Legal Information

  1. Company name
  2. Editorial manager
  3. Terms and Conditions of Use

1- COMPANY NAME

Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS

Public Interest Foundation

Rue d’Egmont 5

1000 Brussels

Belgium

Company number (CBE): 0885.324.344

2- EDITORIAL MANAGER

Dr Ir Véronique Halloin, Secretary General

3- TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE

a) OUR 10 PRINCIPLES

Your access to our website and your use of it are governed by the terms and conditions available here  and are based on 10 principles summarised below.

We draw your attention to the need to read these terms and conditions carefully. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: privacy@frs-fnrs.be

1- Access to our website implies acceptance of our contractual framework

Access to our website implies your full and unconditional acceptance of these Terms and Conditions of Use.

2- Our contractual framework is intended to be clear and transparent

We inform you of changes made to the Terms and Conditions of Use, the Privacy Policy or the Cookie Policy via the website. These changes apply to you each time you access our website.

3- We do everything we can to provide you with an up-to-date and accessible website, free from errors and harmful components

We do everything we can to ensure that our website remains up to date and accessible, free from errors  or harmful components (computer viruses, external intrusions, etc.). However, disruptions, interruptions or the presence of harmful elements beyond our control may still occur. We are not responsible for them.

If you notice the presence of any unusual element, please contact us at: privacy@frs-fnrs.be. We will then do our utmost to restore the situation as soon as possible.

4- We rely on you to provide accurate and up-to-date information

For the proper management of our website and our services, we need accurate and up-to-date information.

5- You undertake to use our website in accordance with its purpose and applicable law

In particular, you will refrain from:

  • using a false identity;
  • sending us false or illegal content, spam, or content that infringes a third party’s rights or causes them harm;
  • breaching unauthorised access to any part of the website;
  • taking any action that may disrupt the operation of our website.

If you become aware of behaviour or inappropriate use in connection with our website, please contact us at: privacy@frs-fnrs.be

We are not responsible for other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites and some other websites may include a link to our website. We do not control these third-party websites. We therefore assume no responsibility for their operation, content or use.

6- You are responsible for your use of our website

You use our website at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from the use of, or inability to use, our website.

7- Our website and its components are protected by intellectual property rights

Our website and its components (trademarks, logos, graphics, photographs, animations, videos, texts, etc.) are our property. They are protected by intellectual property rights. You are therefore prohibited from copying, distributing or using our website or its components for purposes other than displaying the website and browsing it, without the prior authorisation of the F.R.S.-FNRS.

If you publish content on the F.R.S.-FNRS affiliated websites, unless otherwise indicated, you grant the F.R.S.-FNRS a non-exclusive and royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such content worldwide on any medium on or in connection with the websites and their promotion, including without limitation the right to use your name, image or identity.

9- Our complaints system is intended to be simple and efficient

Any complaint must be submitted to us in writing within eight calendar days from the time you became aware of the fact giving rise to the complaint. You may submit it as follows:

By email: privacy@frs-fnrs.be

By registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt: 

Fonds de la recherche scientifique – FNRS

Public Interest Foundation

Rue d’Egmont 5

1000 Brussels

Belgium

10- We resolve disputes by favouring dialogue

Lengthy court proceedings benefit no one. In the event of a dispute between us, we undertake to favour dialogue and openness in seeking an amicable solution.

1. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE

1.1 The website www.fnrs.be, including its affiliated websites (hereinafter the “ Websites ”), is managed and operated under the responsibility of:

Public Interest Foundation

Fonds de la recherche scientifique – FNRS (hereinafter “ F.R.S.-FNRS ”),

Rue d’Egmont 5

1000 Brussels

Belgium

Company number (CBE): 0885.324.344

1.2 The Websites constitute a portal for the dissemination of information and the promotion of activities dedicated to scientific research, for the administrative and scientific management of funding applications, for the evaluation process of applications, for the remuneration process linked to activities related to the F.R.S.-FNRS, and, more generally, to enable easy communication between parties (hereinafter the “ Services ”).

1.3 Any question or complaint relating to the Websites, these Terms and Conditions of Use (hereinafter the “ TCU ”), the privacy charter (hereinafter the “Charter ”) and the cookie policy (hereinafter the “ Cookie Policy ”) may be addressed to the F.R.S.-FNRS at the address mentioned above or at the following email address: privacy@frs-fnrs.be

2. ACCEPTANCE

2.1 Access to the Websites is subject to these TCU as well as applicable laws and regulations. Accordingly, access to the Websites implies the user’s (hereinafter the “ User ”) full and unconditional acceptance of these TCU.

2.2 These TCU, the Cookie Policy and the Charter exclusively govern the relationship between the User and the F.R.S.-FNRS relating to the use of the Websites and the Services. They may be consulted at any time on the Websites.

3. ACCESSIBILITY AND OPERATION OF THE WEBSITES

3.1 The F.R.S.-FNRS will endeavour, as far as possible, to ensure that the Websites are up to date and remain accessible to a normal number of Users. However, the F.R.S.-FNRS does not guarantee that the functions of the Websites will be available without interruption or error, that defects will be corrected immediately, or that the server making them available will be free from viruses or other harmful components.

3.2 The F.R.S.-FNRS may not be held liable for any loss and/or damage of any kind arising from the suspension, interruption, (technical) disruption, slowdown, difficult accessibility and/or termination of accessibility to all or part of the Websites, or from viruses or other harmful elements present on the Websites.

3.3 If the User notices the presence of an error, a virus or other harmful elements on the Websites, they are invited to report it to the F.R.S.-FNRS at: privacy@frs-fnrs.be so that the necessary measures can be taken. In any event, the F.R.S.-FNRS advises the User to install the necessary firewalls, anti-virus and other protective software on their computer to prevent any damage.

3.4 The F.R.S.-FNRS reserves the right to suspend or discontinue all or part of the Websites at any time, without justification and without prior notice.

4. USE OF THE WEBSITE

4.1 The User undertakes to use the Websites solely in accordance with their purpose, to the exclusion of any other purpose.

4.2 The User must ensure that all information they provide is accurate and up to date.

4.3 The User undertakes to use the Websites in good faith and to comply with applicable law and, in particular, to refrain from:

  • sending the F.R.S.-FNRS content or communications that are false or misleading (and updating such content where necessary to ensure it does not become false or misleading), obscene, racist or xenophobic, abusive, illegal, untruthful, infringing on others’ privacy, offensive, harmful, violent, threatening or harassing, defamatory, infringing an intellectual property right or any other right, or that encourages or contributes to any of these;
  • providing email addresses or other types of content to the F.R.S.-FNRS without having obtained the prior consent of the persons concerned;
  • sending the F.R.S.-FNRS content that infringes a third party’s rights or causes them harm in any way (intellectual property rights, privacy, trade secrets, etc.);
  • copying any literary, artistic, visual or audiovisual content from the Websites for purposes other than personal consultation;
  • extracting, by permanent or temporary transfer, all or part of the content of the Websites or all or part of one or more databases available on the Websites, by whatever extraction method;
  • reusing, by making available to the public, all or part of the content of the Websites or all or part of one or more databases available on the Websites, in any form whatsoever, without the prior authorisation of the F.R.S.-FNRS;
  • sending the F.R.S.-FNRS content that directs to illegal websites or websites containing inappropriate content;
  • using the Websites to send unsolicited, spam, pyramid or similar or fraudulent communications;
  • circumventing technical protection measures for documents and multimedia elements;
  • taking any action that may disrupt the proper functioning of the Websites and Services, including the use of computer worms, viruses, logic bombs or mass mailing;
  • attempting to breach unauthorised access to any part of the Websites or to equipment used for operating the Websites;
  • using a false name, a pseudonym, or claiming the identity of another person or entity;
  • using the Websites for purposes other than those provided for in the TCU.

4.4 The F.R.S.-FNRS may not be held liable in the event of non-compliance by the User with the TCU, the Cookie Policy, the Charter and/or applicable laws or regulations. The User indemnifies the F.R.S.-FNRS against any action, claim or complaint by third parties (including public authorities) relating to their use of the Websites.

4.5 The User uses the Websites at their own risk. The Websites, their components and all related information, software, facilities and services are provided “as is”, depending on availability, without any warranty of any kind (express or implied) and within the limits of applicable law.

4.6 The F.R.S.-FNRS disclaims any liability for any loss or damage (direct or indirect, tangible or intangible) resulting from the use of the Websites and their components, or from the inability to use the Websites.

4.7 The User must also inform the F.R.S.-FNRS immediately in writing if they become aware of behaviour or inappropriate use in connection with the Websites by sending an email to: privacy@frs-fnrs.be.

5. REGISTRATION 

5.1 The User is a natural person or a legal entity. The User may register by creating an account via the Websites in order to access the various services provided by the F.R.S.-FNRS Websites in the context of its activities related to scientific research. Registration is free of charge.

5.2 The F.R.S.-FNRS reserves the right to request proof of identity and legal capacity of the User wishing to register at any time. If the User is a legal entity, they certify that they are authorised to act as such and bind the legal entity under these TCU.

5.3 Following submission of the registration form available on the Websites, the User receives, at the email address provided in the form, an acknowledgement of receipt indicating their username and password. Registration is complete once the User has confirmed their registration request by clicking the hyperlink contained in the acknowledgement of receipt sent by the F.R.S.-FNRS. The User may then log in to the Websites by entering their username and confidential password in the fields provided for this purpose.

5.4 Registration of a User results in the recording of the User’s data in the F.R.S.-FNRS database.

5.5 The data collected on this occasion are processed in accordance with the applicable regulations on personal data and in particular Regulation 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, applicable from 25 May 2018. All useful information concerning the processing of these data is available in the Privacy Charter.

5.6 The User may request deletion of their registration at any time by sending an email to: privacy@frs-fnrs.be. We will then do our utmost to take the necessary steps as soon as possible, in accordance with the deletion and retention arrangements set out in the Privacy Charter.

5.7 The User is responsible for the use of and access to their account. In this respect, the User must ensure that no other person has access to the Websites using their password. If the User becomes aware that another person is accessing the Websites using their password, the User must inform the F.R.S.-FNRS without delay by email at: privacy@frs-fnrs.be.

5.8 In any event, if the User does not comply with these Terms and Conditions of Use, the F.R.S.-FNRS reserves the right to close the User’s account and suspend or delete access to the User’s personal account after sending a formal notice that remains without effect for thirty (30) days from the date of sending.

6. LINKS TO AND FROM OTHER WEBSITES

Hyperlinks to other websites may appear on the Websites. In addition, some websites may include a link to the Websites. These third-party websites are not controlled by the F.R.S.-FNRS, which therefore assumes no responsibility for their operation, content or use. Unless expressly stated otherwise by the F.R.S.-FNRS on the Websites, the existence of such links does not imply any approval by the F.R.S.-FNRS of these third-party websites or of the use that may be made of them, nor any association or partnership with the operators of these websites.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

7.1 The Websites and their components (trademarks, logos, graphics, photographs, images, animations, videos, music, texts, icons, technologies, software, domain names and source codes, etc., hereinafter referred to as the “ Content ”) are the property of the F.R.S.-FNRS or of its partners granting the F.R.S.-FNRS the right to use such Content. All Content is protected by intellectual property rights (including copyright, related rights, image rights, design rights, trademark rights, etc.) and therefore may not be reproduced, used or distributed without the prior written authorisation of the F.R.S.-FNRS or, where applicable, the relevant rights holder, failing which this may constitute an act of infringement (copyright and/or designs and/or trademarks), criminally sanctioned by the Code of Economic Law, or any other infringement of applicable legal provisions.

7.2 Under these TCU, the F.R.S.-FNRS grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable authorisation, for an indefinite period and revocable at any time without justification, to access the Content of the Websites, display it and download it solely for display purposes. The User may also print one copy of the Content displayed on the Websites for personal needs, provided that the User does not alter the Content in any way and retains all authorship and origin notices of the Websites. Reproduction is therefore only permitted for strictly private use within the meaning of Article XI.190 5° of the Code of Economic Law.

7.3 Any use of the Websites and their components not covered by this article is strictly prohibited.

8. COMPLAINTS

In order to be valid, any complaint by the User relating to the Websites must be submitted in writing within eight (8) calendar days from the time the User became aware of the fact giving rise to the complaint. The absence of any challenge in accordance with the above rules constitutes the User’s unconditional and unreserved acceptance of the fact giving rise to the complaint and, de facto, a definitive waiver of any complaint in this respect.

9. AMENDMENTS AND LANGUAGE VERSIONS

9.1 The F.R.S.-FNRS reserves the right to amend and update, at any time, subject to notifying Users via the Websites, these TCU, the Charter and the Cookie Policy, as well as access to the Websites and their content. All such amendments apply to Users each time they access the Websites; therefore it is recommended to consult them each time the Websites are used again, the date of the last amendment being indicated at the top of these TCU.

9.2 In the event of discrepancies between the language versions of these TCU, the Charter or the Cookie Policy, the French version shall prevail.

10. VALIDITY OF CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES

10.1 The fact that the F.R.S.-FNRS does not invoke, at a given time, any provision of these TCU shall not be interpreted as a waiver of its right to rely on such provision at a later date.

10.2 The nullity, lapse or unenforceability of all or part of any of the preceding or following provisions shall not entail the nullity of these TCU as a whole. Any provision that is wholly or partially null, lapsed or unenforceable shall be deemed unwritten. The F.R.S.-FNRS undertakes to replace such provision with another that will, as far as possible, pursue the same objective.

11. APPLICABLE LAW AND COMPETENT JURISDICTION

11.1 The validity, interpretation and/or performance of the TCU are governed by Belgian law, to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable rules of private international law.

11.2 In the event of a dispute relating to the validity, interpretation or performance of the TCU, the Courts and Tribunals of the judicial district of Brussels shall have exclusive jurisdiction, to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable rules of private international law.

11.3 Before taking any steps aimed at judicial resolution of a dispute, the User and the F.R.S.-FNRS undertake to attempt to resolve it amicably. To this end, they will first contact each other before, where appropriate, resorting to mediation, arbitration or any other alternative dispute resolution method.