The National Center for Innovation (NCI) has become a member of the Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) global organization to support the activities of scientific research, development, and innovation in Jordan.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), the National Center for Innovation (NCI), affiliated with the council, signed an agreement through the Jordan Open Innovation Platform (JOIP) with ORCID. The agreement was signed by Dia-Eddin Arafah, Secretary General of the HCST, and Chris Shillum, Executive Director of ORCID.
Under the agreement, JOIP will be linked with the ORCID database to have an automatic and bidirectional information exchange, which will enable the building of the main structure of JOIP to link all the researchers and innovators in Jordan by providing them with a unique international identity, in addition to building a verified, organized, and automatically updated database for researchers and innovators in Jordan based on reliable data from international indices such as CrossRef, Scopus, and others. These indices provide JOIP users with additional up-to-date details and information.
The JOIP-ORCID linkage will also enable the adoption and application of a national identification system for researchers and innovators in Jordan who uses JOIP. This system will be based on the ORCID database, making it locally and internationally recognized, linking all innovation, research, and development activities. Moreover, it will provide the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for research, publications, grants, or other activities conducted and published by researchers and innovators in Jordan.
The HCST is the first Jordanian institution to obtain ORCID membership and join hundreds of international institutions and organizations affiliated with the non-profit organization. ORCID is considered a significant part of the broader digital infrastructure for information exchange concerning scientific research, development, and innovation activities in the international arena.
ORCID has a clear and defined road map; therefore, this membership will enrich the national identification system for researchers and innovators in Jordan, enabling them to have better opportunities to benefit from ORCID services. Such broad access will positively reflect Jordan’s research and innovation ecosystem because ORCID identifiers are mandatory by most international research funding institutions, the statement added.
Arafah said that this agreement is considered a first step toward achieving the NCI’s objectives as the national reference and leading provider of information related to research and innovation in Jordan. It will contribute to establishing an integrated national ecosystem that provides a stimulating environment for innovation and leadership, he added.
He pointed out that this partnership assists NCI in organizing information through a digital platform that aims to offer multiple digital services besides monitoring the innovation activities and KPIs in the Jordanian innovation ecosystem.
The importance of the agreement, Arafah added, is establishing a verified database that is synchronized with the global indexes, which will benefit the scientific research and development community in Jordan. This database is considered a significant scientific guide for universities and research institutions researchers to recognize the national scientific and technological capabilities, gather the required data for producing science, technology, and innovation indicators, and prepare reports according to international standards.
For his part, Shillum stated that signing this agreement will enhance and strengthen the organization’s mission in supporting and increasing cooperation in the scientific and technological fields.
The ORCID organization, he underlined, aims at introducing innovators and researchers to each other on the global stage, empowering the transparent and reliable networking between the researchers and their peers. Shillum voiced hope that this partnership will motivate all Arab organizations and institutions to join the ORCID community to develop an environment for scientific research, development, and innovation in the Arab world.
Noteworthy, the NCI was established by joint funding between the Jordanian government represented by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) and the Middle East and North Africa Transition Fund (MENA TF), under the supervision of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Source: Jordan News Agency