Names are hard for computers, and ORCIDs enable computers to identify individual researchers for purposes of integrating technology systems. As a result, last year the NIH started to require ORCIDs for training and other research education grants due to its value in supporting the technology infrastructure needed to track long-term outcomes.
ORCIDs make it easier for you to curate and integrate your publications in a way computers understand. However, you do not have to use ORCID to create an NSF Biosketch under the new rules! ORCIDs are just a way to integrate across platforms. You can create a sciENcv Biosketch without using your ORCID. If you want to create an NSF Biosketch under the 2020 PAPPG process, see https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/ dias/policy/biosketch.jsp for a list of resources from the NSF.
If you have difficulty with SciENcv, try the NSF's forms to:
There are many detailed help pages and videos on the ORCID/SciENcv integration process. Here are some of the best:
Looking for different approaches to walkthroughs? Here are some other institutions' approaches to walking you through ORCID, my NCBI, and SciENcv.