Privacy Policy
The Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) makes strategic investments in scientific research that addresses issues of national priority for Australia.
SIEF was established by the Science and Industry Endowment Act 1926 (Cth). Since 1986, the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has been the Trustee of SIEF. The Trustee is SIEF’s primary decision-making authority and is responsible for the effective administration of SIEF. The Trustee is supported by Expert Reviewers and Advisory Councils engaged to provide independent and expert advice. CSIRO assists the Trustee in the administration and operation of SIEF, and does so in accordance with CSIRO’s policies and procedures, including managing and protecting personal information in accordance with CSIRO Privacy Policy and the CSIRO Code of Conduct.
SIEF is committed to your privacy and complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). SIEF will handle your personal information in accordance with the Act and this SIEF Privacy Policy.
Collection of personal information
SIEF collects personal information from a range of people and bodies including, funding applicants, members of trustee advisory bodies, grant reviewers, CSIRO staff and other researchers and members of the public, including subscribers to SIEF’s mailing list.
SIEF collects a range of personal information, including sensitive information, where it is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to SIEF’s functions or activities. Such information may include contact details, employment details, professional appointments and affiliations, gender information and other information included in a curriculum vitae or resumé.
SIEF collects, uses and discloses personal information for a variety of different purposes directly related to SIEF’s functions and activities including:
- administering the SIEF, including reviewing or assessing applications for SIEF funding; and
- monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness of SIEF’s investments.
When collecting personal information, SIEF may collect it in a number of ways including via correspondence, applications, newsletter subscription requests and publicly available sources.
SIEF will usually collect personal information directly from the person concerned, however, we may collect personal information from third parties, with consent of the person concerned, where it is unreasonable or impracticable to collect the information from the person concerned or where we are authorised or required by law to collect the information from someone else.
Storage of Personal Information
SIEF stores information securely on CSIRO’s IT system. These systems are password protected and only relevant people are authorised to access, where required, the information. SIEF complies with other Australian government policies in relation to storage and security of information, including the Australian Government Policy and Risk Management Guidelines for the storage and processing of Australian Government information in outsourced or offshore ICT arrangements and the Protective Security Policy Framework, complemented by the Australian Government Information Security Manual. SIEF may use third parties to store some personal information on servers in Australia or overseas.
Disclosure of Information
SIEF may disclose personal information to third parties including the Australian National Audit Office, Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission, researchers, consultants, CSIRO, members of the trustee advisory bodies, grant reviewers, mailing list subscribers and the general public (via the SIEF website) for the purposes outlined above.
SIEF does not share your personal information with others except under these conditions and will not disclose or sell your personal information to others for use in mailing lists or databases.
Overseas Disclosure of Information
Access to and amendment of personal information held by SIEF
SIEF will provide you with access to your personal information that it holds, subject to any applicable exceptions under the Privacy Act. SIEF will require you to verify your identity and specify, as clearly as possible, the information that you wish to access.
If you can establish that information held by SIEF about you is inaccurate, irrelevant, out of date, incomplete or misleading, SIEF will take reasonable steps to amend it. If SIEF disagrees with your view about the status of this information, it will provide reasons for the refusal and record a statement in SIEF’s records of your view.
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint to SIEF about how your personal information has been handled, you should lodge such complaint in writing using the contact details below.
SIEF is committed to the consistent, fair and confidential handling of a complaint. It is also committed to resolving complaints as quickly as possible, generally within 30 working days. You can also expect SIEF to acknowledge your complaint.
If you are not satisfied with SIEF’s response, you may request SIEF to reconsider it. You may also make your complaint directly to the OAIC. However, in most cases the OAIC will refer you to SIEF to make the complaint in the first instance.