RAiD is the result of the Australian National Research Data Lifecycle Framework (DLCF) initiative undertaken in 2016–2018. The DLCF was formed in 2016 by 3 organisations: 1.) Research Data Services (RDS), 2.) Australian National Data Service (ANDS) and 3.) National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Research (NeCTAR), and in joint partnership with the Australian Access Federation (AAF) and AARNet.
The DLCF project investigated the assigning of a robust PID to all research projects and activities worldwide. As a result, the RAiD concept was established. After an initial product build, a new RAiD system framework was launched in 2017 and referred to as ‘Research Activity Identifier’ or ‘RAiD’.
In 2018, RDS, ANDS and NeCTAR merged to form the Australian Research Data Commons (the ARDC) — a company limited by guarantee and enabled by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). The ARDC took ownership of RAiD in 2018 when the DLCF initiative was complete.
The ARDC has always envisaged RAiD as a decentralised, international system and from the outset, it has always worked closely with the international research community and PID providers in developing and refining the RAiD.
In 2022, the RAiD Advisory Group was formed from representatives of the international community and major PID providers for input into the technical, governance, community and social development of the RAiD framework. Governance standards and protocols for minting and managing a RAiD were also published in RAiD ISO 23527, as well as RAiD’s Registration Authority awarded to the ARDC.
In September 2023, the ARDC became a general member of the international DOI Foundation, with the aim to use DOI as the global PID infrastructure to underpin RAiDs.