# Privacy Statement – ResearchMatch.net **Effective Date: 18 June 2025** At ResearchMatch.net ("we", "us", "our"), we are committed to safeguarding your personal data in accordance with the **Personal Data Protection Act 2012 of Singapore (“PDPA”)**. This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal data when you access or use our platform and services. By using ResearchMatch.net, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Statement. --- ## 1. Purpose of Data Collection We collect and use personal data to operate a secure and effective platform that connects **researchers** with **potential volunteers** for clinical and social research studies. Your information helps us: - Profile users for suitable study matches via our proprietary algorithm - Facilitate communication between matched users - Improve our platform and user experience - Fulfill legal or regulatory obligations - Send you service-related updates, onboarding emails, and relevant communications, including newsletters and research-related announcements, in line with your use of our platform --- ## 2. Types of Personal Data Collected ### For Volunteers: We may collect the following types of data, mostly on an optional basis: - Name and contact details (e.g., email) - Age, gender, nationality, language(s) spoken - General health interests (e.g., chronic conditions, study preferences) - Device data (via cookies) ### For Researchers: - Full name and professional contact details - Institutional affiliation - Study details and documents We do not collect NRIC, financial, or highly sensitive medical data unless explicitly required and consented to. --- ## 3. Consent Where required by the PDPA, we will obtain your consent before collecting, using, or disclosing your personal data. By submitting information through our platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Statement and consent to our use of your data for the stated purposes. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us (see Section 10), subject to legal and contractual restrictions. --- ## 4. Use and Disclosure of Data We use your data for the purposes stated above and **do not sell or rent your data to any third parties.** We may share relevant data: - With **researchers** only when a match has been made between volunteer and study - With **data processors** (e.g. cloud service providers) for infrastructure and analytics purposes - If required by **law enforcement, regulatory, or government authorities** All disclosures are made on a **need-to-know** and **consent-informed** basis. --- ## 5. Protection of Personal Data We adopt industry-standard safeguards to protect your data, including: - Data encryption (HTTPS and at-rest encryption) - Account access controls and authentication - Hosting on **DigitalOcean**, which maintains high security compliance standards - Staff training and confidentiality agreements However, no transmission or storage system is 100% secure. You are encouraged to safeguard your own passwords and devices. --- ## 6. Retention of Data We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Inactive or deleted accounts will have their data anonymised or removed after a reasonable retention period, unless legally required otherwise. --- ## 7. Access, Correction & Withdrawal In accordance with the PDPA, you have the right to: - Request access to your personal data - Correct any inaccurate or incomplete data - Withdraw consent for the use of your data - Request deletion of your profile All such requests should be directed to **contactresearchmatch@gmail.com**. We may require identity verification before processing any requests. --- ## 8. Use of Cookies and Analytics We use **cookies and Google Analytics** to understand user behavior and enhance your experience. These tools may collect: - Browser type and IP address - Session duration and clickstream data - Pages viewed and time spent You may disable cookies through your browser settings, but note that some features of the site may not function properly without them. --- ## 9. Third-Party Links Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites (e.g. external studies or institution portals). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Users are encouraged to review their privacy statements before providing any personal data. --- ## 10. Contact Us For any inquiries, feedback, or data protection concerns, please contact: **Data Protection Officer** 📧 contactresearchmatch@gmail.com --- ## 11. Updates to This Statement This Privacy Statement may be amended from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website, and your continued use of the Platform constitutes acceptance of the changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically.