Scholars Program Terms

Last updatedJanuary 7, 2025

These Scholars Program Terms ("Program Terms") govern your participation in the ProteinIQ Scholars Program ("Program"). By submitting an application or accepting credits through the Program, you agree to these Program Terms in addition to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

1. Program Overview

The ProteinIQ Scholars Program provides complimentary computational credits to eligible academic researchers to support non-commercial scientific research. Credits are granted at our sole discretion based on application review.

2. Eligibility

The Program is open to:

  • Undergraduate and graduate students conducting academic research
  • PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers
  • Research assistants at accredited institutions
  • Professors, principal investigators, and faculty members
  • Researchers at non-profit research organizations

You must be affiliated with an accredited academic institution or non-profit research organization. We may request verification of your institutional affiliation.

3. Credit Grants

3.1 Amount. Approved applicants receive between 500 and 5,000 credits based on project scope, research needs, and our assessment of the application. The exact amount is determined during our review process.

3.2 Non-Transferable. Program credits are non-transferable and may only be used by the approved applicant for the research described in the application.

3.3 Expiration. Program credits expire 12 months from the date of issuance unless otherwise specified. Expired credits cannot be reinstated.

3.4 No Cash Value. Credits have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash, refunds, or other consideration.

3.5 Account Requirement. Credits will be applied to a ProteinIQ account associated with the email address provided in your application. If you do not have an existing account, one will be created upon approval.

4. Citation and Acknowledgment Requirements

4.1 Mandatory Acknowledgment. As a condition of receiving Program credits, you agree to acknowledge ProteinIQ in any publications, theses, dissertations, presentations, posters, or other materials that include results generated using our platform.

4.2 Citation Format. Acceptable acknowledgment includes:

  • Mentioning specific tools used with their ProteinIQ URLs (e.g., "Structure prediction was performed using AlphaFold2 via ProteinIQ (https://proteiniq.io/app/alphafold-2)")
  • A general acknowledgment such as "Computational analysis was performed using ProteinIQ (https://proteiniq.io)"
  • Including ProteinIQ in your methods section when describing computational workflows

4.3 Notification. We encourage you to notify us of publications that acknowledge ProteinIQ by emailing scholars@proteiniq.io. This helps us demonstrate program impact and may support future credit requests.

5. Permitted Use

5.1 Academic and Non-Commercial Only. Program credits may only be used for:

  • Academic research at universities and research institutions
  • Thesis and dissertation work
  • Coursework and educational projects
  • Non-profit research activities
  • Government-funded research projects

5.2 Prohibited Uses. Program credits may NOT be used for:

  • Commercial research or product development
  • Work conducted on behalf of for-profit companies
  • Research intended to directly support commercial activities
  • Services provided to third parties for compensation
  • Any purpose that generates commercial revenue

If your research transitions to commercial applications, you must discontinue use of Program credits and obtain an appropriate commercial license.

6. Compliance and Revocation

6.1 Compliance. You agree to use Program credits in accordance with these Program Terms, our Terms of Service, and all applicable laws and institutional policies.

6.2 Revocation. We reserve the right to revoke or suspend Program credits at any time if:

  • You violate these Program Terms or our Terms of Service
  • You use credits for commercial purposes
  • You fail to provide required acknowledgments in publications
  • You provided false or misleading information in your application
  • Your institutional affiliation changes or cannot be verified
  • We discontinue or modify the Program

6.3 No Appeal. Decisions regarding credit revocation are final and not subject to appeal.

7. Program Modifications

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Program at any time without prior notice. Changes to these Program Terms will be posted on our website. Continued use of Program credits after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

8. Reapplication

You may submit additional applications if:

  • Your initial credit allocation is exhausted
  • You begin a new research project
  • Significant time has passed since your last application

Each application is evaluated independently. Previous approval does not guarantee future approvals.

9. No Guaranteed Support

Program participation does not entitle you to priority support, dedicated assistance, or any service level beyond what is available to standard users. We provide the Program as a courtesy and make no guarantees regarding availability, response times, or support quality.

10. Data and Privacy

Information collected through Program applications is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Application data may be used to:

  • Evaluate your eligibility and application
  • Administer the Program and communicate with you
  • Generate aggregate statistics about Program usage
  • Improve our services and outreach efforts

11. Limitation of Liability

Program credits are provided "as is" without warranty. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all liability arising from your participation in the Program or use of Program credits. Our total liability related to the Program shall not exceed the monetary equivalent of credits granted to you, or $10, whichever is less.

12. General

These Program Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. In the event of conflict between these Program Terms and our Terms of Service, the Terms of Service shall prevail except where these Program Terms specifically address Program-related matters.

13. Contact

For questions about the Scholars Program, please contact:

Email: scholars@proteiniq.io

By applying to or accepting credits through the ProteinIQ Scholars Program, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Program Terms.