Introduction
MITES is committed to supporting the privacy of applicants, scholars, staff, volunteers and supporters of MITES and MIT. This Privacy Statement explains how we handle and use the personal information we collect about application to and engagement with MITES.
What personal information we collect `
While specific information may vary for particular individuals, we may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal information about you, which we have grouped together as follows:
a) Personal Information that we collect directly from you:
We collect Personal Information directly from you when you register with our application website, subscribe to our newsletter, complete online forms, submit enrollment forms upon participation in our programs or otherwise provide information directly to us. This may include, for example:
Basic biographic/contact information – home and business addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media contact information
Demographic information – names, gender, birth dates, photograph
b) Other Information that we collect when you register for and submit an application:
We also collect analytical information such as aggregated information related to web visitor activity and email marketing actions. Our application platform also collects information about your use of the application, such as website login times, date of email receipt, or latest time you updated your application. For more information about data use for our application platform, please refer to the Open Water website.
c) Sensitive Personal information:
We generally avoid collecting sensitive personal information, such as health data (“Sensitive Personal Information”), however if accepted to our programs, you may be asked to submit enrollment forms that include health information or requests for accommodations in order to support your participation in the program. The application also requests some information such as household income or citizenship status in order to support the admissions and selection process to MITES programs.
d) Your likeness and voice:
If participating in MITES virtual or in-person events, MITES also may collect your image, likeness and/or voice through event photography/videography or recording of virtual meetings or webinars. You will be notified of this recording during the event either verbally or through public signage.
How we collect personal information about you
We collect personal information:
directly from you as the participant
from family/guardians, teachers or other acquaintances that may share information about you to support your participation and engagement with MITES
through enrollment processes
through other MIT departments you may be associated with
through support services provided to MITES participants and their families
through third party platforms and services and services to provide resources and support to the programs
How we use your personal information
We use your personal information for a number of legitimate purposes all in support of the Institute and its mission. Specifically, we use your personal information to:
Primary Purposes:
To communicate with you, including by mail, phone, email, and SMS text messaging;
To notify you of important updates or information related to your application to, enrollment in our engagement with our programs;
To notify you of updates and provide you with information, newsletters, tips, resources, or other helpful information;
To seek your feedback on our programs, events or application
To respond to your inquiries and requests;
To consider your application for employment or admission to our programs;
For our own administrative purposes, such as to perform data analysis and impact assessment; to process payments or reimbursements; etc.
Secondary Purposes:
To monitor our regulatory compliance
For stewardship purposes
To share opportunities to volunteer with or support MITES
For other purposes detailed on the MITES site, MITES application site or in email communications
If you have concerns about any of these purposes (primary or secondary), or how we communicate with you, please contact us at mites@mit.edu or 617 253-8052. We will always respect a request by you to stop processing your personal information (subject to our legal obligations).
When we share your personal information
To perform the functions listed above, it may be necessary to share your personal information with:
Other MIT departments
Healthcare and wellbeing consultants
Peer programs and initiatives
How your information is stored and secured
MIT uses risk-assessed administrative, technical and physical security measures to protect your personal information. We retain personal data in MIT/MITES Google Drive and Sharepoint accounts and on the MITES server, which is hosted in the cloud and has multiple layers of protection, including file encryption. Application data is also stored in our application platform. For more information about data use for our application platform, please refer to the Open Water website.
How long we keep your personal information
Your application data will be kept and secured by us until or unless you make a request to delete the data.
Rights for Individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom (UK)
You have the right in certain circumstances to (1) access your personal information; (2) to correct or erase information; (3) restrict processing; and (4) object to communications, direct marketing, or profiling. To the extent applicable, the EEA’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides further information about your rights. You also have the right to lodge complaints with your national or regional data protection authority.
If you are inclined to exercise these rights, we request an opportunity to discuss with you any concerns you may have. To protect the personal information we hold, we may also request further information to verify your identity when exercising these rights. Upon a request to erase information, we will maintain a core set of personal data to ensure we do not contact you inadvertently in the future, as well as any information necessary for MIT archival purposes. We may also need to retain some financial information for legal purposes, including US IRS compliance. In the event of an actual or threatened legal claim, we may retain your information for purposes of establishing, defending against or exercising our rights with respect to such claim.
By providing information directly to MIT, you consent to the transfer of your personal information outside of the European Economic Area to the United States. You understand that the current laws and regulations of the United States may not provide the same level of protection as the data and privacy laws and regulations of the EEA.
You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide any personal data to us. The controller for your personal information is MIT.
If you are in the EEA or UK and wish to assert any of your applicable GDPR rights, please contact dataprotection@mit.edu. You may also contact MIT’s representatives listed below:
MIT Representative in the European Economic Area
J-PAL Europe
Email: jpaleurope@povertyactionlab.org
Address: 48 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France
MIT Representative in the United Kingdom
MIT Press UK
Address: 71 Queen Victoria Street, London, United Kingdom, EC4V 4BE
Additional Information
We may change this Privacy Statement from time to time. If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information we will make this clear on our MIT websites or by contacting you directly.
This policy was last updated in June 2024.