About the Uganda ORCID Hub

Work coordinated through RENU and its partners has highlighted that Uganda's research and academic institutions vary significantly in size and access to technical resources. As a result, their ability to engage with ORCID and meet the vision of a national researcher identifier system differs widely.

Recognizing the national benefit of ensuring that all ORCID Consortium-eligible institutions in Uganda can meaningfully participate in the global ORCID ecosystem, RENU has provided leadership and support for the development and deployment of the Uganda ORCID Hub.

Core Function

The core function of the Hub is to give all Uganda ORCID Consortium members - regardless of size or IT capacity - the ability to make authoritative assertions (such as affiliations, funding, and education) on their researchers' ORCID records. This contributes to increased visibility, credibility, and integrity of Uganda's research output on the global stage.

Technology

The Hub is based on open-source technology originally developed in New Zealand and adapted for the Ugandan context. The technology was designed to be reusable and transparent, released under the permissive MIT License, and available for adaptation by the broader global ORCID community.

Modes of Operation

The Uganda ORCID Hub supports two primary modes of operation to accommodate different institutional capabilities:

Federated Login

via RENU Identity Federation

Institutions that are part of the RENU Identity Federation allow their researchers and staff to log in using their institutional credentials.

  • Captures minimal information (organisation, city, country, and role)
  • Allows user to authorize ORCID record updates
  • Secure and user-driven
  • No manual handling of files required

File Upload

via Web Interface or API

For institutions not yet integrated with RENU Federation, an administrator may upload affiliation or funding data via file upload or API.

  • Enriches existing user records automatically
  • Sends email invitations for new users
  • Supports richer metadata
  • More automated process

These two workflows ensure that institutions of all sizes can engage with ORCID in a way that matches their technical readiness.

For more information on the Uganda ORCID Consortium and links to resources, please visit the Consortium page on the RENU website.

Contact Details

Makerere Office

House No. 31, The Edge, Makerere University Main Campus

GPS Coordinates: 0.331662, 32.568624

www.renu.ac.ug

Kololo Office

Plot 6B, Mabua Road

GPS Coordinates: 0.332522, 32.588476

+256 (0) 393-516-521

PO Box 35009, Kampala, Uganda

orcid@renu.ac.ug