Privacy Policy

1. Scope of This Notice

This notice describes the general privacy practices of public webpages, forms, event registrations, mailing lists, repository submissions, directory requests, and other online services operated by the WUST Center for Research that link to this notice.

A specific WUST service, research study, platform, or third-party system may provide an additional notice. That more specific notice governs the information covered by it. University records may also be subject to applicable education, employment, public-records, contractual, or legal requirements.

2. Information We May Collect

Information you provide

• Name, email address, telephone number, affiliation, job title, academic program, and professional profile details.
• Event registrations, newsletter preferences, questions, feedback, requests for support, and correspondence.
• Researcher-directory applications, publication citations, abstracts, files, funding interests, collaboration requests, and proposal information.
• Information submitted through forms, including any attachments you choose to provide.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the website, servers and authorized service providers may record technical information such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, date and time, approximate location derived from IP address, and diagnostic or security events.

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, financial-account details, health records, participant-level research data, passwords, or other highly sensitive information through a general website form or email unless the Research Center has expressly provided an approved secure method.

3. How Information Is Used

Information may be used to:

• Respond to questions, applications, submissions, and requests for research support.
• Operate events, directories, repositories, awards, newsletters, and collaboration programs.
• Verify WUST affiliation, publication details, eligibility, permissions, and the accuracy of public listings.
• Administer accounts and services, troubleshoot problems, protect systems, prevent abuse, and maintain records.
• Understand site usage and improve content, accessibility, communications, and user experience.
• Meet legal, regulatory, accreditation, contractual, audit, safety, and institutional obligations.

WUST does not sell personal information collected through the Research Center website. Information is not used for unrelated commercial advertising by the Research Center.

4. Cookies, Logs, and Analytics

The website may use session cookies, persistent cookies, server logs, pixels, or similar technologies to keep services functioning, remember preferences, measure traffic, and identify security problems. Authorized analytics providers may process limited technical and usage information on WUST's behalf.

You can usually limit or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent some forms, sign-ins, media, or page functions from working correctly. Where legally required, the site should provide a consent or preference tool for nonessential tracking.

5. When Information May Be Shared

WUST may share information only as reasonably necessary with:

• Authorized University offices, faculty, staff, committees, and service units carrying out the requested activity.
• Vendors that host, secure, analyze, or support WUST systems under applicable contractual obligations.
• Research partners, sponsors, publishers, event organizers, or professional bodies when you request the service, authorize the sharing, or the activity clearly requires it.
• Government, law-enforcement, regulatory, audit, legal, or safety authorities when disclosure is required or permitted.
• A successor organization in connection with an authorized reorganization or transfer of a service, subject to applicable safeguards.

Information submitted for a public researcher directory, event program, repository, news item, or recognition page may be published. The relevant form should identify the fields intended for public display before submission.

6. Privacy in Research Activities

Research data is governed by the approved protocol, participant consent, data-use agreements, sponsor and funder terms, professional standards, applicable law, and WUST requirements. Depending on the project, safeguards may include data minimization, coding or de-identification, role-based access, encryption, secure transfer, retention limits, and controlled disclosure.

Research participants

Participants should receive study-specific information explaining what data is collected, why it is needed, who may access it, how long it may be retained, reasonably foreseeable risks, whether data or specimens may be reused, and whom to contact. Participation must be voluntary unless an approved waiver or other lawful basis applies.

Researchers and collaborators

Researchers may not place identifiable or restricted data in public repositories, unapproved cloud systems, personal accounts, or generative-AI services. Data sharing must be consistent with consent, approvals, agreements, and disclosure-risk review.

7. Security, Retention, and Disposal

WUST uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed for the nature and sensitivity of the information. No online system can be guaranteed completely secure, and users should choose approved channels and avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information.

Information is retained only as long as reasonably needed for the stated purpose and to meet legal, sponsor, audit, records-management, dispute, or security obligations. When retention is no longer required, information should be securely deleted, destroyed, de-identified, or archived under an applicable records schedule.

Suspected loss, misdirection, unauthorized access, or disclosure of protected information should be reported immediately through the applicable University security or privacy process and to the project lead.

8. Your Choices and Requests

• You may unsubscribe from optional email communications by using the provided link or contacting the sender.
• You may request correction of inaccurate public profile or repository information.
• You may ask how information submitted through a Research Center service is being used or request deletion where retention is not required.
• You may control cookies through available website preferences and browser controls.

Requests are subject to verification and to legal, academic-record, research-integrity, sponsor, archival, and other retention requirements. Some rights vary by jurisdiction and relationship with WUST. Direct privacy questions to [email protected].

9. Children, External Links, and Policy Changes

Children and minors

General Research Center services are not directed to children. Research or educational programs involving minors must use age-appropriate notices, permissions, and protections required by the approved activity and applicable law.

External services

Links to external websites are provided for convenience. Their privacy and security practices are controlled by their operators. Review the notice presented by an external site before submitting information.

Updates

This notice may be updated as services, technologies, or legal requirements change. Material changes should be identified on the webpage. Continued use after an update is subject to the revised notice to the extent permitted by law.