EGRP Privacy Policy & Disclaimers

The Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) complies with requirements for privacy and security established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This page outlines our privacy and security policy as it applies to our site, as well as third-party sites and applications that EGRP uses (for example, Wordpress, Twitter).

Your Visit to the EGRP Website

Your visit to the EGRP wesite is private and secure. When you visit the EGRP website, we do not collect any personally identifiable information (PII) about you, unless you choose to provide it to us. We do, however, collect some data about your visit to our website to help us better understand public use of the site and to make it more useful to visitors. This document describes the information that is automatically collected and stored.

Use of Analytic Tools to Collect Information

When you browse through any website, certain information about your visit can be collected. EGRP uses analytics tools to collect information automatically and continuously. We use this information to measure the number of visitors to our website and its various sections and to distinguish between new and returning visitors to help make our site more useful to visitors. No personally identifiable information (PII) is collected via this tool.

The EGRP staff conducts analyses and reports on the aggregated data from these analytics tools. The reports are only available to EGRP website managers, members of their communications and web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

EGRP also uses online survey tools to collect opinions and feedback from a random sample of visitors. EGRP uses these survey tools to obtain feedback and data on visitors' satisfaction with EGRP websites. These surveys do not collect PII. Participation in the survey is voluntary. If you decline the survey, you will still have access to the identical information and resources on the EGRP websites as those who do take the survey. Answers to the survey help improve EGRP websites to make them easier to use and more responsive to the needs of our visitors.

The EGRP staff conducts analyses and reports on the aggregated data from the survey tools. The reports are available only to EGRP website managers, members of their Communications and Web Teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

EGRP retains the data from analytics tools and survey results only as long as required by law or needed to support the mission of the EGRP websites.

How EGRP Uses Cookies

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization TechnologiesExternal Web Site Policy allows Federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a "cookie" to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to "remember" specific information about your visit while you are connected. The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of web pages. Requests to send cookies from EGRP's web pages are designed to collect information about your browser session only; they do not collect personal information about you.

There are two types of cookies, single session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent). Session cookies last only as long as your web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.

How are temporary "Session Cookies" used?

We use session cookies for technical purposes such as improving navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The "session" cookie is not permanently stored on your computer. The cookie and the information about your visit are automatically destroyed shortly after you close your browser to end the session.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of session cookies as "Usage Tier 1-Single Session." The policy says, "This tier encompasses any use of single session web measurement and customization technologies."

How are "Persistent Cookies" used?

The OMB Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization TechnologiesExternal Web Site Policy allows Federal agencies to use persistent cookies in addition to temporary session cookies.

We use persistent cookies to help us recognize new and returning visitors to the EGRP website. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to the EGRP website until they expire. We do not use this technology to identify you or any other individual site visitor.

EGRP uses persistent cookies to enable analytics tools to measure how new and returning visitors use the EGRP website over time. We also use survey tools that use persistent cookies to block repeated invitations to take the survey.

The OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance defines our use of persistent cookies as "Usage Tier 2 - Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII)." The policy says, "This tier encompasses any use of multi-session web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected."

How to opt out or disable cookies

If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them using your web browser. If you opt out of cookies, you will still have access to all information and resources the EGRP website provides.

Instructions for disabling or opting out of cookies in the most popular browsers are located at http://www.usa.gov/optout_instructions.shtmlExternal Web Site Policy. Please note that by following the instructions to opt out of cookies, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from EGRP's website.

How is Personal Information Protected?

You do not have to give us personal information to visit the EGRP website. If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an e-mail message, form, survey, etc., we maintain the information only as long as needed to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication.

For further information about NIH privacy policy, please contact the NIH Senior Official for Privacy at privacy@mail.nih.gov, call (301) 451-3426, or visit http://oma.od.nih.gov/ms/privacy/privacyact.htmlExternal Web Site Policy.

Disclosure

EGRP does not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about our visitors, unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

Website Security

EGRP websites are maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we use software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Social Media Tools/Third-party Websites

Social media tools, third-party websites, and third-party applications are web-based technologies that are not exclusively operated or controlled by EGRP. These include applications hosted on other non-government sites, as well as embedded or external links on an EGRP web page.

As part of the Open Government Directive, EGRP uses a variety of new technologies and social media toolsExternal Web Site Policy to communicate and interact with our audiences. Use of some of these applications could cause personally identifiable information (PII) to become available or accessible to EGRP, regardless of whether EGRP solicits or collects it. The table below lists the websites and applications we use. If any of these sites or applications collects PII, we describe what is collected and how EGRP protects the information.

Social Media Tools /
Third-Party Website
How It Works
Twitter

EGRP uses Twitter to send short messages (up to 140 characters) or "Tweets" to share information about EGRP with our audiences and respond to comments and inquiries sent via Twitter to EGRP. While users may read the EGRP Twitter feed without subscribing to it, users who want to subscribe to (or follow) the EGRP Twitter feed must create a Twitter account at www.twitter.com.

To create an account, you must provide some personal information, such as name, user name, password, and email address. You have the option to provide additional personal information including a short biography, location, or a picture. Most information you provide for a Twitter account is available to the public, but you can modify how much of your information is visible by changing your privacy settings at the Twitter.com website.

EGRP staff members monitor the number of subscribers and respond to comments and queries via Twitter, but the staff never uses the personal information of their Twitter followers. EGRP does not collect, maintain, disclose, or share any information about people who follow EGRP on Twitter. (See Twitter Privacy PolicyExternal Web Site Policy.)

WordPress

EGRP uses the Wordpress blog platform support the "Cancer Epidemiology Matters" blog. This blog engages cancer epidemiologists and other interested individuals in bidirectional communication with EGRP about topics related to determinants of cancer occurrence and outcomes.

Visitors who post comments do not need to register, provide their names or supply any other personal information. All comments on the blog are moderated; thus, they are reviewed before posting to ensure their adherence to the comment policy. The blog comments are not collected, processed or reported in any way. When visitors provide their names or other identifying information, that information will appear along with their comments.

Additionally, the blog includes useful hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations' and individuals' blogs. This external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of EGRP. The NCI cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site. Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by HHS or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site's privacy policy when you follow the link.

Although WordPress offers some analytics and usage data to NIH, these reports do not include any personally identifiable information. The reports are password protected and only available to EGRP's Communications Teams and other designated staff requiring this information to perform their duties. EGRP does not gather personal information about the user, share, or sell any personal information obtained from users with any other organization or government agency, except as required by law. The WordPress privacy policy is available at: http://wordpress.org/about/privacy/External Web Site Policy.

Constant Contact

EGRP uses this electronic newsletter tool to inform extramural investigators and others interested in cancer scientific opportunities and initiatives as well as providing updates about recent scientific contributions and advancements by grantees. EGRP would also like to increase the visibility of relevant research resources, in addition to providing a compilation of recent funding opportunities, grantsmanship resources, and key reports.

The Constant Contact system is not government-owned or government-operated. EGRP staff members monitor the number of subscribers and respond to comments and queries via Constant Contact, but the staff only use name and email address to communicate with subscribers. By using the third-party system to communicate with EGRP, individuals may be providing nongovernmental third-parties with access to personally identifiable information. EGRP does not collect, maintain, disclose, or share any personal information about people on Constant Contact (See Constant Contact Privacy PolicyExternal Web Site Policy).


Related Policies

Dispute Resolution Mechanism

If you believe that our website has collected incorrect information or if you would like to dispute any information, please contact us:

Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard
Executive Plaza North
Rockville, Maryland 20852
Phone: 301-594-6776
Fax: 301-594-6787
E-mail: DCCPSdccpspdrm@mail.nih.gov

Last Updated: 12 Oct 2012

Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences National Cancer Institute Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov