ORCID is a service “connecting research and researchers”:

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognized.

—http://orcid.org/

ORCIDs are rapidly becoming the de facto unique identifier for academic authors. Uptake of the new ORCIDs at Oxford service is encouraging. 

ORCIDs at Oxford enables authors to link their ORCID and Oxford accounts. Within a short time, over 1,800 researchers have taken advantage of this service and created and linked an ORCID account.

This programme of work was lead and co-ordinated by Bodleian Digital Library. You can find out more about it.

—Sally Rumsey