New NET+ Persona Service Provides Identity Proofing Solution 

Community-led NET+ Persona Procurement Delivers Verification Service Ahead of January 2027 Federal Deadline

In 2027, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require institutions whose researchers access controlled-access data repositories to verify those researchers at a NIST moderate assurance level. Access to critical research data depends on institutions meeting that date.

As a result, Internet2, through collaboration with InCommon, has launched NET+ Persona, a timely solution for the research and education (R&E) community.

What is NET+ Persona?

NET+ Persona, a unified identity verification service, confirms that people are who they claim to be at the points where institutions are most vulnerable. Think admissions, credential issuance, account recovery, financial aid, and federal research access.

NET+ Persona was selected through a community-led competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) and is approved by the Kantara Initiative, a global non-profit community of identity experts focused on improving the use of digital identity and personal data. It pairs with the resources and events InCommon has planned for the community as they work toward the 2027 deadline.

The service automates work that many campuses still struggle to build comprehensive systems around. Automated validation of government-issued identity documents, biometric verification, and proofing workflows configured to institutional systems replace manual video reviews and physical paperwork. Institutions can scale verification without adding tasks or hiring more people, while improving security and service.

Just like all other solutions in the NET+ portfolio, NET+ Persona is shaped by the community’s voice, evaluation, and suggestions through the NET+ competitive RFP process, a service that grows with the community year after year. NET+ Persona’s pricing is also community-negotiated, a benefit amongst all others.

A Community-Expressed Identity Proofing Need

The spark for NET+ Persona began in fall 2025 when InCommon surveyed institutions about their identity verification needs. Use cases surfaced from that survey, and those use cases fell into three major buckets:

• Financial aid and enrollment integrity – Combat fraud networks and an influx of “ghost students,” or actors who enroll using stolen identities to illegally claim financial aid disbursements.

• Secure credential issuance and account recovery – Protect service desks and identity management offices, which have become prime targets for social engineering attacks aimed at gaining access via password resets and account recovery requests.

• Federal research access continuity – Meet the NIH mandate, which requires researchers to maintain a higher level of identity assurance when accessing controlled-access data repositories.

From Survey to Service

InCommon’s work on federal research access created the perfect conditions for a service to spring from that fall 2025 survey. 

Additionally, as the NIH requirement took shape, it became clear that campuses would need help learning about this new level of assurance, implementing best practices, and meeting a steadily approaching deadline while managing day-to-day operations. 

So, InCommon, through NET+, initiated an RFP to help the community scale new terrain. 

Eight institutions evaluated vendors for a new service. 

The panel spanned community colleges, small private institutions, and large public research universities: Duke University, Harvard University Information Technology, Hudson County Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, Southern Methodist University, University of Delaware, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and University of Wisconsin Madison.

To ensure the selected vendor met the multifaceted needs of R&E, these institutions made their selection on the following criteria:

1. Functional capabilities: Document validation, biometric verification, and workflows customizable to institutional systems
2. Technical integration: Compatibility with SAMI, OpenlD Connect, and enterprise student information systems
3. Compliance and security: Alignment with HECVAT, Kantara Initiative trust certifications, and WCAG 2.x document through a formal VPAT

Later this year, the NET+ team will convene a service evaluation group of institutional practitioners to guide development, long-term service improvement strategy, and community governance.

NET+ Persona, A Service Among Resources 

NET+ Persona is only one part of InCommon’s efforts to prepare the community to meet higher levels of identity assurance as we approach 2027. 

InCommon is also providing resources to help you gain more insight into identity proofing, hear from the NIH through past webinars, and learn how you can move towards NIH-readiness today. 

InCommon is hosting the following events:

To learn more about NET+ Persona:

• Register for the NET+ Persona launch webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. Hear firsthand from the provider and institutions on the service, rollout, and what subscribers of NET+ Persona can expect. 

• Visit the NET+ Persona service page for additional service and procurement details.

To stay in the know about all things related to identity proofing:

Sign up for the Internet2 identity proofing email list to receive event notices and resources.

For questions about NET+ Persona, email netplus@internet2.edu.