OpenAI launches ChatGPT program for academic researchers

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Academic Researchers, a new program offering free access to its frontier models for 100,000 scientists, mathematicians, and engineers at selected academic institutions. The company said it will begin with 10,000 researchers this summer and expand access through 2027. Eligible participants will be able to use tools across ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex, including GPT5.6 models at launch, along with higher usage limits, larger context windows, and businessgrade privacy protections. OpenAI said the program is intended to support a range of research tasks, including literature reviews, grant applications, hypothesis testing, code writing, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. It also includes training and handson support for researchers at different experience levels, and institutions with ChatGPT Edu will coordinate access through their existing workspaces.