Privacy statement

The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), with registered office at Leuvenseweg 38 B-1000, Brussels, is the operator of this website and is therefore responsible for the processing of the personal data collected through this website.

The FWO attaches the utmost importance to the protection of your personal data and privacy. Most information on this website is available without having to provide personal data.

If you have questions as to when, why or how we process your personal data, you can contact the Data Protection Officer of the FWO by sending an email to dpo@fwo.be. You can also contact the officer with comments or suggestions and to exercise your rights (see below).  

Personal data is all data that allows you to be personally identified or that makes you identifiable as a natural person.

When the FWO collects your personal data, we process the data in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and those of the federal and Flemish regulations on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.

We collect your personal data for the sole purpose of providing the information or service that you have requested:

• when you register on the e-portal, we collect your first name, last name, email address, date of birth, and scientific research fields. Once registered, you can submit an application through one of the available funding channels. Depending on the channel used, we may ask you to provide additional information about you and your research to enable us to evaluate your application;
• when you subscribe to one of our newsletters, we collect your first name, last name and email address as needed to send our newsletter to you;
• when you sign up for an event, we collect your first name, last name, email address, organisation, and, where appropriate, dietary requirements, so that we can include you in the list of participants, keep you informed about the event, and, where appropriate, arrange for a suitable lunch;
• when you want to apply for a vacancy, we collect your first name, last name, email address and phone number to keep you informed of the further development of the call;
• when you contact us with an enquiry or complaint, we collect your first name, last name, email address, and your message in order to reply to your enquiry or complaint.

The processing of your data on this website is legitimate if one of the following grounds for processing apply:

• we are required to do so by law;
• the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or for taking pre-contractual measures at your request;
• you have given us your explicit consent to do so.

The FWO collects your personal data directly from you:

• when you contact us via the e-portal, by email or by phone;
• when you submit an application for funding;
• when you submit an application for a scientific award;
• when you subscribe to one of our newsletters;
• when you sign up for an event;
• when you work for the FWO.

Or indirectly via another public authority:

• only if the FWO has been duly authorised or has concluded a protocol to this effect.

The FWO will keep your personal data no longer than is necessary for the aforementioned purposes. We take all reasonable efforts to timely update or remove irrelevant, obsolete or incorrect personal data. 

For some services, we may engage third parties to process your personal data. We forward your data to those processors so as to enable them to provide the requested service. Such third parties may also collect personal data or other information on our behalf and in our name.

The FWO will only pass on your personal data in the following cases:

• when we engage a processor with whom we have concluded a processing agreement;
• when we are authorised to share the data with another public authority under an authorisation or protocol;
• when we are required to do so pursuant to instructions from a competent authority.

In principle, we do not transfer your personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area or international organisations. If, in exceptional cases, we do transfer your data, we will take all appropriate measures to ensure that your data are protected in accordance with the provisions of the applicable European, federal and Flemish regulations. 

You have the right to ask us to access, restrict, correct or erase your personal data. You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data, to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority or to request us to transfer this data. The possibilities of exercising these rights shall apply in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

You may also unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time.

To exercise your rights, you can contact the Data Protection Officer by sending an email to dpo@fwo.be.  

We take all appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from misuse or loss. 

We are aware of the potentially sensitive nature of the information that you provide to us in good faith. The FWO ensures that all personal data and other information provided to us will be treated in strict confidence and ensures its secrecy. We impose strict confidentiality as an absolute requirement on all parties with whom we work and will not share any information with third parties other than those described above, neither orally nor in writing, without your prior explicit consent.