Q. What is ORCiD and how do I create one?

What is ORCiD?

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributer ID) is a registry of unique identifiers for researchers and scholars. Anyone can sign up for a free account and receive their unique 16-digit identifier in minutes.  At a minimum, your ORCID should include your full name, name variations, and your current affiliation. 

Why do I need an ORCiD?

• Beginning in July 2025, the NIH will require all senior and key personnel named in grants to obtain an ORCID and link it to their eRA profiles (Notice NOT-OD-24-163). Soon, other NIH policies will also require researchers to obtain and use an ORCID when engaging with various research and publishing platforms.

• An ORCID disambiguates you from every other researcher and improves the discoverability of your work. 

• ORCID profiles can be linked with 1200+ academic and scientific service providers to automatically populate and update records of work, which lets you spend less time managing your research profile.

• An ORCID is not institution-specific. You maintain your ORCID and its associated record no matter your affiliation. 

How do I create an ORCiD profile?

1. Go to ORCID.
2. Register for a personal account or login by selecting "Access through Your Institution".
3. Make sure your account is public to Everyone.
4. Add your preferred name and name variations.
5. Add Employment - When you enter your institution, the form should begin to auto fill with the name of your organization.

***If you think you may already have an ORCID, search the ORCID registry (by name). If you find an ID and profile that belong to you, go to the Sign in page and choose the "forgot your password or ORCID ID?" link.