Privacy

Your privacy matters. Here, we explain how we handle the privacy of website visitors.

  1. Who we are
  2. What we collect
  3. How we handle your personal information
  4. Why we collect information
  5. What is our legal basis for processing your personal information?
  6. Maintaining the accuracy of data
  7. Profiling
  8. Links to other websites
  9. 16 or Under
  10. Transferring your information outside of Europe
  11. Use and disclosure
  12. Security
  13. Cookies
  14. Access to personal information
  15. How to contact us
  16. Changes and feedback

DISCLAIMER

1. Who we are

The Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) is a charity registered in England and Wales (United Kingdom) under number 1072117. It is also registered as a Private Limited Company (“Company Limited by Guarantee and not having a Share Capital”) in England and Wales (United Kingdom) under number 3565643.

Moreover, it is registered for VAT under number GB 45.02.70.383.FEMS is also registered at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (“Kamer van Koophandel”): 27.27.15.12.

2. What we collect

The types of personal information we collect may include your title, first name, surname, gender, date of birth, your qualifications, home and work contact details (telephone, street address, email address, credit card details or bank details) and your mailing address. We may also collect information relating to your employment, including where you are currently employed, your job title, areas of interest/expertise and your job function if this is relevant to your affiliation with FEMS.

3. How we handle your personal information

FEMS respects the privacy of its members and website users, and aims to act consistently with the Data Protection Act, and the eight principles of data protection.

Generally, FEMS collects personal information directly from you. For example, we collect personal information when you create an account with FEMS, fill out and submit a registration form, make an enquiry via a web form or apply for a grant.

Go to top

4. Why we collect information

We collect personal data to administer our activities, products, services or grants.

5. What is our legal basis for processing your personal data?

Our lawful basis for processing your general personal data under article 6 of GDPR is as follows:

Consent of the data subject – we will directly ask for your consent to process data when you:

  • fill out and submit a registration form for a FEMS account
  • fill out and register to our FEMS Community Platform
  • fill out and submit a registration form for a FEMS newsletter
  • fill out and submit a registration for a FEMS membership on behalf of your Society
  • make an enquiry via a web form on our website
  • apply for a grant, award or for attendance at FEMS events

Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject or to take steps to enter into a contract – we will collect and use your personal data in the following circumstances:

  • when you make a purchase on our website(s) so that we can process your payment, confirm transaction details (typically via email) and arrange delivery of the goods and services
  • when you book tickets for events so that we can process your booking and any payments, arrange accommodation, and other activities
  • when you apply for any FEMS grant or awards so we can process your application, and inform you of the outcome and make the relevant payment to you

Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the data controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights or freedoms of the data subject:

  • when you apply to get involved with FEMS so we can process your application, collaborate with you, inform you of the outcome and make the relevant payment to you
  • when you represent a FEMS Member Society as FEMS Delegate or in a role relevant to your Society’s membership of FEMS so we can process and facilitate your Society’s membership with FEMS

Go to top

6. Maintaining the accuracy of data

You can correct or update personal data by either signing up to, or login into your FEMS account and accessing and updating your details, or by contacting us via the contact form, or by updating your communication preferences via the link at the bottom of the FEMS newsletters you receive.

If you have signed up to join our FEMS Community Portal, you can edit your details via the ‘Edit my Profile’ and ‘Settings’ options which control what personal data FEMS has and also what personal data you wish to show to other people on the site.

7. Profiling

We may analyse your personal information to create a profile of your interests and preferences so that we can contact you with information relevant to you. We may make use of additional information about you when it is available from external sources to help us do this effectively. We may also use your personal information to detect and reduce fraud and credit risk.

Go to top

8. Links to other websites

Our website(s)/newsletters may contain links to other websites run by other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to our website(s)/newsletters‚ so we encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. We cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website(s)/newsletters.

In addition, if you were linked to our website(s) from a third-party site, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of the owners and operators of that third-party site, and recommend that you check the policy of that third-party site.

9. 16 or Under

We are concerned to protect the privacy of children aged 16 or under. We do not process any data for those aged under 16 without their parents/guardian’s explicit permission. If you are aged 16 or under‚ please get your parent/guardian’s permission beforehand whenever you provide us with personal information.

Go to top

10. Transferring your information outside of Europe

As part of the services offered to you through this website(s), the information which you provide to us may be transferred to countries outside the European Union (“EU”). By way of example, this may happen if any of our servers are from time to time located in a country outside of the EU. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the EU. By submitting your personal data, you’re agreeing to this transfer, storing or processing. If we transfer your information outside of the EU in this way, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this policy.

If you use our services while you are outside the EU, your information may be transferred outside the EU in order to provide you with those services.

11. Use and disclosure

FEMS’ policy is not to disclose any personal information that we hold on you to any unrelated third party, except where you have given your express consent for us to do so or where required by law. When you contact us through one of our forms, we either store this information in our database, on the servers of our hosting partner or send it to FEMS or OUP (our publisher handles with emails dealing with article submission via the contact form) by e-mail where the mail is stored both in the cloud and locally. We need this information and email traffic to help answer your questions, so handle it with care.

Email addresses of people who subscribe to our newsletter are used for reply purposes only unless specifically stated otherwise. If you do not want to receive emails from us in the future please unsubscribe by updating your communication preferences via the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the newsletter you receive or by signing up to, or login into your FEMS account and accessing and updating your details.

Personal information collected on our websites will be used only for the purpose stated (such as the processing of grant applications) and such information will be held for as long as necessary to fulfil the stated purpose. Personal data collected will be kept indefinitely, securely.

FEMS (or its committee members/representatives) may, from time to time, email you with additional information considered to be relevant to your professional/scientific interests, but only to those who have given their agreement to receiving such communications via the Communication Preferences form. If you do not want to receive emails from us in the future based on these interests please unsubscribe by updating your communication preferences (under the section marked ‘Interests’ via the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the newsletter you receive or by signing up to, or login into your FEMS account and accessing and updating your details.)

Go to top

12. Security

Information that you supply to FEMS is held securely and strict security procedures are followed to prevent unauthorized access or use.

13. Cookies

This site uses cookies – small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used in four ways:

  1. essential – to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping carts
  2. performance – to measure how often you visit our sites and how you use them; information we use to get a better sense of how our users engage with us improve our site.
  3. functionality – cookies that are used to recognise you and remember your preferences or settings when you return to our site, so that we can provide you with a more personalised experience
  4. advertising – cookies that are used to collect information about your visit to our site, the content you have viewed, the links you have followed and information about your browser, device and your IP address

As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers

14. Access to personal information

You can seek access to the personal information we hold about you, by contacting us. You should include your name and email address. FEMS has 30 calendar days in which to respond to your request. There is no charge for such requests. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete or out-dated, please update the information by signing up to, or login into your FEMS account and accessing and updating your details. If you would like us to delete your information, please send an email to fems@fems-microbiology.org using the subject header: Delete my FEMS account.

Go to top

15. How to make a complaint

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please contact us via email at: fems@fems-microbiology.org or telephone us at +31 (0)15 302 00 50.

16. Changes and feedback

This privacy page is based on current functionalities and features of this website. Any changes to the site can also lead to changes in this section. It is therefore advisable to consult this privacy statement regularly.

Go to top

DISCLAIMER

This site is provided by FEMS on an “as is” basis. We make no representations or warranties of any kind express or implied as to the operation of the site or the information, content, materials or products included on this site. To the fullest extent permissible by applicable law we disclaim all warranties express or implied including (but not limited to) implied warranties as to merchantability or fitness for purpose. We will not be liable in damages of any kind arising from the use of this site.

Links to other sites are provided by us for information only and in good faith. We are not responsible or liable for any content advertisement, product or other materials on or available from such sites.

Go to top

© Federation of European Microbiological Societies

FEMS Journals and Open Access

Embracing an Open Future

All but one of the FEMS journals are now fully open access (OA), with one journal, FEMS Microbiology Letters remaining a subscription journal with free-to-publish and OA options. Open access is key to supporting the FEMS mission of disseminating high quality research as widely as possible: when high quality, peer reviewed sound science is open access, anyone, anywhere in the world with an internet connection, can read it.

Find out more
More Articles
More articles