Welcome to the new ESIP website!

Data Privacy Policy

The following is the Data Privacy Policy for the nonprofit Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP). The official policy is available with other ESIP Governance docs on the ESIP github.

Reach out to staff@esipfed.org with questions.

Community Participation Guidelines
ESIP Governance

ESIP Data Privacy Policy

  1. OVERVIEW
  2. INFORMATION COLLECTED
  1. USE OF INFORMATION
  1. CHILDREN
  2. GOVERNANCE
  1. DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
  2. QUESTIONS AND CONTACT

1. OVERVIEW

Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) is committed to protecting your privacy. We respect your right to make choices about the information you share and we do not, rent, or lease your information to third parties. This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how ESIP collects information, including certain personally identifiable information, and how ESIP may use, process, and share such information. The Privacy Policy serves as the notice to inform individuals about the collection and use of personally identifiable information that is about them.

By using the ESIP website (“Site”), including any other ESIP managed sites or apps, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. This policy is effective (January 2023). We reserve the right to update or change our policy at any time consistent with the process detailed in the section, ‘5.3 Changes to Policy.’ Your continued use of the Site after we post any modifications to this policy will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified policy.

In service of our mission, ESIP collects information about those who engage with us and/or visit our Sites (esipfed.org, wiki.esipfed.org, and igniteagu.io). This information and the data derived are used, in part, to improve the communication and supporting the Earth Science data management community, to understand and improve programs and websites, and to serve the interests of partners, meeting attendees and others.

2. INFORMATION COLLECTED

2.1. INDIVIDUAL INFORMATION

When accessing our Site, we will learn certain information about you during your visit. Information may include, but is not limited to, your name, email addresses and phone number. We may also collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Site. Our website utilizes a standard technology called “cookies” (described below) and server logs to collect information about how our Site is used. Information gathered through cookies and server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our site, and the websites visited just before and just after our own, as well as your computer’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address.

For people participating in ESIP partnerships, meetings, newsletter subscriptions, and other activities, we may also collect other information such as education, employment data, gender, scientific interest. This information will be stored in our community database.

2.1.1. IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHY

During ESIP events, staff or participants may gather screen captures and at some in-person events a photographer may take photographs. For all ESIP Meetings, participants are asked during registration to give consent for recording and photo release.

2.2. COOKIES

A “cookie” is a file that a website stores in a user’s computer for future reference. Individuals may set their browsers to reject cookies; however, there are ESIP services that will not fully function unless the user accepts the ESIP cookie. For example, when a user returns to that ESIP service, the cookie will identify the user as a previous visitor. Information supplied through an ESIP cookie is used only by ESIP to help enhance services provided and is not shared with others.

Web “beacons” are transparent pixel images embedded at certain points on websites that are used to collect information about how users navigate and use the website for the purpose of understanding and improving the function of the site and the value of the content. ESIP uses cookies or other trackers to improve some of its services, provide enhanced functionality on the site, and to aggregate traffic data (i.e., what pages are most popular).

“Cookies” and “beacons” may also be utilized by the third parties that we contract with to provide certain functions. You may block or disable cookies or other trackers by changing the settings on your browser, but doing so may prevent you from accessing certain functionalities on the Sites.

2.3. WEBSITE ANALYTICS

ESIP gathers web traffic through a third-party service, Google Analytics as well as email marketing, event planning, and social media analytics through other platforms. All information is aggregated and is not personally identifiable. On the ESIPfed.org website we use WordPress plugins to enable acknowledgement of the use of cookies. Users can choose to accept or withhold certain information from Google Analytics in this way.

3. USE OF INFORMATION 

Once collected, ESIP may use information in a variety of ways including:

  1. To communicate with you about your ESIP participation, if applicable, or to communicate information about ESIP. For example, we may send all new users a registration e-mail, and we will also occasionally send important notices or information.
  2. To provide you with prompt and effective customer service.
  3. To fulfill and/or deliver products and services as meeting registration, submission of articles, administer awards and honors, and in various other interactions.
  4. To build higher-quality, more useful services,such as by analyzing usage trends, and by measuring demographics and interests regarding specific areas of the Sites.
  5. To conduct internal assessments of ESIP programs and membership; additionally, these data, in an aggregated form, may be used in publicly distributed statistical descriptions and studies of ESIP.
  6. To help us understand membership trends, and demographic differences with respect to perspectives about and usage of programs and the creation of new program offerings.

3.1. COMMUNITY DATABASE

Personal and contact information collected through partnerships, meetings, newsletter subscriptions, and other activities, will be stored in the ESIP community database. The database is managed by and accessible to ESIP staff. Individuals will be able to access their own profile. Voting representatives from the ESIP Partner Assembly will be able to update information in organization profiles.

For effective communication across subscribers, members and users, we use several platforms that integrate with our community database. The integration is managed through tagging and synced by email address.

3.2. EMAILS

We do not sell, rent, or lease any lists to third parties, and we will not provide your personal information to any third-party individual, government agency, or company at any time unless strictly compelled to do so by law.

If you choose to provide us with personal information, through such methods as completing a form or sending us an email, we will use that information to respond to your message and to help us get you the information or services you have requested.

Remember that email isn’t necessarily secure. You should never send sensitive or personal information like your Social Security number in an email. Use postal mail or secure Web sites instead.

3.3. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES 

ESIP may share information with private organizations as part of a service that provides ESIP users with increased capabilities or functionality. ESIP is not responsible for the retention and disposal of information that is held by third parties. ESIP reviews the data policies of other technologies used, to verify that they do not share or sell any data collected from ESIP with any third party.

4. CHILDREN 

ESIP services and benefits are not designed for minors and we do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive any information from children. To the extent that minors under the age of 13 do use the Site and ESIP is able to determine the age of web site users – by their submissions to, or communications with ESIP web sites – ESIP will not knowingly collect information from such minors without their parent’s or guardian’s verifiable consent.

5. GOVERNANCE

Every ESIP officer, volunteer, member of staff, and member who has access to data or personal information collected by ESIP is charged with respecting the privacy of those who provided it and is expected to respect and follow the ESIP Privacy Policy.

This notice and our privacy practices are exclusively subject to the laws of the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland within the United States of America, without regard to its conflict of laws doctrine. By using the Site, you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland for any claim or matters arising under or in connection with the Site.

5.1 OPT IN/OPT OUT 

ESIP reserves the right to offer either an opt-in or opt-out option depending on the situation and the type of information being collected. Any individual may decline to provide information requested by ESIP. In this case, ESIP may be unable to provide services for which such information is needed for security and/or identification purposes.

5.2. ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND ABILITY TO CORRECT DATA

Upon request via postal mail, email, or telephone, ESIP will provide Members or users with a summary of any personally identifiable information retained by ESIP regarding the Member or user. Subscribers to any ESIP online service can stop service or modify, correct, change, or update personally identifiable information via the Site or by sending an e-mail message to staff@esip.org. Members or users may also initiate the removal of their personal record from the ESIP database by contacting ESIP at staff@esip.org.

5.3. CHANGES TO POLICY 

ESIP Governance will review the policy annually and reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. ESIP community members will be notified of significant policy changes via the ESIP newsletter and members are encouraged to regularly review the Policy online.

6. DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

ESIP makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the content contained on this Site. All the materials on this site are provided “as is” without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of merchantability, noninfringement of intellectual property or fitness for any particular purpose. In no event shall ESIP or its agents or associates be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of profits, business interruption, loss of information, injury or death) arising out of the use of or inability to use the materials, even if it has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damages.

ESIP links to many Websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. ESIP provides links to these sites as a service to our users. The presence of a link is not an ESIP endorsement of the site.

When users follow a link to an outside Website, they are leaving ESIP and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside Website(s). ESIP is not responsible for the information collection practices of non-ESIP sites.

7. QUESTIONS AND CONTACT

For questions concerning this Privacy policy and management of your individual data please contact staff@esipfed.org.