We are delighted to celebrate our newest Global Participation Fund (GPF) recipients who are joining a growing roster of GPF awardees across the Global South dedicated to making research more visible, discoverable, and connected.
Since its launch in 2022, the GPF—a key initiative of our broader Global Participation Program (GPP)—has provided more than $550K in grants to nearly 30 organizations in 19 countries across the Global South.
By offering biannual grants of $5,000–$20,000 for grants in Community Development and Outreach and Technical Integration, ORCID aims to bridge the gap in research infrastructure and improve equity of ORCID participation in under-represented regions.
With our new four-year strategic plan—ORCID 2030: Advancing the Future of Research—we are committed to broadening our community to enable researchers in under-resourced areas to access funding to grow projects in two areas:
Community Development and Outreach: These grants empower local partners to build robust Communities of Practice. By funding training, local outreach activities, and tech support, we help catalyze the growth of ORCID consortia that serve their unique regional needs.
Technical Integration: These grants fund the development and updating of ORCID integrations within open-source systems. This work not only streamlines research workflows but also creates the technical documentation and support necessary for long-term sustainability.
Congratulations to the following organizations for their projects that will help increase ORCID adoption across the globe.
Community Development and Outreach
Establishing an ORCID Community of Practice for ARARI and the Ten Universities of the Amhara Region
This project by Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) will build an ORCID community of practice in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, serving as a model for low- and lower-middle-income countries with limited ORCID participation. By training over 1,500 researchers and staff across ARARI and ten universities, this project will create local expertise and sustainable support systems. Translating key materials into Amharic and providing continuous helpdesk services will make ORCID more inclusive. The project will boost research visibility, collaboration, and global integration, inspiring similar initiatives across the Global South.
Implementation of the Africa Open Research(er) Check Tool—Rollout of ORCID in Zimbabwe
This project by the University of Witwatersrand aims to provide the African Open Research(er) Check Tool (AORCT), a strategic initiative designed to enhance researcher visibility and advance Open Science practices in Zimbabwe’s universities. It provides a structured framework for assessing and improving researcher identities, integrating ORCID as the anchor and aligning institutional research workflows with global standards. Through five phases—planning, tool customisation, pilot testing, national rollout, and monitoring the project will deliver a scalable solution for ORCID adoption.
Bridging the Visibility Gap: An ORCID Initiative for Northern India
This project by the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu aims to promote ORCID awareness and adoption among researchers, faculty, and students across Northern India, with a focus on underserved regions, in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh. Through at least 60 webinars, multilingual outreach, and institutional single point of contact engagement, the initiative will help users create and maintain complete ORCID profiles. The Central Library, IIT Jammu, will serve as a regional hub and helpdesk, providing ongoing guidance.
Grants for Technical Integration
ORCID Integration for CKAN Data Management System and Community Outreach for Open Science Adaptation
This project by The University of Delhi seeks funding to develop an ORCID integration for Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network (CKAN), an open-source data management system widely used for data portals/repositories worldwide. The project aims to enable researchers to link their ORCID iDs, authenticate via ORCID, and synchronize dataset metadata with ORCID profiles. It includes creating comprehensive technical documentation, training materials, and outreach programs to ensure adoption in Indian Academic and Research Institutions.
For a deep dive on how ORCID is broadening our community in the Global South, particularly how ORCID is transforming African research, watch the replay of ORCID in Action: Understanding ORCID in Africa where we heard from the regional pioneers who are building the infrastructure and communities.
