Multi-Jurisdictional Website Privacy Policy

1. Global Scope

The International Association of Research Scholars & Administrators (IARSA) operates as a unified global association through its legally registered entities in the United States, Nigeria, and Ghana. This Privacy Policy governs all data collection via our unified website (iarsa.org). We are committed to protecting the privacy of our global members, research participants, and donors.

2. Legal Compliance Frameworks

Because we operate across three distinct regions, our data processing activities are explicitly designed to comply simultaneously with:

• United States: State and federal privacy guidelines (including COPPA and state-specific frameworks like CCPA/CPRA where applicable).
• Nigeria: The Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
• Ghana: The Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843 / DPA).

3. Information We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of data:

• Account & Membership Data: Names, professional titles, university and institutional affiliations, academic CVs, email addresses, and phone numbers.
• Financial Data: Credit card billing addresses, transaction histories, and local currency payment details. We do not store raw card numbers on our servers; all payments are securely tokenized and handled by external payment processors.
• Research & Submissions Data: Academic manuscripts, peer-review feedback, awards nominations, and abstract submissions.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process data under the following legal bases:

• Contractual Necessity: To manage your IARSA membership, process conference registrations, or fulfil certification enrolments.
• Consent: For sending newsletters, marketing updates, or processing research surveys.
• Legitimate Interests: To maintain website security, prevent fraudulent applications, and track global scientific impact.

5. Cross-Border Data Transfers

As an international network, personal data collected in Nigeria or Ghana may be transferred to and stored on secure servers managed by our United States division, and vice versa.

We implement strict organizational safeguards, end-to-end encryption, and Data Transfer Agreements to ensure your information receives an equal level of protection regardless of geographical location.

6. Your Data Rights

Regardless of your home country, IARSA extends the following rights to all users:

• Access & Portability: You may request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Correction & Erasure: You can update inaccurate data or request the permanent deletion of your profile (the right to be forgotten).
• Objection & Restriction: You may object to direct marketing or restrict how we process your research metrics.