Privacy notice for fic.nih.gov

Fogarty complies with requirements for privacy and security established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This page outlines Fogarty's privacy policy as it applies to the Fogarty website as well as third-party sites and applications that Fogarty uses, such as Facebook and Twitter.

• Your Visit to the Fogarty Website
• Your Visit to Fogarty on Third-Party Sites

Your Visit to the Fogarty Website

Protecting your privacy is very important to us. We do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) about you during your visit to the Fogarty International Center website unless you choose to provide it to us. We do, however, collect some data about your visit to our website to help us better understand how the public uses the site and how to make it more helpful. We collect information from visitors who read, browse, and/or download information from our website. Fogarty never collects information for commercial marketing or any purpose unrelated to the Fogarty mission and goals.

When visitors send email messages containing personal information to the general Fogarty email box FICinfo@mail.nih.gov, Fogarty staff responds to the requests. Only designated staff members requiring access to the emails to respond may view or answer them.

Types of Information Collected

When you browse through any website, certain information about your visit can be collected. We automatically collect and temporarily store the following type of information about your visit:

• Domain from which you access the Internet
• IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to a computer when surfing the Web)
• Operating system and information about the browser used when visiting the site
• Date and time of your visit
• Pages you visited
• Address of the website that connected you to the Fogarty Web site (such as google.com or bing.com)

We use this information to measure the number of visitors to our site and its various sections and to help make our site more useful to visitors.

How Fogarty Collects Information

FIC.NIH.gov uses Google Analytics measurement software to collect the information in the bulleted list in the Types of Information Collected section above. Google Analytics collects information automatically and continuously. No personally identifiable information is collected. The Fogarty staff conducts analyses and reports on the aggregated data from Google Analytics. The reports are only available to FIC.NIH.gov managers, members of the FIC.NIH.gov Communications and Web Teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

Additionally, FIC.NIH.gov participates in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP), in which Google Analytics Premium data is collected from websites across the Federal Government. For more information on DAP, please visit the DigitalGov website.

Fogarty retains the data from Google Analytics and customer satisfaction survey results as long as needed to support the mission of the FIC.NIH.gov website.

How Fogarty Uses Cookies

The Office of Management and Budget June 25, 2010, Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies [PDF] allows Federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a "cookie" to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to "remember" specific information about your visit while you are connected.

The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of Web pages. Cookies from Fogarty Web pages only collect information about your browser’s visit to the site; they do not collect personal information about you.

There are two types of cookies, single session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent). Session cookies last only as long as your Web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.

Session Cookies

We use session cookies for technical purposes such as to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of session cookies as "Usage Tier 1 - Single Session." The policy says, "This tier encompasses any use of single session web measurement and customization technologies."

Persistent Cookies

We use persistent cookies to enable Google Analytics to differentiate between new and returning FIC.NIH.gov visitors. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to FIC.NIH.gov until they expire. We also use persistent cookies to block repeated invitations to take the customer satisfaction survey. The persistent cookies that block repeated survey invitations expire in 90 days. The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of persistent cookies as "Usage Tier 2 - Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII)." The policy says, "This tier encompasses any use of multi-session Web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected."

How to Opt Out or Disable Cookies

If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them using your Web browser. If you opt out of cookies, you will still have access to all information and resources at FIC.NIH.gov. Find instructions for disabling or opting out of cookies in the most popular browsers. Please note that by following the instructions to opt-out of cookies, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from FIC.NIH.gov.

How Personal Information Is Protected

You do not have to give us personal information to visit the Fogarty websites. However, if you choose to receive alerts or e-newsletters, we collect your email address to complete the subscription process.

If you choose to provide us with personally identifiable information, that is, information that is personal in nature and which may be used to identify you, through an e-mail message, request for information, paper or electronic form, questionnaire, customer satisfaction survey, epidemiology research study, etc., we will maintain the information you provide only as long as needed to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication. If we store your personal information in a record system designed to retrieve information about you by personal identifier (name, personal email address, home mailing address, personal or mobile phone number, etc.), so that we may contact you, we will safeguard the information you provide to us in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. Section 552a).

If Fogarty operates a record system designed to retrieve information about you in order to accomplish its mission, a Privacy Act Notification Statement should be prominently and conspicuously displayed on the public-facing website or form which asks you to provide personally identifiable information. The notice must address the following 5 criteria:

1. Fogarty legal authorization to collect information about you
2. Purpose of the information collection
3. Routine uses for disclosure of information outside of Fogarty
4. Whether the request made of you is voluntary or mandatory under law
5. Effects of non-disclosure if you choose to not provide the requested information

Fogarty International Center is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For further information about privacy on all NIH websites, see NIH Web Policies and Notices.

Disclosure

Fogarty does not disclose, give, sell or transfer any personal information about our visitors, unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

Your Visit to Fogarty on Third-Party Sites

Third-party websites and applications are Web-based technologies that are not exclusively operated or controlled by Fogarty, and are hosted on other non-government sites.

As part of the Open Government Directive, Fogarty uses a variety of new technologies and social media tools to communicate and interact with our audiences. Use of some of these applications could cause personally identifiable information (PII) to become available or accessible to Fogarty, regardless of whether Fogarty solicits or collects it. Below find information about the websites Fogarty uses. If any of these sites or applications collect PII, we describe what is collected and how Fogarty protects the information.

Bit.ly

Fogarty uses bit.ly to shorten long URLs for use in email messages, print publications, Web pages and documents, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages. Bit.ly collects and provides data on how often email recipients, and Facebook and Twitter users click on the shortened URLs distributed by FIC.NIH.gov staff. Bit.ly analytics show how many people clicked on the URLs posted by Fogarty compared to the total number of clicks on the shortened URLs. Bit.ly analytics do not provide any personally identifiable information about the visitors who opened the shortened links. (See the Bitly Privacy Policy.)

Facebook

On the Fogarty International Center Facebook page, Fogarty staff posts news and other items of interest to users. If you have a Facebook account or "Like" Fogarty’s Facebook page, you can post comments or click on the "like" option for individual entries. If you comment or click on the "like" button, personally identifying information will be visible to Fogarty staff and other Facebook site visitors. The amount of visible personal information will depend on your own Facebook privacy settings. You can avoid displaying any personally identifiable information by not creating an account, not posting comments, and not clicking on the "like" options in Facebook. Fogarty staff does not collect, use, or disclose any information about visitors who comment or "like" the Fogarty Facebook page. Facebook collects and reports on non-personally identifiable information about activities on Facebook pages. This information is password-protected and only available to Fogarty managers, members of the Fogarty Communications and Web Teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. (See the Facebook Data Policy.)

Flickr

Fogarty uses Flickr to upload and share photos and images related to the Fogarty mission and culture. Fogarty is responsible for the uploaded images on the Fogarty-sponsored Flickr page and must ensure that the images assigned for posting meet Fogarty quality standards and comply with all NIH, HHS, and federal policies. Images posted are produced by Fogarty, and may include medical illustrations and other scientific images. Photos posted may also include pre-approved photos of NIH employees at events or in labs for the purpose of promoting the Fogarty mission and culture. You do not need to register with Flickr to view the images on the Fogarty Flickr site, because all Fogarty images posted on Flickr are visible in the public domain. However, if you choose to register, you will not provide PII directly to Fogarty. Fogarty has disabled the commenting feature on its Flickr site. Therefore, PII cannot be collected or unintentionally received by Fogarty employees via the Flickr site. (See the Flickr Privacy Policy.)

GovDelivery by Granicus Subscription Management

Fogarty uses GovDelivery by Granicus to send e-newsletters, alerts and other messages to visitors who subscribe to them. To subscribe to a Fogarty email subscription, you must provide an email address and indicate your subscription preferences, including the items you want to receive. The email subscriber lists are password protected by GovDelivery. Only the Fogarty managers who send newsletters, alerts or memos via GovDelivery and staff members who monitor the results of email initiatives have access to the subscriber lists. GovDelivery never allows access to the subscriber lists to anyone outside of Fogarty or for any purpose. GovDelivery collects and provides non-identifying information about the number of messages sent, clicks and open rates. This information is password protected and only available to FIC.NIH.gov managers, members of the FIC.NIH.gov Communications and Web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. (See the Granicus Privacy Policy.)

LinkedIn

Fogarty uses LinkedIn to engage with current and past employees and members of the public. In order to follow Fogarty on LinkedIn, you must register for a LinkedIn account and provide your first and last name and e-mail address. Upon confirmation of your email address, you must provide LinkedIn with information regarding your employment, country, zip code, job title, etc. The amount of visible personal information will depend on your LinkedIn user privacy settings. You can completely avoid displaying any PII by not creating a LinkedIn account, or not interacting with Fogarty on LinkedIn in any way (e.g., private messaging, posting on group pages). Although Fogarty staff managing LinkedIn may view the information you provide when you submit a request to follow Fogarty, Fogarty staff does not collect, use, or disclose any of this information. (See the LinkedIn Privacy Policy.)

Twitter

Fogarty uses Twitter to send short messages (up to 280 characters) or "Tweets" to share information about Fogarty with our audiences and respond to comments and inquiries sent via Twitter to Fogarty. While users may read the Fogarty Twitter feed without subscribing to it, users who want to subscribe to (or follow) the Fogarty Twitter feed must create a Twitter account at www.twitter.com. To create an account, you must provide some personal information, such as name, user name, password, and email address. You have the option to provide additional personal information including a short biography, location, or a picture. Most information you provide for a Twitter account is available to the public, but you can modify how much of your information is visible by changing your privacy settings at the Twitter.com website. Fogarty staff members monitor the number of subscribers and respond to comments and queries via Twitter, but the staff never uses the personal information of their Twitter followers. Fogarty does not collect, maintain, disclose, or share any information about people who follow Fogarty on Twitter. (See the Twitter Privacy Policy.)

YouTube

Fogarty posts videos on YouTube to make them available to the public. You do not need to register with either YouTube or Google (YouTube Owner) to watch videos on the Fogarty YouTube channel. When you watch videos, YouTube may record non-personally identifiable information about their site usage, such as channels used, videos watched, and data transfer details to improve its services. If you log on to the YouTube site before watching Fogarty videos, YouTube may associate information about your site usage with your YouTube account. If you log onto YouTube and comment on a Fogarty video, any personal information you included on your YouTube profile page will be visible to visitors who click on the comment field. If you do not log in before watching Fogarty videos posted on YouTube, you cannot comment on Fogarty videos and your site usage will not be associated with you or a YouTube account. (See the Google Privacy Guidelines.)

Updated May 26, 2022