How does the Researcher Access Program work?
The OpenAI Researcher Access Program offers subsidized API access for the study of responsible AI deployment, risk mitigation, and societal impacts. Researchers can apply for up to $10,000 of OpenAI API credits to support their work. Credits are valid for a period of 12 months and they can be applied towards any of our publicly available models.
You can find a more detailed program description, including information on how to apply, here.
Who is eligible to apply?
Researcher(s) with an active affiliation to an academic institution or other research organization, as well as nonprofits conducting research activities (not operational support) are eligible to apply.
Applicants must be based in countries supported by our API (opens in a new window).
We are especially interested in subsidizing work from researchers with limited financial and institutional resources.
How are applications reviewed?
We conduct a human review of all applications to determine whether they fit within the scope of our stated objectives and research priorities for this program.
When can I expect to get a decision on my application?
You can submit your application at any time during the year. Applications are reviewed once every 4 months (in April, August, and December), and the expected turnaround time for accepted applicants is around 4–6 weeks after the review for that quarter is complete. You will receive an email notification after your application is reviewed.
How can I find out about the status of my application?
You can check the status of your application in the Survey Monkey Apply platform, but you should not expect to receive updates before the next application review window is complete.
I was awarded credits, but I didn’t use them all before they expired. Can I have an extension?
Credit grants will expire if they remain unused one year after they were granted. We cannot reinstate expired credits, so please ensure you complete your research in a year or less. If you do not use your grant before it expires, you can submit a new application through the portal.
I need more API credits to complete my research, can you grant more for my org?
We’re unable to individually grant extra funding for previous projects. If you want to request an additional grant, you can submit a new application through the portal.
I have received API credits, but my research is hindered by rate limits.
You can learn more about our rate limits and submit a request for a rate-limit increase here.
If your account is on the Free/Explore tier, you will need to register a valid payment method to upgrade your account and become eligible for rate-limit increases. Your actual API usage will be deducted from your API credits, so there would be no cost to you whatsoever, apart from a temporary $5 hold on the payment card, in order to verify it.
I think my account got banned because of the research I was doing- how can I restore my access?
We support responsible research related to the safety of AI systems, however, researchers are still bound to our Usage Policy and other applicable OpenAI policies, which require users to comply with the law and not to use our service to harm yourself or others, among a few other things. If you are conducting research related to safety and have received a warning or had your access to our services suspended, and you believe this was done in error, please submit an appeal through our help center.