ORCiD is a digital persistent identifier provided by ORCID - an “ORCID iD” that allows you to own and control data about your research, and distinguishes you from every other researcher. It is an increasingly important mechanism for visibility in the global scholarly community, an ORCID iD is a valuable professional asset for scholars in every discipline. 

Moreover, by May 2025, researchers will be required to have ORCID iDs by the NIH and DOE to apply for funding. For other federal grantmaking agencies, ORCID remains optional but strongly recommended. According to recent Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP guidance and National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33), it is expected that by May 2025, most federal agencies will join the NIH and DOE in requiring ORCID iDs on proposal submission documents and progress reports. 

While ORCID iDs are not new, a new University support “ORCID@Princeton” is now available to help Princeton researchers connect their ORCID iD to their Princeton NetID, which has various benefits. The site will also help researchers establish an ORCID iD or reconcile multiple records.

Princeton is currently designing ways for researchers to send Princeton’s trusted data to their ORCID record to help meet funder and publisher requirements, and to reduce administrative burden/re-entry of information across platforms. Linking an ORCID iD to Princeton also gives the University the ability to easily identify published works as belonging to Princeton faculty and staff, and have more complete data pertaining to research activities.

Check out the site. Creating and connecting an ORCID iD to your Princeton NetID should take less than a minute. It is also recommended that researchers establish delegates to maintain ORCID iD information.

Benefits of an ORCID iD

• Uniquely yours: Distinguish yourself and claim credit for your work while controlling access to data about you and your research, no matter how many people have your same (or a similar) name.
• Name flexibility: ORCID accommodates name changes, as well as name(s) you may have used previously in your career.
• More time for research: By allowing trusted organizations to add your research information to your ORCID record, you can spend more time conducting your research and less time maintaining the data about it!
• Reduced administrative burden: Experience greater ease as an increasing number of manuscript submission, sponsor system and/or grant application forms can be auto-populated when you log into their systems with your ORCID, including SciENcv, eRA Commons, and more.
• Control your visibility and discovery: ORCID links all your scholarly data/activities/outputs together, while you control the visibility of each piece of data. Set your visibility to “public” to increase your discoverability!
• Delegate-friendly: Establish delegates (i.e., grants and department staff) to assist you in the maintenance of data in your ORCID iD.
• Portable profile data: Easily share your data between your record and an increasing number of funding, publications, data repositories, and other research workflows. Also, an ORCID iD is portable throughout your career, including if you should move institutions/employers.
• Funder requirements: A range of federal and nonfederal sponsors are currently requiring ORCID iDs to streamline disclosure processes and reduce administrative burden. Maintaining an ORCID iD keeps you eligible for a range of sponsored funding.