Data Privacy Notice
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as current national data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Purpose and legal foundation of the whistleblowing system
The whistleblowing system (BKMS® System) serves the purpose of allowing the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity to securely and confidentially receive, process and manage reports concerning violations of good research practice. The processing of personal data within the framework of the BKMS® System is based on the justified interest of our agency in discovering and preventing research misconduct and violations of good scientific practice and thereby averting harm to research. The legal basis for our processing of personal data is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Responsible party
The party responsible for data protection in the whistleblowing system is
the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity
(in the following also: OeAWI). The whistleblowing system is run on behalf of the OeAWI by a specialised company, EQS Group GmbH, Bayreuther Str. 35, 10789 Berlin in Germany.
Personal data and information entered into the whistleblowing system are saved in a database operated by EQS Group GmbH in a high-security data centre. Only employees of the OeAWI have access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured by extensive technical and organisational measures within the certified process.
All data are encrypted and saved with multi-level password protection, so that access is limited to a very small number of explicitly authorised recipients at the OeAWI.
The OeAWI has appointed a data protection officer. Questions about data protection at the OeAWI can be sent to office@oeawi.at.
Type of collected personal data
Using the whistleblowing system is voluntary. When you wish to submit a report using the whistleblowing system, we collect the following personal data and information:
- Your name, if you choose to reveal your identity
- The institution where you work, if you disclose this
- Potentially names of people or other personal data of people mentioned in the report
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received and processed in a strictly confidential manner by a small circle of explicitly authorised and specially trained employees of the OeAWI. The employees of the OeAWI will evaluate the matter and carry out any further investigation that may be required by the specific case.
While processing a report or within an investigation by the Commission for Research Integrity, it may be necessary to share reports with additional employees of the OeAWI or members of the Commission for Research Integrity. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, which may have different regulations about the protection of personal data. We will always ensure the compliance with the applicable data protection regulations when sharing reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Information about the accused
When reports are sent to the Commission for Research Integrity, the bylaws of the Commission require that the accused persons be informed that the OeAWI has received a report concerning them. Your identity as a whistleblower will not be disclosed unless we are legally bound to do so.
Data subject rights
Pursuant to European data protection legislation, you and the persons named in the report have a right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and right of objection to processing of your personal data. If the right to object to the processing of the personal data is invoked, the necessity of the stored data for the examination of a report will be evaluated immediately.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and perform a final assessment or for as long as a legitimate interest exists on the part of the OeAWI or retention is required by law.
Use of the whistleblowing portal
Communication between your computer and the whistleblowing system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the whistleblowing system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the BKMS® System, a cookie is stored on your computer that contains only the session ID (a so-called session cookie). The cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
You can set up a secured postbox with your pseudonym/user name and password of choice in the whistleblowing system. This allows you to send reports to the respectively responsible employees of the OeAWIeither by name or anonymously, in a safe way. This system only stores data inside the whistleblowing system, which makes it particularly secure. It is not a form of regular e-mail communication.
Note on sending attachments
During the report submission or when submitting additional information, you can send attachments to the responsible employee of the OeAWI. If you wish to submit an anonymous report, please take note of the following security advice: files can contain hidden personal data that could put your anonymity at risk. Remove such data before sending. If you are unable to remove these data or are uncertain about how to do so, copy the text of your attachment into your report text or send the printed document anonymously to the address listed in the footer, citing the reference number received at the end of the reporting process.
Version: 1 July 2020
