Policies
Content inventory and posting schedule
Following the guidance of the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), HANDLS developed this inventory of content as required by Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Government Act of 2002. For background on this requirement, go to National Archives e-government act of 2002.
Copyright and trademark information
The public may reproduce without permission information from the HANDLS website, except for documents that state another copyright policy applies to them. Restrictions on the reproduction of a document may arise if a private party has sponsored it. Information presented on the HANDLS website is authored and owned by the Federal government in the public domain.
You may encounter documents, illustrations, photographs, or other information resources contributed or licensed by private individuals, companies, or organizations that may be protected by US and foreign copyright laws. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in the copyright laws requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Specific HANDLS websites containing protected information provide additional notification of conditions associated with its use.
Any information that is reproduced from this site should acknowledge HANDLS as the source by referring to the HANDLS website.
Copyrighted material
Some information on the HANDLS website may be subject to copyright restrictions. This information includes documents, images, or multimedia in which another copyright policy applies to them. This information may include but not limited to:
- Rights managed images, documents, or multimedia
- Royalty free images, documents, or multimedia
- Privately sponsored images, documents, or multimedia
- Documents, images, or files marked with a copyright symbol
- Documents, images, or files displaying the phrase, “All Rights Reserved”
Note: United States law does not require a copyright notice, and therefore, not all copyrighted material available on the HANDLS website will be necessarily marked in these ways. Therefore it is the responsibility of the person or agency using or copying the information to research whether the information is copyrighted and under what laws the material falls as well as what restrictions for use may be applicable.
If a page is copyrighted, transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in federal copyright laws may require written permission of the copyright owners.
Information quality
HANDLS adheres to the National Institutes of Health standards for information quality and the National Institutes of Health plain writing guidelines.
Digital strategy
HANDLS subscribes to the Department of Health and Human Services’s digital strategy including information on governance and data publication processes.
Vulnerability disclosure policy
HHS is committed to ensuring the security of the American public by protecting their information from unwarranted disclosure. This policy is intended to give security researchers clear guidelines for conducting vulnerability discovery activities and to convey how to submit discovered vulnerabilities to HHS. This policy describes what systems and types of research are covered under this policy, how to send vulnerability reports, and how long HHS asks security researchers to wait before publicly disclosing vulnerabilities. Read the HHS Vulnerability Disclosure Policy.
Small business point of contact
Small businesses interested in contracting with the National Institutes of Health can find useful information provided by our parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.
Open government
HANDLS subscribes to the Open Government Plan from the Department of Health and Human Services.
No FEAR Act
Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act
On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act (Public Law No. 107-174) to increase federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees. The No FEAR Act became effective on October 1, 2003.
This act requires that federal agencies post on their public websites certain summary statistical data relating to equal employment opportunity complaints filed against the respective agencies.
Statistical information in accordance with the No FEAR Act relating to the National Institutes of Health equal employment opportunity complaints is available on the National Institutes of Health Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website.
Privacy policy
Of the information we learn about you from your visit to the HANDLS website, we store only: the domain name from which you access the internet, the date and time you access our site, and the internet address of the website from which you linked to our site. This information is used to measure the number of visitors to our site and to help us make our site more useful to visitors. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.
When inquiries are e-mailed to us, we store the question and the e-mail address information so that we can respond electronically. Unless otherwise required by statute, we do not identify publicly who sends questions or comments to our website. We will not obtain information to identify you personally when you visit our site unless you chose to provide such information to us.
To protect your privacy, be sure to close your browser after you have finished conducting business with the HANDLS website. The HANDLS website does not use cookies. If you are concerned about the potential use of information gathered from your computer by cookies, you can set your browser to prompt you before it accepts a cookie. Most web browsers have settings that let you identify or reject cookies.
Third-party websites and applications
HANDLS posts videos on YouTube to make them available to the public. You do not need to register with YouTube or Google (YouTube Owner) to watch HANDLS YouTube videos. When you watch videos, YouTube may record non-personally identifiable information about their site usage, such as channels used, videos watched, and data transfer details to improve its services. If you log on to the YouTube site before watching HANDLS videos, YouTube may associate information about your site usage with your YouTube account. If you log onto YouTube and comment on a HANDLS video, any personal information you included on your YouTube profile page will be visible to visitors who click on the comment field. If you do not log in before watching HANDLS videos posted on YouTube, you cannot comment on HANDLS videos and your site usage will not be associated with you or a YouTube account. The YouTube Privacy Policy is posted on the external Google website.
The HANDLS website does not use third-party websites and applications such a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Security
This website is part of a Federal computer system used to accomplish Federal functions. Computer software programs as well as other methods are used to monitor network traffic on this website for security purposes. By accessing this website, you are expressly consenting to these monitoring activities.
Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features; to use the system for other than intended purposes; to deny service to authorized users; to access, obtain, alter, damage, or destroy information; or to otherwise interfere with the system or its operation are strictly prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and may result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996, as codified at Section 1030 of Title 18 of the United States Code, or other applicable criminal laws.
Open data
The Department of Health and Human Services website makes health data available to entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy makers in the hopes of better outcomes for all.
Website links policy
Links to non-Federal government websites
The HANDLS website links to various other websites, including those that are not owned or sponsored by the US Federal Government. These sites provide information and/or services not available on an official U.S. Federal Government website. NIA provides these links for public service only and does not imply endorsement nor does it guarantee the quality or credibility of any external organizations, services, advice, or products included on these other sites. Furthermore, the U.S. Federal Government neither controls nor guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of the content contained by these external links.
Notification
A notification page will alert website visitors before they are redirected to a non-Federal government website. The notice page shall state:
You are now leaving the HANDLS website for [external URL]. HANDLS is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites. HANDLS neither endorses, warrants, nor guarantees the products, services, or information described or offered at other internet sites.
Evaluation
Per the Disclaimer of Endorsement, HANDLS evaluates links using the criteria noted below.
Required link criteria
The linked website must have one or more of the following elements – the linked website
- provides official Federal government information or services.
- complements existing information, products and services on the HANDLS website.
- information appears to be accurate and current as indicated by references, and date of creation or revisions submitted.
- is accessible and applicable to a wide audience.
- is maintained by an organization or cosponsor that has a direct relationship with the HANDLS study.
- has a direct contractual relationship with the HANDLS study for providing goods or services.
- provides citizens, businesses, or government officials with the information they need to interact directly with government organizations (e.g., clearly available telephone numbers, street addresses, e-mail addresses, and instructions).
- provides community-level information and services.
Links to US Federal government websites
HANDLS can link to any publicly available US Federal government website. Acceptable US Federal government-owned or government-sponsored website domains include .gov, .mil and .fed.us. NIA also provides links to: quasi-government agencies and websites created by public or private sector partnerships; state and local government sites (e.g., www.maryland.gov); and some websites that end in .com, .org, or .net.
Disclaimer of endorsement
The information posted on the HANDLS website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public or private organizations. HANDLS provides these links and pointers solely for information and convenience by our users. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the HANDLS website and are subject to the privacy limitations and policies of the owners or sponsors of that website.
The HANDLS study:
- does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
- does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites, and does not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
- cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.
- is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
- does not guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
Scheduled link reviews
We review the links on our website quarterly or more frequently. We ensure the links are still operational and still provide value to the mission of the HANDLS study.
Please contact us if we overlook something or if you find a nonoperational link.
Linking to the HANDLS website
HANDLS encourages links to its web resources.
Individuals or organizations wishing to link to the HANDLS website should direct their link to handls.nih.gov. If a description is to be provided with the link, the following wording shall be used:
The Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study is conducted by investigators at the National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program. The National Institute on Aging is an institute of the National Institutes of Health, a US Federal government agency providing accurate, up-to-date information about aspects of aging research, information about clinical trials, educational materials, and resources about aging for the general public, and information for researchers and health professionals.
Links to individual pages of the HANDLS website are also permissible, using the above paragraph and any descriptive notes that reflect accurately the content of the linked page(s).
HANDLS may periodically redesigns its website, so content may be located at different web page addresses. Every attempt is made to ensure existing links will continue to forward a user to their requested page(s). However, it is strongly recommended that organizations review their external links frequently to ensure each link referenced is still operational.
Media
If you are a reporter, please send questions to the National Institute on Aging Office of Communications and Public Liaison.