Data Retention Information

Security/Privacy Act Statement

This is a federal government information system. It is intended for use only by individuals applying for NSERC funding. System activity is monitored. Unauthorized users risk prosecution.

All information that you enter into this electronic forms facility will be protected in accordance with the federal laws and policies. It will be password protected and accessible only to you. Your data will be transmitted to NSERC in an encrypted file format and stored in a database on a secure server in the Council’s offices. This facility will enable you to prepare, update, and print your form(s) on a local printer. Your data will not be used or disclosed for any other purpose. For the purposes of reviewing applications, NSERC will continue to use the official, signed applications, not the data contained in this facility.

Retention periods:

Scholarships and Fellowships programs

• Applicants: Electronic forms that contain your personal data will be erased from the NSERC database after eighteen months of inactivity.

• Report/evaluation on the applicant: Data related to the report/evaluation is collected and used by NSERC only to enable you to prepare, update, and print your report/evaluation on your local printer. This data will be deleted from NSERC's database after eighteen months of inactivity. The hard copy report/evaluation bearing your signature becomes the official version.

Grants programs

Personal biographical data

• Applicants will be able to access and revise their personal biographical data for use in preparing future NSERC applications. The data used to complete the Personal Data Form (Form 100) and its appendices will be stored in this facility until eight years have lapsed with no updates, at which time it will be erased.
• Reviewers will be able to access and revise their personal biographical data for use in future reviews. For reviewers who are also registered in this facility as NSERC applicants, personal data will be stored until eight years have lapsed with no updates, after which time it will be erased. For other reviewers, the personal data will be retained for eighteen months, after which time it will be erased.

Application data

• Applicants: the data included in the Grant Application Form (Form 101) and in the Notification of Intent to Apply for a Grant (Form 180) will be erased after eighteen months of inactivity.

Review of grant applications

• Reviewers: Data related to the substance of your review is used to enable you to prepare, revise and print reviews on your local printer, and to send a final completed version to NSERC electronically. Two weeks after your review is completed and sent to NSERC electronically, the data is no longer accessible to you. Data left in the facility related to either complete or incomplete files or files not sent will be deleted after a period of eighteen months.