for which we do so:

  • When you contact us via e-mail, telephone, mail or social media
    When you contact us, we process the data you submit to us. This is necessary in order to forward your question internally and to answer it.
  • When you visit our website
    When you visit our website, details of your visit are logged to help us optimise and improve the website. This may involve placing cookies on your computer, and in some cases third parties may place cookies on our behalf when you visit our website. We make use of Google Analytics to compile user statistics, but we don’t give Google access to your full IP-address. We process your data for our legitimate interests.
  • When you take part in one of our citizen science projects
    If you are a participant in one of our citizen science initiatives, we process your e-mail address, your name, the geographical location of your observations and other data you submit to us. Processing personal data as part of scientific research is in the public interest. Citizen science projects are often long-term, and upon completion the results are archived.
  • When you take part in a photo competition
    If you send us any photographs as entries in a photo competition, we will ask you for permission to show them on our website. Whether you give permission or not in no way affects your chances of winning. If you do grant your permission, you are free to withdraw it at any time. We also store your contact information, so that we may ask your permission to use your photographs again for a different purpose at a later date.
  • When you take part in the Centre for Avian Migration’s research
    When we register you as a bird ringer or assistant ringer, we process your name, e-mail address, place of residence, sex, and date and place of birth. We are legally obliged to do so. We also assign you a registration number.
    When you ring birds or report back ringed birds, we register your e-mail address and location. If you are a registered ringer, we match these data to your name, e-mail address, address and registration number.
  • When you make purchases from the Centre of Avian Migration’s webshop
    When you make purchases from the webshop, we process your data in order to fulfil and deliver your order. If your order includes products such as rings, which are exclusively reserved for registered bird ringers, we check if you are in our records as a registered ringer.
  • When you apply for a position or an internship
    When you apply to us for a position, we process your name, e-mail address, phone number and cv. This information remains strictly confidential, and can only be accessed by members of our HR department and by the selection board. We process the data as a precondition for entering into any agreement. When you apply for an internship at our institute, your data are likewise processed carefully, either by a potential supervisor or by someone tasked with finding you a supervisor.
  • When you sign up up for an event or activity we are organising
    When you fill in a form indicating you would like to take part in an event or activity that we are organising, we process your data to have a record of your registration. We may also store your data so as to be able to invite you for similar events or activities in the future.

Do we share personal data with third parties?

Under certain, limited circumstances, we may share personal data with third parties. In cases where you submit information through an online form, we will clearly inform you if we do so. In each situation, we limit data sharing with third parties to an absolute minimum. Whenever we do share information with third parties, we formalise this in a data processing agreement.

Examples of situations in which we share personal data with third parties are:

  • You are taking part in a scientific study organised jointly by us and another organisation. In such situations, the designated researchers from the other organisation will also have access to the data you submit.
  • You have signed up for an event or activity organised jointly by us and another organisation. Selected representatives of this organisation will have access to your information.
  • You have applied for a position that falls under a partnership with another organisation. We will only share your information with the person or people from the other organisation who are on the selection board. 
  • The Centre for Avian Migration shares data sets on ringed birds with other organisations so that they can use the data for research purposes. These datasets include geographical locations, and in some cases registration numbers of ringers. Although these numbers are strictly personal, it is not possible to use them for tracing a ringer’s identity.
  • Ancillary services without which we could not do our work.

What are your rights?

When we process your information, you have the following rights:

  • Right to access your personal data, rectify/complete them or have them erased 
  • Right to restriction of processing
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object
  • Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling

If we process your personal data for archiving purposes in the public interest, as part of scientific or historical research or for statistical purposes, some of these rights – including the right to access, right to rectification, right to restriction of processing and right to object – are subject to legal restrictions. If your data are processed for archiving purposes, the right to data portability is also subject to restrictions. In these situations, NIOO-KNAW’s legal obligation to inform the parties concerned does not apply without further.
If you intend to exercise any of these rights, please contact us by sending an e-mail to privacy@nioo.knaw.nl.

Do you have a complaint?

Do you have a complaint about the way we handle your personal data? We would be happy to look for a solution with you. In addition, you are within your right to lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

Who is responsible for protecting your data?

If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding the protection of your privacy within the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences, you may contact:
NIOO-KNAW’s Privacy Coordinator, Brechje van Beek
E-mail: privacy@nioo.knaw.nl

The KNAW’s Data Protection Officer
E-mail: fg@knaw.nl
Tel.: +31 20 551 0843

Amendments to this privacy statement

NIOO-KNAW may amend parts of this privacy statement. Any changes will be published on the NIOO-KNAW website. No amendments will be made at any time that are in conflict with the GDPR or the privacy rules pursuant to it.

Contact information

NIOO-KNAW visiting address:
Droevendaalsesteeg 10
6708 PB Wageningen
Tel.: +31 317 47 34 00

NIOO-KNAW correspondence:
PO box 50
6700 AB Wageningen

NIOO-KNAW is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

KNAW visiting address:
Het Trippenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 29
1011 JV Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 20 551 07 00
KNAW correspondence:
PO box 19121
1000 GC Amsterdam

Entry into force

This privacy statement entered into force on 24 May 2018.