Scientific research is indispensable inter alia in order to treat harmful diseases, address societal challenges and foster economic innovation. Such research is not the domain of a single type of organization but can be conducted by a range of different entities in both the public and private sectors. Given that the use of personal data may be indispensable for many forms of research, the data protection framework will play an important role in determining not only what types of research may occur but also which types of actors may carry it out. This article looks at the role the EU’s General Data Regulation plays in determining which types of actors can conduct research with personal data. In doing so it focuses on the various legal bases that are available and attempts to discern whether the GDPR can be said to favour research in either the public or private domains. As this article explains, the picture is nuanced, with either type of research actor enjoying advantages and disadvantages in specific contexts.

科学研究对于治疗有害疾病、解决社会挑战和促进经济创新不可或缺。此类研究不是单一类型组织的领域，而是可以由公共和私营部门的一系列不同实体进行。鉴于个人数据的使用对于许多形式的研究来说可能是不可或缺的，数据保护框架将发挥重要作用，不仅决定可能进行哪些类型的研究，而且决定哪些类型的参与者可以进行研究。本文着眼于欧盟通用数据法规在确定哪些类型的参与者可以使用个人数据进行研究方面发挥的作用。在此过程中，它重点关注现有的各种法律依据，并试图辨别 GDPR 是否可以说有利于公共领域或私人领域的研究。正如本文所解释的，情况是微妙的，任何类型的研究参与者在特定背景下都有优势和劣势。