Effective and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research data management (RDM) relies on Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) for uniquely and consistently referencing and describing objects . PIDs feature standardised metadata that enhance their findability, reusability, and overall research integrity. Moreover, they can be applied to various objects and help link them together, enhancing provenance information. The value of PIDs is increased when they have both high interoperability and high-quality accompanying metadata .
The project PID4NFDI – part of the consortium BASE4NFDI - aims to enhance PID integration within NFDI consortia, considering varying provider maturity levels and community adoption. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of PIDs for objects for which PID registration is still emerging, such as research instruments, material samples, highly granular data, as well as projects and awards.
Our goal is to boost the impact of PIDs by improving metadata quality and interoperability through technical, organisational, and strategic measures. Furthermore, governance guidelines, outreach efforts, and a modular training concept will promote PID awareness and adoption across disciplines. This approach will be prototyped collaboratively with NFDI consortia partners, ensuring broad applicability within the NFDI framework. Interoperability, metadata, governance, training/support, and community engagement components, will together form the ‘PID Coordination Hub’, which will be a central entry point for users of the PID4NFDI service portfolio.