This privacy policy sets out how The Research & Development Society (The R&D Society) uses and protects any information that you give us when you use this website.

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 08 April 2018.

Any personal information we hold about you is stored and processed under our Privacy Policy. Our policy complies with UK law accordingly implemented, including that required by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on May 25 2018.

1. Data Controller

The data controller is The Research and Development Society, registered in England with company number 01014555 and registered address 7 Quidditch Lane, Lower Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6DD.

2. What information we collect about you

We may collect the following information:

name and job title
company name
contact information including email address
demographic information such as postcodes, preferences and interests
other information relevant to surveys, calls for evidence and policy input that we participate in and which are relevant to the objectives of the Society

3. What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and for the following reasons:

Internal record keeping.
We may use the information to improve our products and services
Send you updates from The R&D Society
Direct marketing purposes in the form of newsletters or event information.
From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

4. Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. However, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. We will always do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted over the internet.

5. How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

6. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

7. Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at admin@rdsoc.org
You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you.

8. Third parties

The R&D Society will not share your information for marketing purposes with companies outside of The R&D Society unless we have your permission to do so.

In facilitating and processing your personal information we may disclose your details to any of our employees, officers and selected third parties insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as outlined in this privacy policy.

We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. (include the links to Mailchimp’s Privacy Policy and Terms) Your personal data will be transferred to MailChimp and processed by MailChimp. Mailchimp will perform processing activities such as the collection (via sign up forms) and storage of personal data, and the transfer of personal data to certain of MailChimp’s sub-processors.

In addition, we may disclose your personal information to third parties:

- To the extent that we are required to do so by law or in accordance with any legal proceedings.

- In the situation that The R&D Society merges or works in partnership with other organisations, provided their privacy terms are equivalent to those of the R&D Society.

9. International data transfers

Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy.

Information which you provide may be transferred to countries (including the United States) which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those in force in the European Economic Area.

10. Removal of your information

If you wish us to remove personally identifiable information from our website, you may contact us using the details below. This may limit the service we can provide to you.

11. Retention period for personal data

Except as otherwise mentioned in this privacy notice, we keep your personal information only for as long as required by us:

to provide you with the services you have requested;
to comply with other law, including for the period demanded by our tax authorities;
to support a claim or defence in court.

12. Complaints

If you complain about any of the content on our website, we shall investigate your complaint.

If we feel it is justified or if we believe the law requires us to do so, we shall remove the content while we investigate.

If you are in any way dissatisfied about how we process your personal information, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office. This can be done at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

13. How to contact us

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you. If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

You can contact us by email at admin@rdsoc.org or write to us at The R&D Society at 7 Quidditch Lane, Lower Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6DD

http://www.rdsoc.org/home

Opinion

Analysis and opinion from R&D Society members and guests. Please contact us if you would like to propose a post. Views expressed may not be those of the Society.