Data Protection Policy

The International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We process personal data collected during visits of our websites in accordance with the applicable data protection laws, and only to the extent necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website, content, and services. We do not publish or share your data with unauthorized third parties.

In the following sections, we outline the data we collect when you visit our website, and how this data is used:


  1. When using the website for informational purposes only, i.e., if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we collect only that personal data which your browser transmits to our server. If you wish to view our website, we collect the following data to the extent that it is technically necessary for us in order to display our website to you as well as ensure its stability and security.

    • IP address
    • Date and time of request
    • Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
    • Content of request (specific page)
    • Access status/HTTP- status code
    • Data volume transmitted in each case
    • The website the request has come from Browser
    • Operating system and its interface
    • Language and browser software version.


  2. In addition to the aforesaid data, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are attributed to the browser you are using and stored on your hard drive and which provide specific information to the website that places the cookie (in this case, our website). Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Overall, they serve to make Internet content more user-friendly and effective.
  3. Use of Cookies
    1. This website uses the following types of cookies, the extent and operating principle of which will be explained hereinafter:
      Transient cookies (see b)
      Persistent cookies (see c).
    2. Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. In particular, these include session cookies. These store a session ID, which is used to assign various requests from your browser to a common session. This allows your computer to be recognised when you return to our website. The session cookies are removed once you log out or close your browser.
    3. Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the cookie. You can delete cookies at any time in the security settings of your browser.
    4. You can configure your browser settings according to your wishes and, for example, refuse to accept third-party cookies or all cookies. Please be aware that you may not be able to use all features of this website if you refuse to accept cookies.
    5. You can prevent the use of HTML5 storage objects by using “Private Mode”, which is available in all modern browsers. In addition, we recommend that you regularly delete your cookies and browser history manually.
  4. Privacy Policy and Use of Social Media
    The websites of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen contains links to various integrated social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr. These should not be seen merely as an integration of data such as the "Like" button, but links to the university's social media presence on the respective platform. The Georg-August-Universität Göttingen does not store any data relevant for the application of data protection laws.
    If external content is embedded on a university website (via iframe or in a similar way), cookies may be set or general framework data such as your IP address may be transmitted to the respective provider. Thus, the privacy policies of the respective provider also apply. For this reason, the Twitter and YouTube content embedded on our pages is inactive by default and is only activated by your consent to the privacy policy of the external service provider.
  5. Matomo
    This website uses Matomo for web analytics. For this purpose, usage information generated by "cookies" (including your shortened IP address) is transmitted to the server and stored for usage analysis purposes after it has been made anonymous. The information generated by the cookie(s) about your usage of the site will not be transmitted to third parties.
    Opt-out
    On your first visit to our site (or after deleting the browser cache), you will be shown a banner in which you can opt-in or opt-out of the collection of data by Matomo. You can change your setting at any time on the following page:

  1. Type of data
    On our websites, we offer you the opportunity to apply to our programs by entering personal data via an input screen. This data includes your personal information (name, gender, birthdate and -place, address information) as well as information on your educational background, motivation to study in our program and information on two referees.
  2. Legal basis
    The legal basis for processing data is the existence of the user's consent according to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.
  3. Data deletion
    The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required in order to fulfil the purpose of their collection:

    • Incomplete application data is deleted two months after the application deadline.
    • Application data from declined applications is deleted 14 months after the application deadline (anonymized, grouped data is saved for statistical purposes).
    • Application data from accepted applications are deleted after the graduation of the applicant (36 months after the application deadline).

    You can withdraw registration at any time. You can have the data relating to you altered at any time; the procedure is described in detail during the actual registration operation.

Whenever you enter data onto a form, your consent provides the legal basis for data processing, in accordance with Article 6(1)(1)(a) GDPR in conjunction with Articles 7 and 8 GDPR. We also rely on your consent as to which type of cookies you choose to accept or decline.
The legal basis for the agreement or initiation of a contract with us is provided by: Article 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. b) GDPR.
In rare cases, we may have a legal obligation to collect your information. Then Article 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. c) GDPR applies.
If we need your data to fulfil our public duties, Article 6 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. e) GDPR applies.
The above-mentioned automatic data collection, about your browser and the circumstances of your visit to our website, is based on our legitimate interest in the security and functionality of the website in accordance with Article 6 paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 lit. f) GDPR, and when appropriate, in connection with Article 6 paragraph 1 subparagraph 1 lit. e) GDPR. This is also the case for setting certain cookies as necessary.
Your conflicting interest in the secrecy of this data must be secondary to our legitimate interest, otherwise we would have to go without a web presence, which is not reasonable considering our public duties, in particular, Paragraph 1, Section 3, No. 10, NHG.
  1. Contact details of the controller
    The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection acts as well as other data protection legislation is the

    Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
    The President
    Prof Dr. Metin Tolan
    Wilhelmsplatz 1
    37073 Göttingen, Germany
    Phone +49 (0)551 39-21000
    Email: praesident@uni-goettingen.de

  2. Data Protection Officer's contact details
    The controller’s data protection officer is

    Prof. Andreas Wiebe
    Platz der Göttinger Sieben 6
    37073 Göttingen, Germany
    Phone +49 (0)551 39-27381
    Email: datenschutz@uni-goettingen.de
As a data subject whose personal data are collected in the context of the above-mentioned services, you generally have the following rights unless legal exceptions apply in individual cases:

  • Information (Article 15 GDPR)
  • Correction (Article 16 GDPR)
  • Deletion (Article 17 (1) GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
  • Data transmission (Article 20 GDPR)
  • Revocation of processing (Article 21 GDPR)
  • Revocation of consent (Article 7 (3) GDPR)
  • Right to complain to the regulator (Article 77 GDPR).
    For the University of Göttingen, this is the State Data Protection Authority for Lower Saxony, located at Prinzenstrasse 5, 30159 Hannover, Germany, phone number +49 (0)511/120-4500, poststelle@lfd.niedersachsen.de.