Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 18 July 2025
Young Surgeons Ireland (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals who visit our website, make a donation, or submit a scholarship application.
This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Irish data protection laws.
Who We Are
Young Surgeons Ireland is a student-led, non-commercial scholarship initiative supporting Irish medical students interested in surgical research. We operate independently and are not a registered charity or incorporated legal entity.
What Data We Collect
We may collect the following personal data through our website or affiliated forms (e.g., Google Forms):
A. From Scholarship Applicants:
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Full name
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Email address
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Academic institution and year of study
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Research proposal and supporting materials (e.g., CV, abstract, PDF submissions)
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Optional demographic data (if voluntarily disclosed)
B. From Donors:
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Name (if provided during payment)
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Email address (if entered)
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Payment method (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay – no full card data is stored)
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Donation amount and frequency (one-time or recurring)
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Transaction metadata
C. From Website Visitors:
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IP address
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Device type, browser type, and operating system
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Pages visited, time spent on site, and referring URLs
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Cookies and tracking technologies (see Section 6)
How We Use Your Data
We use your data only for the purposes for which it was collected, including:
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Reviewing and evaluating scholarship applications
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Contacting applicants about outcomes or future opportunities
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Processing and acknowledging donations
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Maintaining a secure and functional website
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Analysing site traffic and improving user experience
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Complying with legal or regulatory obligations
We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties for commercial purposes.
Legal Basis for Processing
Under the GDPR, we process your data based on the following legal grounds:
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Consent: You voluntarily provide personal data via forms or donation portals.
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Legitimate Interest: We process non-sensitive visitor data to improve site functionality.
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Legal Obligation: We may retain donor records for compliance with financial reporting laws.
Data Storage and Retention
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Applicant data is stored securely within Google Workspace and will be retained for a maximum of 3 years for record-keeping and future reference (unless the user requests earlier deletion).
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Donor data is stored securely in Wix Payments’ platform and subject to their retention policies.
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Website analytics data (e.g., via cookies or Wix Analytics) may be retained for up to 26 months.
Cookies and Tracking
Our website uses cookies to collect anonymous information such as browser type, language preferences, and traffic data. By using our site, you consent to our use of cookies. You may disable cookies through your browser settings.
We do not use third-party advertising or behavioural tracking.
Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the right to:
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Access the personal data we hold about you
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Request correction of inaccurate information
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Request deletion of your personal data
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Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)
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Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland) if you believe your data rights are violated
To exercise any of these rights, email us at youngsurgeonsireland@gmail.com
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, or unauthorised access. These include:
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Google Workspace security (for submissions)
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Wix secure payment processing (PCI-compliant)
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Access controls for organisers handling data
Third-Party Services
We rely on third-party platforms for form submission, email communication, and payment processing. These include:
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Google Forms (application collection)
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Wix Payments (donation processing)
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Google Workspace (email & document storage)
We encourage you to review their privacy policies to understand how they handle your data.
Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically for changes.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a data-related request, please contact: