U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Award DOI Service FAQs
General FAQs
- What is the Award DOI Service provided by DOE OSTI?
- What is an award?
- Who may work with DOE OSTI to assign a DOI to an award?
- How can DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities work with OSTI to assign award DOIs?
- How is OSTI able to provide DOIs for awards?
- What are the minimum steps for DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities to get an award DOI?
- What metadata fields are available to describe award DOIs?
- What metadata fields describing your award are required for obtaining a DOI?
- After metadata submission to OSTI, how long does it take to receive a DOI?
- Is there a limit on number of DOIs that can be requested?
- Can metadata for an award with an assigned DOI be updated?
- Can a DOI be deleted?
- If an award is no longer available, what should I do?
- How do I use the related identifier metadata fields?
- How does the Award DOI Service metadata map to the Crossref Grant ID schema?
- How can I get a DOI for research outputs, such as data, software, or technical reports?
- What if I have additional questions?
What is the Award DOI Service provided by DOE OSTI?
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) Award DOI Service allows DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities to request digital object identifiers (DOIs) for awards, contracts, equipment, facilities, grants, prizes, salary awards, time awarded, and training grants.
What is an award?
An award, as defined by the service, may include awards, contracts, equipment, facilities, grants, prizes, salary awards, time awarded, and/or training grants.
Who may work with DOE OSTI to assign a DOI to an award?
DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities may work with DOE OSTI to assign DOIs to awards. Award DOIs cannot be requested by a principal investigator (PI) receiving the award.
How can DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities work with OSTI to assign award DOIs?
OSTI provides two options for obtaining a DOI for DOE-provided awards.
- A submission interface for submission of award metadata to return a DOI for a single award.
- An Application Programming Interface (API) for submitting award metadata for multiple awards and obtaining multiple DOIs. The API is HTTP-based and can be accessed using a wide variety of clients (e.g., Postman; HTTP Requestor; Restlet API, </> RESTED, etc.).
How is OSTI able to provide DOIs for awards?
OSTI is a member of Crossref. Crossref is a not-for-profit member organization and DOI registration agency. Crossref provides a Grant ID Service with a metadata schema specifically tailored to capture information relevant to awards.
For the Award DOI Service, OSTI collects relevant metadata required to obtain an award DOI and passes that metadata to Crossref through their Grant ID Service to be registered globally through the International DOI Foundation. Costs are associated with assigning DOIs through our Crossref membership; however, OSTI provides the Award DOI Service free to all DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities.
What are the minimum steps for DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities to get an award DOI?
- Work with OSTI to receive a new site code specific to the funding office, laboratory, or user facility if one does not already exist.
- Determine if you would prefer to work with the submission interface, API, or both.
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If using the submission interface option, the user will need to:
- Register for the Award DOI Service account
- Receive approval
- Submit minimal required fields to obtain an award DOI
-
With the API submission option, the user will need to:
- Register for the Award DOI Service account
- Receive approval
- Obtain an API key provided within account profile
- Through the API, with API Key, submit minimal required fields to obtain a DOI
What metadata fields are available to describe award DOIs?
| Field Name | Description | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Site Award Number | An internally unique award number assigned by the awarding organization. The award organization assigned award or grant number. Once a Site Award Number is provided, it cannot be edited. | Required |
| Award DOI Infix | A site-selected alpha-numeric string inserted in the DOI value itself for new DOIs. (e.g., infix = DOEOSTI, DOI = https://doi.org/10.46936/DOEOSTI/12345). Once an Award DOI Infix is submitted to OSTI, it cannot be edited because it is part of the DOI string. | Optional |
| Award Title | The title of the award. | Required |
| Other Award Identifying Numbers | Additional award identifying numbers, identifiers, codes, or IDs. | Optional |
| Award Description | A description or abstract of the award. | Optional |
| Site Award URLs | A URL link to the site, facility, or page with information about the specific award. URLs must be a valid https:// link in order to be accepted. | Optional |
| Award Start Date | The start date of the award. | Required |
| Award End Date | The end date of the award. | Optional |
| Award Investigator Name | The first name and last name of the investigator(s) receiving the award. | Required |
| Award Investigator Role | The role of the investigator(s). Options defined by the Crossref metadata schema include "L" for lead investigator, "C" for co-lead investigator, or "I' for investigator. | Required |
| (Investigator) ORCID ID | The ORCID iD of the investigator(s). | Optional |
| Investigator Start Date on Award | The date the investigator(s) started in a role. | Optional |
| Investigator End Date on Award | The date the investigator(s) ended in a role. | Optional |
| Affiliation Name | The name of the affiliated institution of the investigator(s). | Optional |
| Affiliation Country | The country in which the institution of the investigator(s) is located. | Optional |
| Affiliation ROR ID | Research Organization Registry (ROR) ID for the institution(s). | Optional |
| Awarding Organization Name | The name(s) of the awarding/funding organization(s). | Required |
| Award Type | The type of award or funding provided by the award organization(s). The controlled list is constrained to one of fifteen values provided in the Crossref metadata schema, which include award, contract, crowdfunding, endowment, equipment, facilities, fellowship, grant, loan, prize, salary-award, secondment, seed-funding, training-grant, or other. | Required |
| Relation Type | The type of relationship(s) between the award DOI and the other research object. 50 relation type options are provided based on the Crossref metadata schema, which may or may not be applicable to the relationship between the award DOI and the other research objects. | Optional |
| Related Identifier | The value of the related identifier(s) (e.g., https://doi.org/10.46936/DOEOSTI/12345 for a DOI). | Optional |
| Related Identifiers Editor(s) Email | The email address of any user(s) from another site/facility with access to add/edit related identifiers. The user(s)/editor(s) can add new related identifiers. They will only be able to edit related identifiers they have added for this specific award. | Optional |
| Identifier Type | The type of the related identifier(s). OSTI allows for 14 types which include DOI, ISSN, ISBN, URI, PMID, PMCID, PURL, ARXIV, ARK, HANDLE, UUID, ECLI, ACCESSION, and Other. | Optional |
For more information about metadata submission, see the Award DOI Service Help for more details.
What metadata fields describing your award are required for obtaining a DOI?
Required metadata fields include:
| Field Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Site Award Number | An internally unique award number assigned by the awarding organization. The award organization assigned award or grant number. Once a Site Award Number is provided, it cannot be edited. |
| Award Title | The title of the award. |
| Award Investigator Name | The first name and last name of the investigator(s) receiving the award. |
| Award Investigator Role | The role of the investigator(s). Options defined by the Crossref metadata schema include "L" for lead investigator, "C" for co-lead investigator, or "I' for investigator. |
| Awarding Organization Name | The name of the awarding/funding organization(s). |
| Award Type | The type of award or funding provided by the award organization(s). The controlled list is constrained to one of fifteen values provided in the Crossref metadata schema, which include award, contract, crowdfunding, endowment, equipment, facilities, fellowship, grant, loan, prize, salary-award, secondment, seed-funding, training-grant, or other. |
| Award Start Date | The start date of the award. |
After metadata submission to OSTI, how long does it take to receive a DOI?
The submitting site should receive an email with the verified/live DOI within 24 hours.
Is there a limit on number of DOIs that can be requested?
As part of the free Award DOI Service, OSTI provides unlimited award DOIs to DOE funding offices, national laboratories, and user facilities.
Can metadata for an award with an assigned DOI be updated?
Yes, a DOI is persistent, but the metadata describing the award may be updated at any time. The only metadata field that cannot be updated is the infix, which is a part of the DOI. Once assigned, the DOI number itself cannot be updated.
Can a DOI be deleted?
A DOI is persistent. Once registered and made public with Crossref, it is not possible to fully delete a DOI. If needed, we can direct a DOI to an OSTI tombstone page or deleted DOI page.
In very few cases, OSTI will contact Crossref to disconnect the DOI from any identifying metadata within Crossref’s registry. This process should only be applied to DOIs that have not been distributed or otherwise used for linking.
If an award is no longer available, what should I do?
When an award is no longer available for whatever reason, please contact AwardDOIService@osti.gov and OSTI will work with you to create a tombstone page or deleted DOI page which states why the award is no longer available. This provides the required persistence of a DOI.
How do I use the related identifier metadata fields?
Related identifiers are a way to connect awards to research objects (journal articles, technical reports, datasets, instruments, experiments, awards, etc.). OSTI provides 50 different Relation Types (e.g. Describes/IsDescribedBy, References/IsReferencedBy, etc.) that describe the relationship between the award (via the award DOI) and other research objects.
Related Identifier Fields:
| Field Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Relation Type | The type of relationship(s) between the award DOI and the other research object. 50 relation type options are provided based on the Crossref metadata schema, which may or may not be applicable to the relationship between the award DOI and the other research objects. The related object can include data, software, text, another award, etc. | |
| Reciprocal Relation Type Value | Relation Type Description | |
| isExpressionOf, hasExpression | Expression | |
| isFormatOf, hasFormat | Format | |
| isSameAs, isIdenticalTo | Identical | |
| isManifestationOf, hasManifestation | Manifestation | |
| isManuscriptOf, hasManuscript | Manuscript | |
| isReplacedBy, Replaces | Replacement | |
| isVariantFormOf, isOriginalFormOf | Variant | |
| isBasedOn, isBasisFor | Basis | |
| isCommentOn, hasComment | Comment | |
| isContinuedBy, Continues | Continuation | |
| basedOnData, isDataBasisFor | Data basis | |
| isDerivedFrom, hasDerivation | Derivation | |
| isDocumentedBy, Documents | Documentation | |
| isPartOf, hasPart | Part | |
| isReviewOf, hasReview | Peer review | |
| isPreprintOf, hasPreprint | Preprint | |
| references, isReferencedBy | References | |
| isRelatedMaterial, hasRelatedMaterial | Related material, such as a protocol | |
| isReplyTo, hasReply | Reply | |
| requires, isRequiredBy | Requirement | |
| isCompiledBy, compiles | Software compilation | |
| isSupplementTo, isSupplementedBy | Supplement, such as a dataset generated as part of research results | |
| isTranslationOf, hasTranslation | Translation | |
| isVersionOf, hasVersion | Version | |
| isFinancedBy/Finances | Finances | |
| Related Identifier | The value of the related identifiers. (e.g., https://doi.org/1046936/DOEOSTI/12345 for a DOI). | |
| Identifier Type | The type of the related identifier(s). OSTI allows for 14 types which include DOI, ISSN, ISBN, URI, PMID, PMCID, PURL, ARXIV, ARK, HANDLE, UUID, ECLI, ACCESSION, and Other. | |
How does the Award DOI Service metadata map to the Crossref Grant ID schema?
The table below provides a listing of Award DOI Service field names and descriptions with their associated Crossref field names and descriptions. Fields indicated with a * are minimum required fields for award submissions. For any questions, please email AwardDOIService@osti.gov.
| Metadata Field Name | JSON Field Name | Description | Crossref Field Name | Crossref Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Award Number* | award_num* | An internally unique award number assigned by the awarding organization. The award organization assigned award or grant number. Once a Site Award Number is provided, it cannot be edited. | award-number* | Funder-assigned award or grant number |
| Award DOI Infix | doi_infix | A site-selected alpha-numeric string inserted in the DOI value itself for new DOIs. (e.g., infix = DOEOSTI, DOI = https://doi.org/10.46936/DOEOSTI/12345). Once an Award DOI Infix is submitted to OSTI, it cannot be edited because it is part of the DOI string. | Provided to Crossref as the middle section of the DOI string | |
| Award Title* | award_title* | The title of the award. | project-title* | Title of the project a grant is awarded to |
| Other Award Identifying Numbers | ident_nums | Additional award identifying numbers, identifiers, codes, or IDs. | Not provided to Crossref | |
| Award Description | award_description | A description or abstract of the award. | description | A description or abstract of the project |
| Site Award URLs | award_urls | A URL link to the site, facility, or page with information about the specific award. | Not provided to Crossref | |
| Award Start Date* | award_date_range_start* | The start date of the award. | award-start-date | Date award is created |
| start-date | Nested under award_dates, dates award was applied to a project. Includes start and end dates, as well as projected start and end dates | |||
| Award End Date | award_date_range_end | The end date of the award. | end-date | |
| Award Investigator Name* | first_name* | The first name and last name of the investigator(s) receiving the award. | givenName /familyName | Family name / surname of investigator |
| last_name* | ||||
| Award Investigator Role* | role* | The role of the investigator(s). Options defined by the Crossref metadata schema include "L" for lead investigator, "C" for co-lead investigator, or "I' for investigator. | role* | Required; value = lead_investigator, co-lead_investigator, investigator |
| (Investigator) ORCID_iD | investigator_orcid | The ORCID iD of the investigator(s). | ORCID | No description |
| Investigatory Start Date on Award | investigator_start_date | The date the investigator(s) started in a role. | start-date | No description |
| Investigator End Date on Award | investigator_end_date | The date the investigator(s) ended in a role. | end-date | No description |
| Affiliation Name | organization_name | The name of the affiliated institution of the investigator(s). | institution | Affiliation information for investigators. Multiple allowed, include distinct affiliation in distinct affiliation elements. |
| Affiliation Country | organization_country | The country in which the institution of the investigator(s) is located. | country | ISO 3166-1 alpha 2-letter country code |
| Affiliation ROR ID | ror_id | Research Organization Registry (ROR) ID for the institution(s). | ROR | Research Organization Registry identifier (https://ror.org) |
| Awarding Organization Name* | funder* | The name(s) of the awarding/funding organization(s). | funder-name | Name of the funder issuing the award |
| Award Type* | award_funding_type* | The type of award or funding provided by the award organization(s). The controlled list is constrained to one of fifteen values provided in the Crossref metadata schema, which include award, contract, crowdfunding, endowment, equipment, facilities, fellowship, grant, loan, prize, salary-award, secondment, seed-funding, training-grant, or other. | funding-type | Required; Controlled value list includes award, contract, crowdfunding, endowment, equipment, facilities, fellowship, grant, loan, prize, salary-award, secondment, seed-funding, training-grant, or other |
| Relation Type | relation | The type of relationship(s) between the award DOI and the other research object. OSTI provides 50 relation type options, which may or may not be applicable to the relationship between the award DOI and the other research objects. | relationship-type | Used to describe relations between items but may differ in format, language, revision … etc. Assigning different identifiers to exactly the same item available in one place or as copies in multiple places can be problematic and should be avoided |
| Related Identifier | identifier | The value of the related identifier(s) (e.g., https://doi.org/10.46936/DOEOSTI/12345 for a DOI). | related_item | Description of the relationship to the target item or of the target item itself |
| Identifier Type | type | The type of the related identifier(s). OSTI allows for 14 types which include DOI, ISSN, ISBN, URI, PMID, PMCID, PURL, ARXIV, ARK, HANDLE, UUID, ECLI, ACCESSION, and Other. | identifier-type | An identifier system may require a namespace that is needed in addition to the identifier value to provide uniqueness. Controlled values include DOI, ISSN, ISBN, URI, PMID, PMCID, PURL, ARXIV, ARK, HANDLE, UUID, ECLI, ACCESSION, and other |
| Related Identifiers Editor(s) Email | user_email | The email address of any user(s) from another site/facility with access to add/edit related identifiers. The user(s)/editor(s) can add new related identifiers. They will only be able to edit related identifiers they have added for this specific award. | Not provided to Crossref |
How can I get a DOI for research outputs, such as data, software, or technical reports?
OSTI provides other services assigning DOIs to research outputs. DOE-funded researchers can obtain DOIs for data objects through the DOE Data ID Service; for software through OSTI’s software services platform and search tool, DOE CODE; and for technical reports, conference posters, and presentations through E-Link. Find more information about OSTI’s persistent identifier and DOI services at PIDs@OSTI.GOV.
What if I have additional questions?
For more information, refer to the Award DOI Service Help or contact OSTI’s Award DOI Service Team at AwardDOIService@osti.gov.