# Scholars Program Terms Last updated: September 26, 2026 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](https://proteiniq.io/legal/terms) and [Privacy Policy](https://proteiniq.io/legal/privacy). ## 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 discretion based on application review. Program credits cover the ProteinIQ Service only; each hosted tool keeps its own licence, as described in section 3 of our [Terms of Service](https://proteiniq.io/legal/terms#3-third-party-scientific-tools-and-licences). ## 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](https://proteiniq.io/app/alphafold-2))") - A general acknowledgment such as "Computational analysis was performed using ProteinIQ ([https://proteiniq.io](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](mailto: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 stop using Program credits and move to a commercial plan. ## 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 Review of Decisions If you believe credits were revoked in error, you may ask us to review the decision by writing to [scholars@proteiniq.io](mailto:scholars@proteiniq.io) within 30 days. Our decision after that review is final. ## 7. Program Modifications We may modify, suspend, or end the Program at any time. Changes to these Program Terms will be posted on our website and apply from the date they are posted. Credits already granted remain usable under the terms that applied when they were granted, unless they are revoked under Section 6.2. ## 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](https://proteiniq.io/legal/privacy). 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. The limitation of liability in section 7 of our [Terms of Service](https://proteiniq.io/legal/terms#7-limitation-of-liability) applies to the Program. ## 12. General These Program Terms are governed by the law, and disputes are resolved as, set out in section 12 of our [Terms of Service](https://proteiniq.io/legal/terms#12-governing-law-and-disputes). In the event of conflict between these Program Terms and our Terms of Service, the Terms of Service 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](mailto: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.*