ChatGPT for Academic Researchers is a plan for eligible academic research teams. If approved, a workspace owner creates and manages a ChatGPT workspace. Each approved workspace includes up to five complimentary seats: one workspace owner and up to four verified collaborators. It also includes business data protections and workspace controls.
You may be eligible to apply if you:
Are a research faculty member or postdoctoral researcher affiliated with an eligible academic institution
Have a paper from arXiv, bioRxiv, or ChemRxiv that was posted within the last three years, relates to your eligible research field (Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Materials, Computer Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics), and lists you as an author
Plan to use ChatGPT for academic research purposes.
Applications are limited to researchers associated with eligible institutions and in supported countries. Both workspace owners and collaborators must be verified and pass eligibility checks. Not all institutions are eligible - check the current eligibility list before applying.
Researchers affiliated with a university are responsible for complying with any terms and restrictions applicable to their relationship with the university.
How to get started
Go to the ChatGPT for Academic Researchers application page. Sign in or create a ChatGPT account using the email address you use at your institution. Your ChatGPT account email must match the email you use for verifications.
Verify your institutional affiliation through SheerID, a third-party verification service. SheerID may ask for work or university documentation if it cannot verify your affiliation automatically. Ensure you are not using a VPN.
Complete the short application. You will be asked about your field, published or relevant work, and how you plan to use ChatGPT for academic research.
OpenAI will review your application. If selected, you will receive workspace setup instructions. Typical review periods may take 1–2 weeks.
Complete checkout with a valid credit card, required for verification only. The checkout total is $0 for the complimentary period, and you will not be charged.
Create your workspace. The workspace owner can invite up to four collaborators from the same institution. Each collaborator must complete SheerID verification before joining.
A verified email can belong to only one ChatGPT for Academic Researchers workspace at a time.
Data privacy and security
How your data is used
ChatGPT for Academic Researchers uses business-level data protections. Content from this workspace is not used to train OpenAI's models by default. Workspace admins manage workspace data, including the ability to view, access, export, audit, retain, delete, and opt-in to share data tied to this workspace for improving OpenAI’s models. Your personal ChatGPT workspace is governed by OpenAI’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and remains separate and managed by you. Learn more at Data access for your managed ChatGPT account and Enterprise privacy at OpenAI.
FAQ
Is it free?
Yes. Approved workspaces receive up to five complimentary seats for 12 months. A payment card is required when the workspace owner completes checkout, but the checkout total is $0 for the complimentary period.
What happens after 12 months?
You will not be charged for the 12-month offer, and the workspace will not renew automatically. OpenAI will share any available continuation options before the offer ends. If no continuation option is selected, the workspace will be deactivated after any applicable grace period. If the workspace is canceled, it follows the standard workspace cancellation flow.
Who qualifies for this plan?
To be considered, you must be a current research faculty member or postdoctoral researcher at an eligible institution in a supported country; verify your institutional affiliation through SheerID using the same email address as your ChatGPT account; submit a paper from arXiv, bioRxiv, or ChemRxiv that was posted within the last three years, relates to your selected eligible research field, and lists you as an author; and describe how you plan to use ChatGPT for academic research.
Meeting these criteria allows you to apply but does not guarantee approval. Check the current institution eligibility list before applying.
Can I add collaborators from another institution?
No. A workspace is limited to verified collaborators at the same institution. Owners can invite up to four additional members, and every invitee must complete SheerID verification before joining.
Can I join more than one ChatGPT for Academic Researchers workspace?
No. A verified email can belong to only one ChatGPT for Academic Researchers workspace at a time. If you are removed from one workspace, you can then join another eligible workspace.
What features and usage limits are included?
The self-service researcher workspace provides access to supported ChatGPT models and tools with the same usage rate limits as ChatGPT Pro. These limits are not unlimited: model availability, feature availability, and model-specific limits may vary and change over time.
How is this different from a regular ChatGPT account?
ChatGPT for Academic Researchers creates a separate workspace for a verified research team; it does not upgrade or replace your personal ChatGPT workspace. The researcher workspace includes business-level data protections, Pro-level rate limits, and up to five complimentary seats for 12 months.
What if I already use ChatGPT Edu through my institution?
If your account already belongs to an active ChatGPT Edu or Enterprise workspace, you must still apply, but your account is handled through an institution-managed process if you are approved. Your researcher workspace will be set up within your institution’s broader ChatGPT Edu organization. We will reach out to you with specific instructions if you are approved.
Can I buy additional credits?
Yes. The owner of a self-service researcher workspace can purchase additional credits for supported metered features after the included allowance is used. Credits do not make ChatGPT usage unlimited or override every model-specific rate limit. For Edu workspaces, credit purchases and allocation are managed by the institution under its OpenAI agreement.
Are there other plan restrictions?
Yes. The self-service plan is limited to five total seats; collaborators must be verified at the same institution; each verified email can belong to only one researcher workspace at a time; and SSO, SCIM, domain claiming, automatic workspace discovery, and self-join are not available. The offer covers ChatGPT access and does not include OpenAI API credits.
How do I get help with verification or my application?
Follow the support instructions shown by SheerID first. If you still need help, open a ticket with OpenAI Support using the chat widget in the Help Center.