OpenAI AI & Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026 ($5M Total Funding)

September 19, 2026

OpenAI AI & Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026

Brief Description

The OpenAI’s AI & Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026 is now accepting applications from independent researchers worldwide. OpenAI is committing a total of $5 million in funding, offering individual grants of up to $1 million to support scientific study into how generative artificial intelligence impacts adolescents aged 13, 17. If you are an academic or domain expert examining the social, emotional, and cognitive effects of technology, this OpenAI research grant offers substantial support for your field studies. The initiative focuses on building a rigorous evidence base regarding AI and teen development, providing essential data to guide future product design, age-appropriate safeguards, and evidence-based policy decisions. Through this generative AI research funding opportunity, you can help shape the public discourse and industry standards around safe technology use for young people.

Name of Host Institution

OpenAI

📌 Read More

Editor’s Picks

Requirements/Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
Applicants must be affiliated with a research institution or organization, and/or possess significant experience in child or adolescent development, well-being, human-computer interaction, AI impacts, or a closely related discipline.
The program prioritizes non-profit research initiatives, meaning for-profit organizations will not be prioritized for funding.

Funding Amount

OpenAI will award individual research grants of up to $1 million per project, drawing from a total funding commitment of $5 million.

Research Priorities

Emotional development and well-being: Studies focusing on emotion regulation, resilience, identity, agency, self-esteem, and social connection among teens.
Social development and relationships: Investigation into friendships, family dynamics, belonging, communication, empathy, and how AI interacts with human connections.
Patterns, contexts, and demographic variance: Research exploring how outcomes differ across screen time, purpose of use, age, culture, language, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Mitigations, age-appropriate design, and policy: Evaluations of product safeguards, AI literacy programs, parental or educator interventions, and healthy-use practices.

Deadline

October 6, 2026

Apply Now

💡 Quick FAQ & IntelligenceTap to Expand

Q: What age group must the research focus on under this OpenAI grant?

📰 Similar Posts

Also Trending

The research must focus specifically on young people aged 13 to 17.

Q: How much funding can an individual project receive?

Selected projects can receive individual research grants of up to $1 million from OpenAI's $5 million funding pool.

Q: Can for-profit companies apply for this research grant?

While for-profit organizations are not explicitly prohibited, OpenAI has stated that for-profit initiatives will not be prioritized for this funding opportunity.