Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Effective Date: 2025-09-26

This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) governs how users may access and use myresearchcloud.ca (“the Service”), operated by Computing for Humanity (“CFH”), a registered Canadian charity. All users must comply with this AUP in addition to the Terms of Use.

General Principles

The Service exists to support Canadian researchers, students, educators, and citizen scientists by providing fair, equitable access to compute and storage resources. Users agree to:

  • Use resources responsibly, without disrupting other users.

  • Protect the security and integrity of the Service.

  • Use the Service only for lawful, academic, educational, or research purposes.

Prohibited Uses

Users must not:

  • Use the Service for commercial, for-profit, or resale purposes.

  • Conduct cryptocurrency mining or run other non-research workloads that waste resources.

  • Upload, process, or share unlawful, harmful, defamatory, obscene, or infringing materials.

  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other accounts, systems, or data.

  • Interfere with or disrupt the availability, performance, or security of the Service.

  • Store or process highly sensitive data (such as identifiable health data under Ontario’s PHIPA) unless expressly authorized in writing.

Resource Management

  • Free access is limited to one lifetime grant per individual or organization, unless otherwise approved.

  • Allocations may be reclaimed if left unused for extended periods.

  • CFH may revoke allocations at any time for violations of this AUP or the Terms of Use.

Attribution

Users must acknowledge myresearchcloud.ca / Computing for Humanity in any publications, presentations, software, or outputs that result from use of the Service. Example wording:

“Compute resources were provided by myresearchcloud.ca, a service of Computing for Humanity.”

Enforcement

  • CFH reserves the right to investigate suspected violations of this AUP.

  • Accounts may be suspended or terminated without notice for non-compliance.

  • Serious violations may be referred to legal authorities.

Questions

If you are unsure whether your intended use complies with this AUP, please contact us through the website before proceeding.