WACREN Launches Calls to Kickstart the ORCID-WACA Project

Following its recent announcement of securing support from the ORCID Global Participation Fund to accelerate ORCID adoption in West and Central Africa, WACREN has officially commenced the ORCID-WACA project with two strategic calls: a Call for Membership to the ORCID-WACA Community of Practice (CoP) and a Call for Applications to the ORCID-WACA Ambassador Programme.

These two calls mark the start of a regional effort to strengthen researcher identification, improve attribution of scholarly outputs, and embed persistent identifiers (PIDs) more deeply within African research ecosystems.

The ORCID-WACA CoP provides a collaborative platform for librarians, researchers, repository managers, journal editors, publishers, and research administrators to share experiences, address institutional challenges, and co-create practical guidance for ORCID and PID adoption. Through regular learning sessions and collaborative activities, the CoP will support institutions at different stages of ORCID integration.

Complementing this, the ORCID-WACA Ambassador Programme will empower a cohort of trained ambassadors to lead awareness-raising, institutional outreach, and capacity-building activities across the region. Ambassadors will play a key role in translating ORCID benefits into practical use within universities, research institutes, and journals.

Together, these initiatives will significantly enhance African researchers’ visibility, credibility, and research integrity, ensuring accurate attribution, reducing misrepresentation, and strengthening global trust in African scholarship.

The project builds on LIBSENSE’s foundational work on persistent identifiers, including WACREN’s engagement with ARKs, repositories, open science training, and PID advocacy. LIBSENSE will be leveraged as a strategic platform to align ORCID adoption with broader PID workflows, institutional systems, and open research infrastructures.

By mobilising communities and champions, the ORCID-WACA project positions African researchers and institutions for stronger participation in the global research ecosystem.