In 2022, the Kenya Libraries and Information Services Consortium (KLISC) received a Community Development and Outreach grant in ORCID’s first cycle of Global Participation Funds (GPF) to train librarians and research directors for increased adoption of ORCID in universities across Kenya. At the close of their grant funding, KLISC has reported positive outcomes from their activities.
“We are tremendously pleased with the progress made by GPF awardees to increase ORCID adoption in the Global South, where ORCID participation has traditionally been lower,” said ORCID Executive Director Chris Shillum. “The grant activities executed by KLISC promote learning and build awareness and energy about ORCID that provide a strong foundation for establishing an ORCID Community of Practice. We are happy to highlight KLISC’s efforts and look forward to seeing continued growth of ORCID adoption in Kenya.”
Stakeholder Empowerment through Training
KLISC initiated several key activities to achieve their goal, targeting key stakeholders such as university librarians, heads of research, and systems librarians with three different workshops: Trainer of Trainers, Advocacy and Training for Directors/Heads of Research, and Advocacy Training for Systems Librarians.
Trainer of Trainers (TOTs) Workshop
This workshop equipped 22 university head librarians from universities across Kenya with the skills to train their respective researchers on registering for an ORCID record and optimizing their records to relieve their burden and save them time as they conducted their research activities. The head librarians themselves were trained on how to populate and utilize their researchers’ records—with their permission.
The training resulted in a new active community of practice for ORCID TOTs, and KLISC members continue to engage with one another on the best practices to advocate for ORCID adoption, celebrate milestones on advocacy efforts, and share and network.
Advocacy and Training for Directors/Heads of Research
This workshop hosted 16 directors and heads of research from various universities in Kenya serving to empower them with advocacy skills and training on the significance of ORCID adoption. By engaging heads of research, the initiative aimed to promote the adoption of ORCID among their institutions’ researchers.
Advocacy Training for Systems Librarians
In this workshop of 29 participants, systems librarians were trained on best practices for integrating ORCID within institutional repositories (IRs). The workshop aimed to empower them with skills to seamlessly incorporate ORCID functionality into existing IR systems, thereby facilitating the widespread adoption of ORCID identifiers within institutional scholarly workflows.
Creation of an ORCID Online Tutorial
KLISC commissioned resource experts to develop an ORCID Implementation Guide aimed at assisting librarians during ORCID training sessions within their respective universities. These guides serve as valuable references for facilitating similar workshops. Additionally, the tutorial was made accessible to KLISC members through the consortium’s website and shared through the TOTs community of practice WhatsApp channel.
This successful project resulted in multiple beneficial outcomes, including laying a foundation for increasing ORCID adoption, improved web visibility, and enhanced research networking. The workshops with various stakeholders served to increase awareness and utilization of ORCID identifiers and empower them with the necessary skills and knowledge to promote and utilize ORCID identifiers effectively within their respective institutions.
“The journey with the GPF project was nothing short of transformative,” said Dr. Penninah Musangi, University Librarian Amref International University in Kenya and GPF PI. “It not only empowered KLISC’s more than 30 institutions to streamline researcher identification, but it has also significantly enhanced collaboration and visibility in the global research community.”
Musangi added that by encouraging and ensuring that faculty, researchers, students, and contributors to journals create and maintain their ORCID records, KLISC has been able to enhance the discoverability and accessibility of the scholarly outputs and research activities of Kenyan researchers.
“The support and resources provided by ORCID throughout the project period have been pivotal in driving and achieving our mission forward, resulting in more visible and identifiable research outputs,” she said. “This success story is a testament to the power of strategic funding and dedicated teamwork in achieving meaningful progress.”
The project promoted the adoption of ORCID identifiers in Kenyan universities and the integration of ORCID identifiers within institutional workflows. Despite facing resource constraints and institutional challenges, the project increased visibility and collaboration opportunities for researchers within the Kenyan academic landscape.
The project organizers also hope to expand on this success by offering training sessions in all four regions of Kenya. ORCID looks forward to seeing this project continue to expand and grow ORCID’s adoption in the Kenyan research community.
Interested in applying for a GPF grant? Our next application round will open this fall for Community Development and Outreach and Technical Integration grants. Read about the program details and FAQs here.
