Working group Track B
Research-information systems and integration
The Research-information systems working group defines the vendor-neutral vocabulary used by CRIS, RIM and reporting platforms — building on CERIF, OpenAIRE Guidelines, JATS and the Research Core Dataset family. It works with euroCRIS, OpenAIRE and the major commercial vendors (Symplectic Elements, Pure, Converis, VIVO, Worktribe) so an institution can move between systems without losing structured contribution, funding and output data. The group keeps the dictionary terms aligned with what RIM data managers and Research Office staff actually field every day.
Charter and scope
What this working group covers
The Research-information systems working group defines the vendor-neutral vocabulary used by CRIS, RIM and reporting platforms — building on CERIF, OpenAIRE Guidelines, JATS and the Research Core Dataset family. It works with euroCRIS, OpenAIRE and the major commercial vendors (Symplectic Elements, Pure, Converis, VIVO, Worktribe) so an institution can move between systems without losing structured contribution, funding and output data. The group keeps the dictionary terms aligned with what RIM data managers and Research Office staff actually field every day.
- CRIS / RIM data-model harmonisation
- CERIF, OpenAIRE Guidelines and JATS cross-walks
- Vendor-neutral terminology for funding, projects, outputs, people
- Federation and interoperability patterns between institutions
- Migration vocabulary (moving between CRIS vendors without data loss)
- OpenAIRE Graph integration
- KDSF, REF reporting and national-system mappings
Composition
Current composition
Chair
Applications under review
Candidates are being assessed for the 2026 forming round. Two-year term, renewable once.
Submit your candidacy →Co-chair
Accepting candidates
Optional second chair, prioritised for regional or sector balance.
Submit your candidacy →Community seats
Accepting candidates for 12 seats
Seats are allocated against a published rubric covering domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers.
Apply for a community seat →Deliverables
Planned and delivered deliverables
- CRIS / RIM vocabulary v1 (CERIF-aligned)
- Vendor migration crosswalk: Pure, Elements, Converis, VIVO, Worktribe
- OpenAIRE Guidelines profile for CASRAI consumers
- Research Office reference data model
- Implementation tutorial for RIM administrators
Recent activity
Working-group cadence and milestones
Illustrative working-group cadence for the 2026 forming round. Substantive deliverables and meeting minutes will be linked here as the group convenes.
2026-05-15 · Milestone
Working group forming — call for chair candidates
Open call for chair and co-chair of the Research-information systems and integration working group. Candidates are under review.
2026-04-22 · Release
Domain scope confirmed for v2026.2
Scope of the Research-information systems and integration domain confirmed against the v2026.2 dictionary release plan.
2026-03-10 · Added
Forming round announced
CASRAI announced the 2026 forming round for all 24 working groups, with seat allocations and review rubric published.
Open consultations
Currently in public comment
Currently none open. Subscribe via /get-involved/comment for future calls.
External bodies
Standards and organisations we work with
Going deeper on CASRAI
Related CASRAI guidance
Adjacent working groups
Related working groups
How to join
Apply to a seat on this working group
This working group is receiving candidates for the 2026 forming round. The application is short — name, institution, ORCID iD (optional), the seat you are applying for, and a paragraph on why this domain. Decisions are returned within four weeks of the close of the open-call window.
FAQ
Frequently asked
- What does the acronym RIMS stand for?
RIMS most commonly stands for Research Information Management System — software institutions use to track funding, projects, people and outputs in one structured record. Within this CASRAI working group, RIMS and RIM refer specifically to CRIS-style platforms such as Symplectic Elements, Pure, Converis, VIVO and Worktribe. The group's job is defining the vendor-neutral vocabulary those systems share, so terms like RIMS mean the same thing regardless of which platform an institution runs.
- What is CRIS in health?
In clinical settings, CRIS can refer to a Clinical Research Information System or, in radiology departments, a Care/Radiology Information System used to manage patient and study data. That is a different usage from the CRIS this CASRAI working group covers: here, CRIS means Current Research Information System, the institutional platform — built on standards like CERIF and the OpenAIRE Guidelines — that tracks an institution's funding, projects, people and research outputs. The acronym is shared, but the two domains and systems are distinct.
- What is Veeva RIM?
Veeva RIM is Veeva Systems' Regulatory Information Management software, used by pharmaceutical and life-sciences companies to manage regulatory submissions and product registrations. It is a separate product from the research information management systems this CASRAI working group focuses on, which cover research funding, projects, people and outputs through CRIS/RIM platforms such as Symplectic Elements, Pure, Converis, VIVO and Worktribe. The overlapping acronym is coincidental — the two are different tools for different professional domains.
- What does this working group do?
The Research-information systems and integration working group is the community body that drafts, reviews and ratifies dictionary entries for the Research-information systems and integration domain. It maintains scope, cross-walks to adjacent standards and the cadence of public review. Its remit is summarised on this page; the canonical terms it stewards live at /dictionary/domain/research-info-systems.
- Who can apply to join?
Working-group membership is open to qualified practitioners — researchers, research-office staff, librarians, publishers, repository managers, integrity officers, CRIS administrators, regulators and funders. Institutional membership is not required. The qualification test is competence and time, not affiliation. Apply via the working-group application form.
- What is the time commitment?
Cadence: Quarterly virtual sessions; two release windows per year (March and September).. Time commitment averages four hours per quarter for an active member, more for a chair. Asynchronous review happens between meetings via email. Chairs are recognised on the editorial masthead and serve a two-year term, renewable once.
- How are seats allocated?
Each working group has 12 community seats plus a chair and (optionally) a co-chair. Seats are filled by an open call reviewed against a published rubric: domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers. Applications for the 2026 forming round are open and candidates are currently under review — see how to apply.
- Can my institution sponsor a seat?
Institutional sponsorship is welcome but is not a route to a guaranteed seat. Sponsors support meeting infrastructure, public-comment publication and contributor honoraria; they receive named acknowledgement on the working-group page and in release notes. Sponsorship enquiries go to [email protected]. Seat selection remains on merit.
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