OpenAI to provide free ChatGPT access to researchers: What's in the plan?

OpenAI will provide free access to its frontier AI models to 100,000 researchers by 2027, alongside training, research support and collaboration tools for scientific discovery

OpenAI has launched 'ChatGPT for Academic Researchers', a new programme that will provide free access to the company's frontier AI models to 100,000 scientists, mathematicians and engineers by 2027.

 

The initiative aims to help researchers tackle advanced scientific problems, accelerate discoveries and improve productivity across research workflows, from testing hypotheses and analysing complex datasets to writing grant applications and publishing findings.

 

How does OpenAI plan to roll out the programme?

 

According to an OpenAI blog post, the programme will begin this year with 10,000 researchers before gradually expanding to 100,000 researchers over the next two years.

 

The initiative forms part of OpenAI's broader commitment of more than $250 million through 2027 to support external scientific research and discovery. The commitment includes its $50 million NextGenAI initiative and collaborations such as the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, which brings frontier AI capabilities to researchers at national laboratories and universities.

 

 

What will researchers get under the programme?

 

Researchers will receive free access to OpenAI's frontier models across ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex, including the GPT-5.6 family of models at launch. They will also get expanded Deep Research capabilities, higher usage limits and larger context windows to support scientific reasoning and long-form research workflows.

 

According to OpenAI, GPT-5.6 Sol scores 83 per cent on FrontierMath Tier 4, a benchmark that evaluates research-level mathematical reasoning, compared with 72.5 per cent for GPT-5.5. On GeneBench Pro, which measures scientific reasoning and complex biological data analysis, GPT-5.6 Sol Pro solves 31.5 per cent of tasks.

 

Participants will also have access to more than 75 life sciences skills spanning genetics, genomics, sequencing, single-cell analysis, protein modelling and drug discovery. Connectors will provide access to scientific literature, public genomic and clinical databases, satellite imagery, computational notebooks, data platforms and reference managers.

 

The programme will also include specialised training, hands-on support and opportunities for researchers to share feedback and learn from peers. For institutions already using ChatGPT Edu, free access will be coordinated through their existing institutional workspaces.

 

Additionally, Codex will assist with writing and debugging code, analysing datasets and building reproducible workflows. ChatGPT Work will further support longer-term projects such as conducting literature reviews, identifying funding opportunities, preparing grant applications, drafting manuscripts and communicating research findings.

 

What training and support will participants receive?

 

OpenAI said the programme will offer training tailored to different levels of expertise, ranging from introductory sessions on improving research workflows to advanced applications of AI in scientific research. Participants will also receive support from specialists familiar with research workflows, including assistance with integrating these tools into their work.

 

Depending on the programme's progress and adoption, OpenAI plans to create more opportunities for researchers across disciplines to share practical approaches, learn from one another and showcase how they are using AI in their respective fields.

 

Who can apply for ChatGPT for Academic Researchers?

 

The initial programme is open to qualified researchers at selected academic institutions. According to OpenAI, applicants will be required to verify their institutional affiliation and provide details of their active research projects and intended scientific use of the platform.

 

Approved researchers may invite up to four collaborators from their institution. Each collaborator must separately verify their institutional affiliation and will count towards the programme's total allocation of accounts.

 

How much does ChatGPT cost for other users?

 

While eligible researchers will receive free access through the new programme, ChatGPT is available through multiple paid and free subscription plans for general users.

 

Free Plan

 

Cost in India: ₹0

International cost: $0

 

Designed for casual users, the Free plan offers access to GPT-5.3 with message limits of approximately 10 messages every five hours before conversations are routed to the mini model. It also includes basic web search, image generation and file upload capabilities within usage limits.

 

Go Plan

 

Cost in India: ₹399 per month

International cost: $8 per month

 

The Go plan is aimed at regular users who require higher limits than the free tier. It provides 10 times the message limits, image generations and file upload capacity of the Free plan, along with twice the memory for more personalised interactions. Users receive access to GPT-5.2 Instant, which prioritises speed over advanced reasoning capabilities.

 

The plan does not include Sora video generation, Agent Mode, Deep Research, Advanced Voice Mode with video input or access to GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.5 reasoning models.

 

Plus Plan

 

Cost in India: ₹1,999 per month

International cost: $20 per month

 

Targeted at professionals, students and creators, the Plus plan offers access to advanced models, Sora video generation, Deep Research and Agent Mode.

 

Users receive GPT-5.5 routing, which automatically selects the most suitable model variant for a task, including GPT-5.4 Thinking for complex reasoning tasks such as coding, strategic planning, financial analysis and detailed research synthesis.

 

Pro Plan

 

Cost in India: ₹19,900 per month

International cost: $200 per month

 

The Pro plan is designed for power users, researchers and developers requiring maximum performance and usage limits.

 

It includes access to GPT-5.5 Pro, a more capable version of the GPT-5.5 model, alongside a one million token context window for analysing extremely long documents. Subscribers also receive full-capability access to Sora, including 4K video generation, clips of up to 90 seconds and 10,000 monthly generation credits.

 

Team Plan

 

Cost in India: ₹2,099 per user per month (minimum two seats)

International cost: $25 per user per month (annual billing) or $30 per user per month (monthly billing)

 

The Team plan is aimed at businesses and organisations that require shared workspaces, administrative controls and enterprise-grade privacy protections.