Introduction

1. This Privacy Policy relates to information gathered from online visitors to the Gordon Research Conferences ("GRC") website. By visiting this website, you agree that your visit, and any dispute over our online privacy practices, is governed by this Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions of Use (see http://www.grc.org/legal.aspx?page=0).

2. BY PROVIDING INFORMATION TO GRC VIA THIS WEBSITE, YOU ARE DEEMED TO CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, STORAGE, USE AND DISSEMINATION OF SUCH INFORMATION AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY.

Specific Notice to Individuals in Europe and Other Non-U.S. Jurisdictions:

If you are from a country in the European Union or any other non-U.S. country with a data protection law, the information you submit, including information provided in an online conference application, is being sent to a location in the United States. By providing such information, you are consenting to (and represent that you have authority to consent to), the transfer of such information to the United States for the uses and purposes described and/or contemplated in the applicable GRC website and in this Privacy Policy.

Information Collected by GRC and How it is Regularly Used and Shared

1. Why, When and What Information is Collected

   GRC only collects information that individual visitors provide voluntarily. In addition, GRC only collects information useful in connection with its mission, including:

   • organizing scientific conferences;
   • providing an application and registration process for attendance at GRC conferences;
   • providing a forum for career networking and career advancement; and
   • supporting and encouraging young scientists as they establish initial scientific and personal contacts.

   (See the GRC Mission Statement)

   In connection with an application to attend a conference, or your services on a GRC board or committee (e.g., the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, the Conference Evaluation Committee) GRC will collect and store information specific to your identity (i.e., "Personally Identifiable Information," or "PII"). PII may also be collected and stored if you provide it in the course of a visit to the GRC website and/or in connection with a request for information from GRC.

   PII collected and stored usually will include your name, employer, physical work address, work email address, work telephone number and work fax number, and may also include your picture, education and work history, along with other information.

   In addition to the uses described below, we may use your PII to:

   • notify you of upcoming conferences, meetings and other events;
   • contact you to respond to your questions and requests for information; and
   • provide you with other information that we believe may be of interest to visitors to our website.

2. Conference Application and Admission Processes

   If you apply to attend a conference, we will collect PII to facilitate that process. Such information will include your contact details, such as your name, employer, physical work address, work email address, work telephone number and work fax number. This is so that we can contact you and process your application. In addition, the PII requested will include your educational background and work history (including degrees received, positions held, awards and honors received) and publications in the relevant field. This is so that you can be considered for admission to the conference.

   If your conference application is accepted (approved), you are expected to register and pay immediately to confirm your attendance and accommodations. In this regard, GRC collects your payment and billing information – e.g., your credit card number and billing address – and will use such information to process your payments.

   If you are accepted to a conference, we will use your PII to:

   • process your registration and facilitate your attendance at the conferences;
   • process your payments related to conference attendance as aforesaid;
   • provide you with information regarding the conference, including scheduling and logistics; and
   • provide you with other information that we believe may be of interest to conference attendees.

   We also may share PII (other than payment information) of conference attendees with the other persons attending the same conference. The purpose of this is to enable conference attendees to contact each other prior to and after the conference, for networking purposes, in furtherance of one aspect of the GRC’s mission.

3. Service on a GRC Board or Committee, or as a speaker

   If you agree to serve on a GRC Board or Committee, to chair, vice chair or speak at a GRC conference, we collect the information described in 2.A above. We also usually request more detailed information regarding your educational and professional background, and we may also request a photograph.

   We collect this information to make it available to conference applicants and attendees, and to those interested in learning more about GRC and the conferences it organizes.

   Accordingly, if you agree to serve on a GRC Board or Committee, to chair, vice chair or speak at a GRC conference, we may post on the relevant page of the GRC website your PII (other than payment information), including your name, employer, physical work address, work email address, work telephone number and work fax number, and your photograph if you have provided one. This is so that visitors to the GRC website, including conference applicants, attendees and speakers, and those interested generally in the GRC, can contact you with questions and requests for more information, and to provide feedback.

4. Cookies

   GRC may also use "cookie" technology to simplify visitors' interactions with its website. A cookie is a very small amount of information that is placed on your computer’s hard drive by your browser on GRC's behalf. It is sent by your browser back to GRC when your return to the GRC website.

   You may always choose not to receive a cookie by enabling your web browser to refuse cookies or to prompt you before your browser accepts a cookie. By refusing to accept a cookie, you may be asked to enter certain information each time you access certain areas of the GRC web site. We do not regularly track visitors' use of the GRC site, but on occasion, for marketing purposes, may review specific paths that you or an aggregate of customers may have traveled through the site.

   All web servers log certain technical information from visitors each time they request a page. This information is collected from each visitor's web browser and may include his/her IP address, operating system, web browser software (i.e. Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer), and referrer web site. We may aggregate such logged information anonymously to assist in designing enhanced user experiences and easier access to our information and services.

Additional Ways Your PII may be Used and Shared

1. Use and Sharing Required by Law, to Prevent Harm and/or in Investigations

   In addition to the uses and dissemination of PII described above, GRC may disclose your PII, the contents of your communications with us, and/or other information you have provided to us (including payment information) if required to do so by law, or with your consent, or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary: (1) to conform to applicable law or comply with legal process served on GRC; (2) to protect or defend the rights or property of GRC or others; (3) to assist, under exigent circumstances, in the investigation of possible violations of law or other investigations; and/or (4) to assist law enforcement in preventing harm to anyone.

2. Sale of PII

   GRC does not sell or rent visitors' PII to anyone, with the following possible exception: GRC may provide visitors’ PII to the American Association for the Advancement of Science ("AAAS") to assist the AAAS in its mission. The AAAS is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to "advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people." To fulfill this mission, the AAAS seeks, among other things, to:

   • Foster communication among scientists, engineers and the public;
   • Enhance international cooperation in science and its applications; and
   • Foster education in science and technology for everyone.

   (The executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or such officer's delegate, serves as a Trustee of GRC.)

How You Can Control the Use of Your PII

You may indicate your preferred restrictions on our use of your PII by contacting us by e-mail at privacy@grc.org. In that e-mail, you should indicate which of the following options you prefer:

• GRC should not sell my PII to any third party (I understand that my PII will always be provided to other members of the conference that I attend)
• GRC should not send me postal mail with newsletters or other information regarding upcoming conferences and events;
• GRC should not send me electronic mail with newsletters or other information regarding upcoming conferences and events;
• GRC should not send me any information about third-party products and services.

In all cases, GRC reserves the right to use PII to contact conference applicants and attendees with information relevant to the conference with which they are involved and/or in connection with payment and collection matters. GRC also reserves the right to use PII to contact conference chairs, vice chairs and speakers in regard to the conference with which they are involved and to share such PII in the manner described in 2.C above. Finally, GRC reserves the right in all events to use PII as described in 3.A above.

To request access to, or notify us of changes to, PII we have collected, contact us at privacy@grc.org.

How Your PII is Protected

GRC implements reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect your PII from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration or disclosure. Regardless of any such precautions taken in good faith by visitors or by us, security on the Internet is imperfect, and we cannot warrant the protection of any information visitors transmit to us, which visitors do voluntarily and at their own risk.

Linking to Other Web Sites

Visitors must be aware that, if at any time the GRC website has links to other websites, they do not operate under our information privacy practices. When the visitor clicks through to such other sites, GRC's information privacy practices no longer apply. Visitors should examine the privacy statements for all third-party websites to understand their procedures for collecting, using, and disclosing visitors' information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Statement was put in force on December 7, 2007. GRC reserves the right to modify or amend this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. If we make any significant changes to our information privacy practices, GRC will post notice of the change on www.grc.org for at least three months after any such significant change is implemented.

Questions

Questions about this GRC Privacy Policy will be answered if submitted to us at privacy@grc.org.