Privacy Policy

Who we are

Skooper ("we", "us") is operated by its founders, Einat and Relly, as individuals based in Israel. We are the data controller for the personal data described here. For any privacy question or request, contact us at info@skooper.app.

What we collect

• Account details: your name and email address.
• Profile details: role (student or supervisor), photo, location, research fields, keywords, bio, and, for supervisors, lab/group, institution, faculty, ORCID, and website; for students, degree, availability, preferred institutions, and the scholarship groups you choose to tell us about.
• Verification details: your academic email address when you verify it, and the one-time code we send to it.
• Application content: the CV file you upload and the cover letters you write.
• Messages, connection requests, and private reviews you send on the platform.
• Usage data: basic analytics about how you use the app (pages viewed, profiles opened, actions taken), to improve the product and to publish aggregate, anonymous statistics.

How we use your data

• To provide the service: create your profile, compute research-fit Match Scores, show relevant profiles and opportunities, and enable applications, connection requests, and messaging.
• To communicate with you about your account (for example, email confirmation, verification codes, and activity notifications; every notification email includes an unsubscribe link).
• To keep the service secure, prevent abuse, and improve it.
• To produce aggregate statistics (for example, how many students seek a given field). These never identify you, and small groups are hidden.

AI auto-fill feature

Supervisors can use an optional "auto-fill" feature that sends the name and institution you enter to Google's Gemini model (with web search) to suggest public research information about you. You always review and edit the results before saving. Don't use it for anyone other than yourself. Match Scores are computed with OpenAI's embedding model, which receives only the research text on profiles and positions (fields, keywords, bio, publication titles), never your name, email, or CV.

Researcher profiles compiled from public sources

To help students find a supervisor, we also list researchers who have not joined Skooper yet, using information they have made public (institution pages, lab websites, publication records): name, institution, research fields, and a link to their page. These profiles are marked "not yet claimed", cannot be messaged, and show no private data. If you are listed and would like your profile corrected, claimed, or removed, email info@skooper.app and we will act promptly.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your data. We share it only with the service providers that run the platform:

• Supabase, database, authentication, and file storage (hosted in the EU).
• Vercel, application hosting.
• PostHog, product analytics (EU hosting).
• Google, only the text you submit to the optional AI auto-fill feature.
• OpenAI, only the research text used to compute Match Scores.
• Resend, transactional email (confirmations, codes, notifications).

We may also disclose data if required by law. CVs are stored privately and shown only to the supervisor of an opportunity you applied to, via short-lived secure links.

Where your data is stored

Your data is hosted in the European Union (Frankfurt). We protect it with database access controls (row-level security) and private, access-controlled CV storage.

How long we keep it

We keep your data while your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we delete your personal data, except where we must keep something to comply with the law.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (including under the EU GDPR), you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your data, and to object to certain processing. To exercise any of these, email us at info@skooper.app. Account deletion requests are handled within 30 days.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in, and analytics to understand product usage. We do not use advertising cookies.

Children

Skooper is intended for users in higher education and is not directed at children under 18.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll post the new version here and update the date above.

Contact

Questions? Email info@skooper.app.