Privacy Notice for any third-party providing information for the University of Bedfordshire’s submission to REF 2021 (Impact Case Studies).

A. Information about you: what we collect, how we use it and how we keep it safe

The information you have provided will be used by the University to support the development of Impact Case Studies for our submission to REF 2021.

The purpose of the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF 2021) is to assess the quality of UK research and to inform the selective distribution of public funds for research by the four UK higher education funding bodies. The REF outcomes are used to calculate about £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research and affect their international reputations. The results also inform strategic decisions about national research priorities. The next REF will be undertaken in 2021.

The REF was first carried out in 2014, replacing the previous Research Assessment Exercise. It included for the first time an assessment of the broader impact of universities’ research beyond academia; on the economy, society, culture, public policy and services, health, the environment and quality of life. Impact is assessed through the submission of case studies, which describe the changes or benefits brought about by research undertaken at the University.

You have provided information in support of one or more of these case studies, which may be submitted to REF 2021. If you have given us permission to do so, the case studies could include data and information that may identify you, such as your name, job title, and organisation.

We will also have to submit contact details to the REF for purposes of verification of the testimonials. This data will never be published in the case studies.

All data and personal information you provide will be processed securely within University of Bedfordshire premises in accordance with the UK GDPR and the University’s own data protection policies.

B. The lawful basis for the processing of the data

Our lawful basis is “public task”, meaning we process your data in order to perform a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us. Our University Charter, and our Instrument and Articles of Government, state our objectives of carrying out our role as an educational and research establishment, for the public benefit.

C. What if you don’t want your details included?

If you do not want us to pass on your details to the REF, please let us know by 21^st March 2021. You do not have to give us a reason. To do this please contact:

Karen Lewis, Head of Research Services - karen.lewis1@beds.ac.uk

Should you decide to withdraw, prior to the date above, you can request that any information you provide is destroyed.

D. Recipients of your Personal Data

In March 2021 we will submit the impact case studies as part of our overall REF 2021 submission to the REF team, based at Research England (RE). RE is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and under this arrangement UKRI has the role of ‘data controller’ for personal data submitted by us to the REF.

Any information you provide may be submitted by us to UKRI for the purposes of REF 2021 as part of a case study, and may include your name, and details such as your job title and organisational affiliation if you have given us permission to do so.

Once submitted to REF 2021, your personal data provided will be subject to the Privacy Notice and associated GDPR policies issued by UKRI www.ukri.org/about-us/privacy-notice

In summary, please note that the information may be shared with organisations that need it to inform the selective distribution of public funds for research and to carry out their statutory functions connected with funding higher education. The information will be used to analyse and monitor the REF 2021.

This may result in information being released to other users including academic researchers or consultants (commissioned by the funding bodies), to carry out research or analysis. Except in the certain cases (e.g. in cases of commercial sensitivity or security) where we mark an Impact Case Study as 'not for publication' or provide redacted information to Research England, parts of submissions that contain factual data and textual information about research activity will also be published by UKRI on public webpages.

Published information is likely to include textual information in which you may be referenced. Your name and job title may be included in this textual information. Other personal details will normally be removed.

E. Retention period

The information you provide to us will be held by the University of Bedfordshire in perpetuity for the purposes of the REF 2021 exercise and any future reporting and analysis of our research activity. In addition to the above, your personal data will be handled in accordance with the University's general data protection provisions at: Data Protection: Policy and Guidance [PDF]

F. Who to contact if you have a query?

If you have any questions, please contact:

Karen Lewis, Head of Research Services - karen.lewis1@beds.ac.uk

G. The Data Controller

The University of Bedfordshire is the Data Controller for this personal data.

H. Your rights as a data subject

In certain circumstances, you have the following rights available to you under Data Protection Law:

• The right to know how we are using your data
• The right to request a copy of your data (commonly known as a “subject access request”)
• The right to request correction or completion of your data
• In certain circumstances, the right to ask us to delete or remove your data from our systems, for example, if you consider that there is no good reason for us to continue to process it
• The right to object to how we are using your data
• The right to request that we restrict how we are using your data
• The right to request a copy of your data in a commonly used electronic form
• The right to withdraw consent, where that is the legal basis of our processing

Please be aware that these rights are subject to certain conditions and exceptions as set out in the data protection legislation.

For more information, please see ico.org.uk

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer in writing and they will explain any conditions that may apply.

Please note that we may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a necessary security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

You will not have to pay a fee to exercise any of your rights; however, if your request is clearly unfounded or excessive, we may charge a reasonable fee. Alternatively, in such situations, we may refuse to comply with the request.

The name and contact details of the University's Data Protection Officer is:

Alexandra Pavel
Data Protection Officer
University of Bedfordshire
University Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU

E: DPO@beds.ac.uk

If you have any complaints about how your data is handled, please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance. If this does not resolve your issue, you can get in touch with the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk