3 Mar 2026 | Member Highlights
The Geo Big Data Open Platform operated by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) is a national research data repository dedicated to long-term preservation, open access, and responsible reuse of geoscience and environmental data. KIGAM actively provides DOI-assigned datasets, standardized metadata, and open access services aligned with the FAIR principles, and contributes to national and international research data ecosystems through interoperability with the Korean national research data platform (DataON).
The Geo Big Data Open Platform and WDS both work toward long-term data preservation, open access, and data preservation. Their commitment to these common goals illustrates why they will make an excellent partner for WDS. The Geo Big Data Open Platform became a regular member of WDS in February 2026.
3 Mar 2026 | Member Highlights
The National High Energy Physics Science Data Center (NHEPSDC) focuses on the aggregation and sharing of scientific data generated during research activities in the field of high energy physics, encompassing data resources, software tools, and data analysis capabilities. The data center provides services to researchers, students, and other users worldwide for fundamental research in high energy physics, neutron science, synchrotron radiation experiments, astrophysics, and other interdisciplinary research fields.
NHEPSDC and WDS share the common goals of ensuring access to high quality data, providing data services, and creating community through the sharing and preservation of data. These shared goals make the NHEPSDC an ideal partner for WDS. The National High Energy Physics Scientific Data Center became a regular member of WDS in February 2026.
2 Feb 2026 | Member Highlights
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is an international consortium of 800+ academic and research bodies, providing leadership and training in data access, curation, and analytical methods for social science. ICPSR collaborates with funders, including federal US agencies, to develop themed data collections and projects. Their research delves into digital curation challenges and policy initiatives.
WDS and ICPSR share a common goal to ensure data is stored and preserved following the FAIR principles for long-term data storage. As caretakers of data long-term, ICPSR works diligently to maintain stringent data management policies, a practice supported by the WDS mission. The data management policies used by ICPSR align well with WDS’ work to aid in the creation of accessible, first-class data, making the partnership between WDS and ICPSR ideal. ICPSR became a regular member of the World Data System in February 2016.
2 Feb 2026 | Member Highlights
The Académie des Sciences supports research, science education, and scientific life as a whole. The Academy’s reports provide the tools to understand scientific debate and thus contribute to shedding light on societal issues. It has conducted research on the political, ethical, and societal challenges posed by scientific questions since its creation in 1666. The Academy participates in the dissemination of knowledge; is involved in societal debates; and contributes to education, promotes scientific culture, and contributes to the internationalization of science.
WDS and The Académie des Sciences are well suited to partner together to further research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Both WDS and The Académie des Sciences work toward contributing to relevant scientific research and the global scientific community. The Académie des Sciences became an associate member of the World Data System in March 2013.
7 Jan 2026 | Member Highlights
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) is a global organization dedicated to uniquely identifying all individuals involved in research, scholarship, and innovation and connecting them to their contributions across disciplines and borders. Through providing researchers with a free, unique, and persistent identifier known as the ORCID iD, they are able to link to an ORCID record containing information about their affiliations and outputs. ORCID enables interoperability between researchers, institutions, and publishers, strengthening the trustworthiness and accessibility of research data worldwide while placing the researcher at the center of its mission and values.
Together, WDS and ORCID are well-positioned to collaborate in strengthening the global research data ecosystem by ensuring that researchers are uniquely identified and properly connected to their scholarly outputs. The ORCID iD helps research to be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) as it eases the process of finding and citing research, as well as easing the process of understanding researcher contribution. WDS and ORCID continue to promote the use of persistent identifiers to more effectively manage, share, and recognize research contributions, advancing the integrity and impact of scientific collaboration worldwide. ORCID joined the World Data System as a Partner member in February 2017.
7 Jan 2026 | Member Highlights
The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI Australia) is one of only two Tier-1 high-performance data, storage, and computing organizations in Australia. NCI Australia supports research by providing data services and supercomputing expertise to government agencies, universities, and industry across a broad range of scientific domains. Through their unique collaborative network, NCI Australia aims to increase access to quality data for the international science community, foster collaboration and innovation, and support high-impact research across all sectors.
NCI Australia and WDS share a common goal to advance long-term data stewardship and promote high standards for research data management and sharing. With it’s Tier-1 status and extensive collaborative network, NCI Australia brings significant expertise in high-performance computing and data services to the partnership. Furthermore, both organizations are united in their commitment to the FAIR data principles and fostering scientific collaboration across diverse fields. By working together, they can amplify efforts to make research data more accessible, interoperable, and reusable, strengthening the foundation for transparent and impactful global science. NCI Australia became a Candidate member of WDS in December 2025.
