Comments, complaints and concerns
If you have a comment, concern or complaint about the Foundation, for example, about the way in which a decision about funding a proposal has been made, in the first instance, please contact the chair of the Board of Trustees. The chair will first check whether they are in an appropriate position to adjudicate; if not (for example, if they have a conflict of interest relating to the institution, or were involved in the original decision), they will delegate to another Board member. The adjudicating individual will then examine the comment, concern or complaint, and request any further information from you. They will then review the decision-making process for fairness and compliance with the processes set out. The Foundation will endeavour to provide a response to your comment within 28 days of receipt.
Appointment of new trustees
The Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness is a scholarly body whose objectives relate to advancing social scientific research, education, and scholarship in the field of the sociology of health and illness. As such, its trustees are composed of academics in higher education institutions who work in this field, usually in senior-level positions. New trustees for the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness must register with Companies House and declare any potential conflicts of interest for review before appointment, and then annually. For particular areas of good governance, such as legal and financial issues, the Foundation engages external professional service organisations for support.
Privacy Policy
Who we are
This notice explains how the Trustees of the Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness use and protect the personal information held about applicants to our various funding schemes. The Trustees act as a “controller” under the data protection laws. New data protection legislation, known as the “Data Protection Laws,” came into effect on May 25, 2018. In this privacy notice, we refer to these new laws as the “Data Protection Laws.”
What is personal information?
Personal information broadly refers to information that identifies, or, with other information we hold or are likely to hold, can identify a living individual. This includes any information provided by you or on your behalf as an applicant to our funding schemes.
Where do we collect information from, and what types of personal information might we hold about you?
We collect and process information about you that you provide through application forms or in correspondence with us, whether by telephone, email, or other means. Typically, we hold your name and professional address. We may also hold details about your application for funding, email addresses, referee reports, phone numbers, details of any correspondence with us, and financial information.
Why do we hold this information?
We use your personal information to manage the Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness. For example, we may use it to process applications for funding through our various funding schemes, communicate with you about your application, and to communicate with referees. In some cases, we are also obliged to retain your personal data to comply with legal or statutory obligations (e.g., keeping records of contractual or financial matters). Please note that the Trustees do not use personal information for automated decision-making that produces legal effects.
Using your information in accordance with Data Protection Laws
Data Protection Laws require us to fulfil certain conditions before we can use your personal information as described in this privacy notice. We rely on a condition known as “legitimate interests” to collect and process your personal information, as we need it to manage the Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness. We will only process “sensitive” or “special categories” of personal information under the Data Protection Laws (e.g., information about your health or special circumstances) if you have explicitly consented to this or if there is an alternative legal basis for processing this information under the Data Protection Laws. You may be asked to sign consent forms in the future, and you can withdraw your consent at any time by writing to us using the contact details below.
Whom do we share your personal information with?
We share information with the Trustees and referees for transactional purposes related to your funding application. We may also share personal information with professional advisors under specific circumstances. When we share personal information with external third parties (such as referees), we strictly provide only the necessary information for the specific purposes, taking reasonable steps to ensure that recipients process the disclosed personal information in accordance with those purposes.
How long do we retain your personal information?
We will keep your personal information only as long as necessary to comply with our obligations and to safeguard the Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness and our service providers in the event of any claims, complaints, litigation, enquiries, and investigations during our management of the Foundation.
How do we keep your personal information safe, and who has access to it?
We are committed to ensuring that appropriate technical controls are in place to protect your personal information, including protection from misuse and unauthorised access. Your information is only accessible to the Trustees or to referees we may use to assess your application.
Your rights
You can exercise any of the following rights by writing to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Fiona Stevenson, Professor of Medical Sociology, Primary Care & Population Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St, London, NW3 2PF, United Kingdom.
Your rights in relation to your personal information include:
Requesting access to the personal information we hold about you.
Rectifying your data if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
In certain circumstances, restricting the processing of your data.
In certain circumstances, deleting or removing your data.
Obtaining and reusing your data for your own purposes across different services.
Claiming compensation for damages caused by a breach of data protection laws.
We aim to respond to any request received from you within one calendar month of receiving a written request.
Any complaints?
If you are unhappy with the way your personal information is held or processed, please contact us using the details provided above. You also have the right to complain about data protection matters to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the UK’s independent body that upholds information rights. For more information about the ICO, visit their website at https://ico.org.uk/ or call 0303 123 1113.
Changes to our privacy statement
We regularly review this privacy statement and will post any updates on this website. Paper copies of the privacy statement can also be obtained upon request from the Trustees of the Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.
Further details about our Privacy Policy can be found here.