OpenAI’s & Mental Health Grant Program 2026 (Up to $2 million)

OpenAI’s AI and Mental Health Grant Program aims to support research proposals that examine the intersection of AI and mental health.

As AI becomes more capable and ubiquitous, they know that people will increasingly use it in more personal areas of their lives.

OpenAI continues to strengthen how its models recognize and respond to signs of mental and emotional distress.
Working closely with leading experts, they have trained their models⁠ to respond more appropriately during sensitive conversations and have shared detailed updates on how those improvements are performing.
While they have made meaningful progress on their own models and interventions, this remains an emerging area of research across the industry.
As part of a broader safety investment, OpenAI is opening a call for research submissions to support independent researchers outside of OpenAI, helping to spark new ideas, deepen understanding, and accelerate innovation across the ecosystem.

These grants are designed to support foundational work that strengthens both their own safety efforts and the wider field.

Grant

They will award targeted research grants with proposed budgets between $5,000 and $100,000, totaling up to $2 million.

Eligibility

Applicant must be 18 or older;

Affiliated with a research institution or organization, and/or significant experience with mental health;
They are seeking to fund research rather than for-profit initiatives, so they will not prioritize for-profit organizations at this time.

Application

Submissions are open through December 19, 2025. A panel of internal researchers and experts will review applications on a rolling basis and notify selected proposals on or before January 15, 2026.

How to Apply

Interested applicant can apply via this link