ORCID is an open, non-profit, publisher-agnostic community-based effort to provide a registry of unique researcher identifiers as well as a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. ORCID, which stands for "open researcher and contributor identifier", is unique in its ability to reach across disciplines, research sectors, and national boundaries and its cooperation with other identifier systems.
More information can be found at http://orcid.org/about/what-is-orcid/mission and https://orcid.org/faq-page
An ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) gives you a way to reliably, unambiguously and permanently connect your names(s) with your work throughout your research career, including publications, grants, education, employment and other biographical information, etc.
This can be helpful in a number of ways as it:
Obtain an ORCID ID - https://orcid.org/register
Complete your ORCID ID with information about yourself including academic affiliations, education, research, and publications.