UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

 

Site Notice for the RIS and RIS portal (VIVO)

This site notice is supplementary to the site notice of the University of Cologne. All details and legal notices listed there also apply to this website.

In addition, the following applies:
Responsible for the content of the Research Information System (FIS) and FIS Portal (VIVO):
RIS Team of the University of Cologne
(Head: Matthias Winterschladen)
Tel.: +49 221 / 470-76115
E-mail: fis@verw.uni-koeln.de
 

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Supplementary content from the site notice of the University of Cologne

Information
University of Cologne
Albertus Magnus Platz
50923 Cologne
Phone: +49 221 / 470-0

Email: online-redaktionuni-koeln.de
Internet: http://www.uni-koeln.de

The University of Cologne is a statutory body under public law.
It is legally represented by its rector, Professor Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee.

 

Responsible regulatory authority:
Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia
Völklinger Str. 49
40221 Düsseldorf

http://www.wissenschaft.nrw.de

VAT identification number according to § 27a VAT Act: DE 123486767

Responsible for content according to § 5 of the German Digital Services Act (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz) and § 55 section 2 of the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag): Elisabeth Hoffmann

 

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Note: For further legal information and the full text of the site notice of the University of Cologne, please visit:  Impressum der Universität zu Köln.

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Information on the processing of privacy data in the context of the UoC RIS research database
(version 2.0; March 2025)

With this data protection statement, the University of Cologne is fulfilling its duty to provide information in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR (EU-Datenschutzgrundverordnung, EU-DSGVO) for the processing of privacy data mentioned above.

With regard to the other terms used, “privacy data”, “processing”, “controller”, “third party”, etc., please refer to the definitions in Article 4 of the EU GDPR.

 

1. Name and contact of responsible persons
Responsible for the processing of personal data for the operation of this website is:

1.1. Contact details of the person responsible

The University of Cologne
Public Body (Körperschaft öffentlichen Rechts)
represented by the Rector, Professor Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee.

Albertus-Magnus-Platz
50923 Köln
+49 221 / 470-0
online-redaktion@uni-koeln.de
http://www.uni-koeln.de

1.2 Contact of the professional contact person

UoC RIS team
Phone: +49 221 / 470-76115
Mail: Fis@verw.uni-koeln.de
Internet: https://ris.uni-koeln.de/

1.3. Contact of the data protection officer

Data Protection Officer of the University of Cologne
Phone: +49 221 / 470-0
Mail: dsb@verw.uni-koeln.de

2. Processing of personal data and purposes
Research information systems (RIS) are used by universities to fulfill their reporting, information and documentation obligations as well as their quality assurance tasks in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Higher Education Act (Gesetz über die Hochschulen des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen - HG).
The universities report at regular intervals on their research projects and research priorities to the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, MKW NRW). The members of the universities are obliged to participate in the preparation of the report in accordance with Section 70 (4) of the Higher Education Act (Gesetz über die Hocschulen des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen - HG).

The research information system of the University of Cologne (UoC-RIS) is operated by the University of Münster and supported by the state initiative CRIS.NRW. This applies to both the UoC-RIS research database and the UoC-RIS research portal (VIVO).

Only members of the UoC have access to the data processed in the UoC RIS research database. The UoC RIS research portal (VIVO) is accessible to the general public via a website (see the data protection information of the UoC RIS research portal (VIVO)).

The following personal data is processed in the UoC RIS research database as part of the UoC RIS (as of January 2025):

2.1. Personal data

• Personal data (salutation, first and last name(s), academic title, academic degree, gender, date and place of birth, nationality)
• Official contact details (e-mail address)
• Function with function-specific addresses, contact details and period of validity
• Account data (user ID (UniKIM), account status and password validity period)
• Associated role(s) in RIS including associated permissions and validity period
• Additional personal attributes (Uni-ID, UniKIM)
• Personal identifiers (e.g., ORCID)
• External relations (linking data record in other systems/tables)

2.2. Employment data

• Current internal employment relationship (personnel category and full-time equivalent, associated organizational unit, contract duration and time limit, qualification, form of funding, salary category in the case of professors, subject areas and research fields)
• Chronology of various academic employment relationships at the UoC

2.3. Information on external persons in the context of metadata on publications, patents, contact persons at external organizations or external supervisor

• First name, last name, associated external organization

2.4. Publications

• Title, subtitle, authors or editors (first and last name, assignment to internal person and organization or external organization), publication type, publisher, edition, volume/issue/collective volume, year of publication, creator type, corporate bodies (organizations), journal/newspaper
• Abstract/summary
• Personal identifiers (e.g., ORCID)
• Assignment to superordinate publications
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, projects, SDGs
• Assignment of authors and editors with function, assignments to internal organizational units and external organizations

2.5. Projects

• Basic data on the project (project title, project duration and description)
• Personal data (title and salutation, first and last name) of project management, deputy and project members
• Personal data (title and salutation, first and last name) of authors
• Cooperating institutions
• Data on awards and prize recognitions (type, name, year, organization, etc.)
• Assignment to subjects, research fields, SDGs
• Assignment to research projects and publications (and thus indirectly to authors)
• Finances (research funding programs and income)

2.6. Awards and award recognitions

• Data on the award (e.g., type, name, description, year of award, associated organization, awarding institutions)
• Total funding and university share
• Identity of internal award recipients (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to projects, publications, subject areas, research fields

2.7. PhD studies

• Personal data of the PhD candidate (first and last name, date of birth, gender, contact details (email address), personal attributes, IDs (Doc.File IDs and/or SAP employee numbers)
• PhD related data (e.g., title and subject, status, start and end date of the PhD, structured PhD programmes, internal and external supervisors or reviewers, committee members, associated internal and external organizational units)
• Information on PhD applications (e.g., application date, date of admission, initiation of proceedings, date of completion of the process, temporary interruptions)
• Employment relationships of the PhD candidate at the university
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, SDGs

2.8. Postdoctoral qualification

• data related to postdoctoral qualification (e.g., title, language, status and type of postdoctoral qualification, assignment to subject area and research fields, responsible institution)
• Administrative data (e.g. approval of the application for acceptance, start and end of the postdoctoral qualification phase, application and completion)
• Personal data of the postdoc candidate, internal supervisors, reviewers, committee members (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, e.g., SDGs

2.9. Patents

• Information on inventor (first and last name, internal organization)
• Applying organization
• Patent data, patent family
• Data on the invention, classification (subject area, research fields, e.g., SDGs), documents
• Assignment to research projects, e.g., SDGs
• Financing data: Licensing and revenue

2.10. Research infrastructure

• Research infrastructure data (title, type, nature)
• Usage behaviour (type of access, operating/coordinating organization, internal user numbers, usage access and duration of use)

2.11 Activities
No central data collection or centralizes import of records related to “activities” takes place in the UoC-RIS. The entry of records in the “activities” data area can only be performed directly in the UoC-RIS back-end and exclusively by academic employees or researchers of the UoC who have regular access to the UoC-RIS back-end.

The entry of records in the “activities” data area is voluntary. Researchers are only permitted and technically able to enter records concerning their own activities.

The creation of records in the “activities” data area can only be carried out directly in the UoC-RIS back-end and requires active manual data entry by UoC researchers.

Additionally, UoC researchers have the option to delete their own records in the “activities” data area at any time. By saving a record in the “activities” data area, UoC researchers consent to the processing of the respective personal data within the UoC-RIS. This consent can be revoked at any time by deleting the respective record.

Due to the voluntary nature of data entry, the requirement for active manual input, and the continuous ability to delete enters records, full data sovereignty in the “activities” data area remains exclusively with the academic employees and researchers of UoC.

2.11.1 Activity type: Support for spin-offs (individual activities: mentorship or proof of concept for a spin-off)

• Information on the spin-off and its mentor (first and last name, internal organization, description, period, information on founding success (yes/no), position)
• Link to the person and specification of the organizational unit
• Link to the spin-off
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.2 Activity type: Supervision of qualification theses (individual activities: supervision of bachelor's theses, master's theses, dissertations, postdoctoral qualification)

• Information on the qualification thesis and its supervisor (title, description, period, date of evaluation, position, first and last name, internal organization)
• Link to dissertations and postdoctoral qualification
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.3  Activity type: Review activities (individual activities: review for scientific publications, for conference, symposium, and congress contributions; for third-party funding and research proposals; for scholarship applications; for award recognitions/prizes)

• Information on the review activity (date of review, funding line and funding organization for third-party and research funding as well as scholarship applications, award category and awarding organization for award recognitions/prizes, journal name for scientific publications, URL of conference proceedings for scientific conference, symposium, and congress contributions)
• Information about the reviewer (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.4   Activity type: editorships (individual activities: editorship for a scientific journal; a scientific series, an overarching edited volume)

• Details on editorial work (title or name, period)
• Information about the editor (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.5   Activity type: memberships and committee activities (individual activities: membership in an academic committee/working group/advisory board; research network; professional association/organization; committee of university self-administration, an external scientific or public committee; a committee of private organization, a peer review committee)

• Information on the membership or committee activity (name of affiliation/participation, description, period, personal role and position)
• Information about the (committee) member (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.6   Activity type: events (individual activities: organizing or participating in a scientific conference/symposium/congress;  a generally public workshop/seminar; an exhibition/fair)

• Information on the event (event title, abstract and URL of the event, period, location, position when in organization of the event, type of contribution when participating in an event)
• Information on the organizer/event participant (first and last name, international organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.7   Activity type: consulting activities (individual activities: consulting for private-sector, civil society, or government organizations or research institutions)

• Information on the consulting activity (description, period, client organization, position)
• Information about the consultant (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.8   Activity type: visiting researcher activities (individual activities: guest lecture, guest course, guest stay at an external research institution, hosting a visiting researcher, external research stay)

• Information on the activity (title of the guest lecture or guest course, period or date for guest lecture, guest research institution, location of the guest stay or origin of the visiting researcher, position)
• Information about the visiting researcher (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

2.11.9   Activity type: artistic activities (individual activities: artistic contribution to an event, staging of a full-length piece, curation of a performance)

• Information on the artistic activity (title, description, date, event or performance location, URL, type of contribution for events, position)
• Information about the artist (first and last name, internal organization)
• Assignment to subject areas, research fields, and, if applicable, e.g., SDGs

3. Representation rule
Individuals holding the role of "Researcher" in the RIS have the option to delegate their viewing and editing right within the RIS, as well as the associated tasks, or tob e represented by anosther RIS user of their choosing. They are entitled to determine the manner and the duration oft he representation. This allows the designation of whether a third party may fully manage the rights associated with the „researcher“ role. If an individual holds additional roles in the FIS alongside the "Researcher" role, the rights associated with these roles remain unaffected by the delegation arrangement.
Only members of the UoC who have their own RIS access can be selected as representatives. The designated representative can access their assigned representation role by logging into their own RIS account. In their account, the new role will be displayed, clearly indicating that it is a representation function and specifying which individual is being represented. A representative can act on behalf of multiple researchers and will receive a separate role for each representation, each clearly marked. To access and work with the respective data, the representative must explicitly select the corresponding role.

The delegation arrangement can be revoked by the researchers at any time. No later than the expiration of the defined representation period, the representative’s authorization will automatically end. Access to the representative role will no longer be possible. From this point onward, the management of the role will rest solely with the originally authorized individual.

The establishment of a representation role is voluntary. The delegation of viewing and editing rights by an individual holding the "researcher" role to another RIS user at the UoC occurs exclusively within the RIS and can only be carried out by the individual wishing to be represented. By delegating viewing and editing rights, the representative is granted access to the personal data of the represented individual in their role as a "researcher." By authorizing the representation, the individual agrees to this arrangement. This consent can be revoked at any time by deleting the delegation arrangement or will terminate automatically once the delegation period has expired.

4. Data tranfer
Your personal data, which is collected by the University of Cologne in the research information system, originate from existing internal administrative systems of the University of Cologne and from imports from relevant general public publication databases (ORCID, Web of Science, Scopus etc.).

In contrast to all other data areas, records in the "Activities" section of the UoC-RIS are created exclusively by the users themselves. No central imports of metadata take place in this data area. This means that the personal data listed here will only be processed in the RIS if the affected users have explicitly provided them. By saving a record in the "Activities" section, users give their explicit consent to the processing of the relevant personal data in the UoC-RIS. This consent can be revoked at any time by deleting the respective record (as of January 2025).

Access is restricted in accordance with a roles and rights concept to those persons who require this access as part of their service tasks. The roles assigned in RIS are: Administrator*in, Forschungsadministrator*in, Bibliothekar*in (zentral), Controlling, Controlling (Fakultät), Dekan*in, Forschungsförderung, Forschungsförderung (UKK), Forschungsinfrastruktur, Forschungsinfrastruktur (Fakultät), Habilitationsbeauftragte*r, Leiter*in, Technologietransfer, Technologietransfer (UKK), Wissenschaftler*in.

The publication of personal data from the UoC RIS database, especially in the form of research profiles of UoC researchers, in the publicly accessible VIVO research portal (“RIS portal”) requires the individual consent of the researchers. Both the granting and the revocation of this consent are carried out via the consent mask provided for this purpose in the UoC RIS database; both the granting and revocation of consent by the researchers are possible at any time. There is no registration of the granting and revocation of consent by researchers. The mask remains permanently visible on the start page of the system even after consent has been given. For further information, please refer to the data protection information of the RIS portal (VIVO).

The technical services required for the processing of your personal data are provided by CRIS.NRW on the basis of a contract in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR (DSGVO).

In individual cases, data may be transferred to third parties if this is expressly permitted or required by law.

5. Legal basis for data processing

The legal basis for the processing of personal data for the purpose stated under 2. is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e GDPR (DSGVO) in conjunction with Section 8(3) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Higher Education Act (Gesetz über die Hochschulen des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen - HG) in conjunction with Section 70 North Rhine-Westphalia Higher Education Act (Gesetz über die Hochschulen des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen - HG) in conjunction with the Ordinance on the Operation of Research Information Systems North Rhine-Westphalia (Verordnung über den Betrieb von Forschungsinformationsystemen Nordrhein-Westfalen) (dated August 19, 2020).

The legal basis for publishing your personal data is your consent.

6. Deletion periods
The storage period is defined in accordance with the legal requirements and necessities. Once these periods have expired, the data will be deleted in accordance with data protection regulations.

7. Your rights
You can claim the following rights granted to you by the EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO) at any time:

• Information from the person responsible about the personal data concerned in accordance with Art. 15 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO)
• Correction or completion of your data in accordance with Art. 16 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO)
• Erasure of your data in accordance with Art. 17 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO)
• Restriction of processing in accordance with Art. 18 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO)
• Right to withdraw your consent at any time. The lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until revocation remains unaffected (Art. 7 para. 3 EU-GDPR) (EU-DSGVO)
• Right to object to the future processing of your data in accordance with Art. 21 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO)
• Data portability in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR (DSGVO)
• Complaint to the data protection supervisory authority in accordance with Art. 77 EU-GDPR (EU-DSGVO). One possible point of contact is the North Rhine-Westphalia State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information responsible for the university. This position is currently held by Mrs. Bettina Gayk (as of March 2025):

           Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und 
           Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen
           Kavalleriestraße 2-4
           40213 Düsseldorf

 

All information regarding accessibility can be found at
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/impressum/barrierefreiheit