University of Aberdeen

You and your Data

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When individuals apply to work at the University of Aberdeen (in this notice and subsequent notices within this domain/website each an 'applicant'), University of Aberdeen (in this notice, and subsequent notices within this domain/website 'UofA' or 'we') will only use the information they supply to us as part of that application in order to process their application and/or to monitor recruitment statistics and/or (if the application is successful) to create a file relating to their employment with us.

Where we want to disclose information to a third party, for example where we want to take up a reference or obtain a PVG Check from Disclosure Scotland we will not do so without informing the relevant applicant (or in the case of a PVG Check (or similar) obtaining the consent of the applicant) beforehand unless the disclosure is required by law. Note failure to consent to a PVG check may, for certain positions, mean the candidate’s application will not proceed.

Personal information about unsuccessful applicants will be held for 13 months after the recruitment exercise has been completed, it will then be destroyed or deleted. We may retain de-personalised statistical information about applicants for a longer period to help inform our recruitment activities and to report on such matters as diversity, but no individual will be identifiable from that data.

Information about applicants may be held by UofA, and also by third party suppliers of technology and/or recruitment software to UofA (and sub-contractors to those third parties). Those third parties include Hireserve Limited (UK Company Number 03420688) a supplier of an online recruitment solution. However, UofA is the data controller of that data, and all questions about what data is held, and how it is processed should be addressed to UofA (using the address below). That data will only be stored in the UK (or on computers located in the UK).

Once a person has taken up employment with the University of Aberdeen, we will compile a file relating to their employment. That file may include data provided by that person, or obtained about that person, (in each case) in the course of his/her application for employment. The information contained in this file will be kept secure and will only be used for purposes directly relevant to that person's employment. Once their employment with University of Aberdeen has ended, we will retain the file in accordance with the requirements of our retention schedule and then delete it.

UofA complies with the UK's data protection laws.

Individuals can find out if UofA holds any personal information about them by making a 'subject access request' under the Data Protection Act 1998. We may charge you for responding to that subject access request (up to a maximum of £10).

If you make a subject access request, and pay any such charge, then if we hold information about you we will:

  • give you a description of it;
  • tell you why we are holding it;
  • tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
  • let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.


To make a subject access request please use the contact details set out below.

If we do hold information about you, you can ask us to correct any mistakes by, contacting the address below:

If you have queries about data about you or want to make a subject access request or request a correction to data we hold about you then please contact the UofA data protection officer using the following contact details:

Phone : 01224 272037

Email : dpa@abdn.ac.uk

Post : Data Protection Officer, Policy, Planning and Governance, University of Aberdeen, University Office, King`s College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX.