What changed
OpenAI opened a global research-grant programme on generative AI and ages 13–17, with up to $1 million per project and $5 million total. Applications close on 6 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time; proposals involving minors or sensitive data must describe ethics review, consent or assent, privacy, safeguarding and response to disclosures of harm.
Why it matters
Teen-AI safety debates often move faster than longitudinal or culturally diverse evidence. This creates a funded path for researchers to test usage patterns, developmental outcomes and product or policy safeguards, with a stated preference for actionable work across languages, cultures and underrepresented populations.
What to do
Eligible researchers should submit a bounded question, feasible recruitment plan, pre-specified outcomes, independent ethics and safeguarding process, conflicts disclosure, publication plan and budget before the deadline. Product teams can use the programme's research priorities as a gap list but should not treat future grants as current safety evidence.
Caveat
OpenAI funds and administers the programme, may prefer work involving ChatGPT and does not require public publication. Awards are not results; independence will depend on grant terms, data access, preregistration, conflicts disclosure and whether findings unfavorable to the provider can be published.