Flexible by design
Every institute works differently. OSIRIS lets you configure activity types, fields, workflows, roles and reports around your own processes.
Our philosophy
Research software should adapt to your institute — not the other way around.
Research information is created throughout the entire research lifecycle: in projects, publications, collaborations, infrastructures, software, teaching, events and much more.
OSIRIS was created to help research institutes manage this information without unnecessary complexity — flexible enough for your organisation, intuitive enough for everyday work.
Built for researchers
A research information system only works when people actually use it. OSIRIS focuses on self-reporting, clear interfaces and efficient everyday workflows.
Open by nature
Open source, open interfaces and community-driven development keep OSIRIS transparent, adaptable and independent.
Is OSIRIS the right fit?
Choosing the right research information system starts with understanding your own requirements.
Every research information system has its strengths. Rather than trying to be everything for everyone, OSIRIS focuses on flexibility, usability and transparency. If these are your priorities, there is a good chance that OSIRIS is the right choice.
OSIRIS is probably the right choice if...
- you are a small or medium-sized research institute.
- you want your software to adapt to your processes.
- researchers should be able to maintain their own information.
- you want to become productive quickly.
- open source and transparency matter to you.
- your institute evolves and your system should evolve with it.
Another approach may be a better fit if...
- strict ontologies or standards are more important than flexibility.
- you manage a very large university with highly standardized processes.
- individual configuration should be kept to a minimum.
- Researchers should not maintain their own information.
- your organisation primarily values governance over flexibility.
There is no perfect research information system — only the one that best fits your institute.
Which system suits our needs?
Different institutes need different systems.
OSIRIS is not trying to be the perfect solution for everyone. It is designed for research institutes that need flexibility, usability and transparency without turning research information management into a large-scale IT project.
OSIRIS
For small and medium-sized research institutes that want to adapt the system to their own structures, workflows and reporting needs.
- Flexible data model
- Self-reporting by researchers
- Fast introduction
Semantic systems
A good fit when fixed ontologies, RDF, linked data and semantic interoperability are more important than local flexibility.
- Ontologies
- RDF and linked data
- Semantic interoperability
Repository systems
A good fit when your main focus is an institutional repository, open access workflows, publications, datasets and long-term archiving.
- Open access
- Institutional repository
- Metadata standards
Enterprise systems
A good fit for very large organizations that require highly standardized processes, central governance and large implementation projects.
- Large-scale rollout
- Central governance
- Highly standardized workflows
Research lifecycle
Everything connected in one system.
OSIRIS connects people, organisations, projects, activities, publications, reporting and public visibility in one flexible research information system.
People at the centre
Create rich researcher profiles and connect people to projects, activities, organisational units and reports.
- Researcher profiles
- Time-based affiliations
- Roles and permissions
- LDAP and external identifiers
Map your institute
Represent organisational units, research areas and structures in a way that matches your institute.
- Organisational units
- Research areas
- Changing structures over time
- Groups, teams and institutes
From ideas to funded projects
Track proposals, funded projects, partners, timelines and reporting obligations throughout the project lifecycle.
- Project proposals
- Funding and partners
- Statistics and timelines
- Project reports
Capture research activities
Activities are fully configurable, allowing OSIRIS to reflect the outputs and contributions that matter to your institute.
- Talks, teaching and events
- Software, datasets and infrastructure
- Awards, reviews and memberships
- Custom activity types and fields
Publications without extra effort
Manage publications, enrich metadata and connect outputs to people, projects, organisations and reports.
- Publications and metadata
- Connections to projects and people
- ORCID and external sources
- Exports and publication lists
Reporting that can be reused
Build reusable reports, combine filters and aggregations, and export results for internal and external reporting.
- Reusable report templates
- Excel exports and pivot tables
- Charts and indicators
- Word exports
Make research visible
Use OSIRIS Portfolio to turn structured research information into modern public profiles, project pages and institute websites.
- Public research portals
- Researcher profiles
- Projects, outputs and organisations
- APIs and integrations
Find a more detailed overview of OSIRIS features in the OSIRIS Wiki.
Portfolio
From OSIRIS to public research portal.
OSIRIS Portfolio transforms structured research information into modern researcher profiles, project pages, institute websites and public research portals — automatically and always up to date.
Researcher profiles
Project pages
Publication lists
Powered by the OSIRIS API
Community
Built in the open. Shaped by the community.
OSIRIS is more than software. It is an open-source project with documentation, regular exchange formats, community events and shared ideas for the future of research information management.
Stay updated
Newsletter
Get updates on releases, events and community news.
Subscribe → DocumentationWiki
Find documentation, setup guides and practical information for using OSIRIS.
Open wiki ↗ January 2027OSIRIS Community Days
Join our first in-person community meeting in Helmstedt with talks, workshops and networking.
Learn more → Every two monthsCommunity Meetings
We meet regularly online to present new developments, discuss ideas and collect feedback from the community.
Subscribe to calendar ↓ Open SourceGitHub
Follow development, report issues or contribute directly to OSIRIS.
GitHub ↗
Coming soon
OSIRIS Commons
A future place to share templates, workflows, reports and best practices across institutions.
Get started
Curious to see OSIRIS in action?
We would be happy to show you how OSIRIS works in practice, answer your questions and explore together whether it is the right fit for your institute.