What is ORCID? from ORCID on Vimeo.

​ORCID (Open Researcher & Contributor ID) is a registry of unique identifiers for researchers and scholars. It distinguish a specific researcher from other researchers and is integrated into key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submissions. In addition, it also supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities to ensure accurate attribution of work to their authors, and thus enhances the discoverability of research. ORCID is free, flexible and easy-to-use and reaches across disciplines, research sectors, and national boundaries to help reduce reporting workload, improve attribution, and streamline research, collaboration, and evaluation workflows. 

​ORCID provides two core functions:

• a registry where you can obtain a unique identifier and manage a record of activities
• APIs that support system-to system communication and authentication

The ORCID web site maintains a list of institutions and organizations with established ORCID programs in place or in progress such as:

• Professional societies and associations (American Association of Immunologists, American Chemical Society, etc)
• Publishers and Presses (e.g. Elsevier, Wiley, Nature Publishing, etc)
• Research institutions (e.g. Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, National Institutes of Health)
• Federal Agencies (Food and Drug Administration, etc)
• Scholarly Sharing Service providers (CrossRef, FigShare, DataCite)
• Major Research Universities (Harvard University, Cal Tech, MIT, University of Michigan, etc)