KER2: Recommendations for a common long-term strategy for AAI services and best practices

AARC Recommendations for a common long-term AAI strategy

What can Funding Agencies, Research Communities and AAI implementers and operators do to allow global connectivity between research infrastructures? Check out the AARC Compendium for concrete recommendations and guidelines 

• Policy Related Results

• International Organisations (ex. OECD, FAO, UN, etc.)

• Public or private funding institutions

• Research and Technology Organisations

• Incubators / Accelerators

• Technology Transfer Expertise

• Expanding to more markets /finding new customers

The AARC TREE best practices and recommendations align technical approaches and foster collaboration in implementation across scientific domains. Via the AARC TREE Compendium, which will be published as the AARC Handbook, and the work carried out by WP3 work package, insight was gathered in terms of the current status of adoptions of the AARC guidelines including identifying challenges to their implementation and the need to have stable funding for the operations of AAIs in the R&E sector. The AARC Handbook, which has listed different recommendations aimed at different Target Groups, intends to function as an outreach and engagement tool, to support and foster further uptake of AARC guidelines by a wider group of research collaborations. 

AARC-TREE project

OSCARS: Open Science Clusters' Action for Research and Society

AARC-TREE Consortium

CERN, DARIAH, the AARC Handbook Editorial Board and the wider AARC Community

• No

N/A

The AARC Handbook, aimed at different Target Groups, intends to function as an outreach and engagement tool, to support and foster further uptake of AARC guidelines by a wider group of research collaborations. This work will continue beyond the end of the AARC-TREE project and will be coordinated by the AARC Handbook Editorial Board which will meet on a quarterly basis. More information will be collected in the coming months. The final version of the compendium, which has been renamed to handbook, was published on 25th February 2026. It will be promoted beyond the AARC TREE lifetime.  

The AARC Handbook will be published on Zenodo and available also on the AARC Website. 

https://aarc-community.org/

• Digital economy and society
• Education and training; Employment and social affairs
• Research and innovation

Federated Identity Management, Authentication Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI), Research Infrastructures, Research Collaborations

• GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal

Increase the awareness and accessibility of Authentication Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) for the wider research infrastructure community. 

• No

Has your result had or do you expect it to have a significant influence on policy-making?

• Yes

Title 

The Authentication and Authorisation for Research and Collaboration (AARC) Handbook is intended as an introductory guide to implementing federated identity management for research collaborations, based on the AARC Blueprint Architecture (AARC BPA). 

Link

• AARC Handbook
• https://aarc-community.org/aarc-tree-compendium-workshop-a-summary/
• Kálmán, T., Chambers, S., Gietz, P. et al. (2025). Clouds for Crowds—Implementing Federated AAI for the Digital Humanities. 2 32-37. https://doi.org/10.63744/a9oVejGuN3UN

Result Maturity

TRL Level - N/A

Current Stage and Next Steps

The first version of the AARC Handbook has been published at the end of the AARC TREE project. This will be further iterated by theAARC Handbook Editorial Board and the wider AARC Community.

Do you already have customers for this result?

• Yes

Number of existing customers

• >1000

What type of customers/ users do you have?

• Individuals
• Academia
• R&T organisations
• Public Institutions and Authorities
• Governments

Which Business Sectors do your customers mainly come from?

• Research and innovation

Unique value proposition

AARC Handbook: making Authentication Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) understandable for the wider research infrastructure community.

Do you have a scalable business model?

The AARC Handbook will be maintained by the Editorial Committee and the wider AARC Community on a voluntary basis supported by project-based funded where available.

Is your result replicable?

• Yes

Please elaborate on the Replicability

Our aim is to enable the wide uptake of the AARC Guidelines through the Research Infrastructures community. 

Is your result and your business model sustainable in the long term?

Please elaborate on Sustainability

AARC Community volunteers take on the maintenance of the AARC Handbook as part of their daily work. 

Are you targeting geographical markets?

European and International Research Community. 

What level of investment (EUR) are you currently looking for?

Project funding to support the ongoing maintenance of the AARC Handbook.