Privacy Policy & Cookies

Our Contact Details

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:

What Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect and process the following types of personal information:

Application and programme information

• Information you submit when applying for a fellowship, job, course or other CDM programmes
• Name, email address, job title, academic affiliation, or institutional role
• CV, academic and professional history, research interests, and supporting statements

Event and correspondence information

• Information you provide when registering for events, workshops, or seminars
• Dietary or accessibility requirements submitted in connection with events
• Communications you send to us by email or via website contact forms

Newsletter and mailing list information

• Name and email address when you subscribe to the Digital Minds Newsletter or other updates

Website usage data

• IP address, browser type, operating system, and pages visited
• Referral sources and time spent on pages
• Cookie identifiers (see the Cookies section below)

How We Collect Personal Information

Directly from you

Most personal information we hold is provided to us directly when you:

• Complete a fellowship or programme application
• Register for an event, workshop, or seminar
• Subscribe to the Digital Minds Newsletter
• Contact us by email or through our website
• Participate in consultations, surveys, or research activities we organise

From third parties

In some circumstances, we may receive personal information from third parties, for example:

• Referees or recommenders who submit information as part of a fellowship or programme application
• Partner organisations in connection with joint activities
• Event platforms or registration services used to manage bookings

We will only use information received from third parties in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection law.

How We Use Your Personal Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• To assess and process applications for the Digital Minds Fellowship and other CDM programmes
• To communicate with you about events, workshops, and seminars you have registered for or expressed interest in
• To send the Digital Minds Newsletter and other updates to subscribers
• To manage visa and travel logistics for Fellowship participants where required
• To maintain contact records for researchers, collaborators, and individuals connected to CDM's work
• To improve our website and understand how visitors use it
• To respond to enquiries and provide information about our research and activities
• To meet our legal and administrative obligations

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases for processing your personal information:

• Consent – where you have given clear consent for a specific purpose (for example, subscribing to our newsletter). You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in any email we send.
• Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests as a research and field-building initiative (for example, maintaining professional contacts, improving our website, or communicating about our work), provided these interests are not overridden by your rights.

Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We may share information in the following circumstances:

• With partner organisations involved in co-delivering CDM programmes or events
• With venue providers, event platforms, or catering suppliers where necessary to organise events you are attending
• With University of Cambridge departments or administrative services, where CDM activities are hosted at Cambridge
• With third-party software providers (such as email platforms, CRM tools, or registration services) that help us administer our operations — these providers are bound by contractual obligations to protect your data
• With relevant authorities where we are legally required to do so

We take reasonable steps to ensure any third parties handling your data do so securely and in line with this policy.

How We Store Your Personal Information

Your personal information is stored securely. We use Airtable to manage contact and application data, and Substack to manage newsletter subscriptions.

We retain personal information for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking into account legal, operational, and administrative requirements. In general:

• Newsletter subscriber data: retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Event registration data: retained for 1 year following the event
• Application data for CDM programmes: retained for 1 year following the relevant programme cycle
• Website analytics data: retained in accordance with our analytics provider's data retention settings

When personal information is no longer required, we will delete or anonymise it securely.

Cookies

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies help websites function properly, remember your preferences, and provide information about how visitors use the site.

Cookies we use

The Cambridge Digital Minds website uses the following types of cookies:

Managing your cookie preferences

When you first visit our website, you will be asked to consent to non-essential cookies via our cookie banner. You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the Cookie Settings link in the footer.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

For guidance on managing cookies in your browser:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge

For more information on cookies generally, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites, and this policy does not apply to them. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Right of access – You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to correct personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to erasure – You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to limit how we use your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to object – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information where we rely on legitimate interests.
• Right to data portability – You have the right to receive your personal information in a portable format and transfer it to another organisation in certain circumstances.
• Right to withdraw consent – Where we process your data based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

You will not normally be charged for exercising your rights. We will respond to requests within one calendar month.

To make a request, please contact us at: info@digitalminds.cam

How to Make a Complaint

Complaints to us

If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us in the first instance at info@digitalminds.cam. We will aim to respond promptly and resolve your concern.

Complaints to the ICO (UK)

If you remain unhappy with our response, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.