Anthropic has opened 10,000 places in a new Claude team plan for scientists worldwide, offering free or discounted subscriptions for one year. Standard seats are free, while premium seats cost $15 per month and include five times the usage limit. The company said it intends to expand the program beyond the initial allocation over the coming months.
Applications must be submitted by a principal investigator or an equivalent leader at an academic or nonprofit research institution. Once Anthropic verifies that person, they can add researchers from their laboratory to the team plan. The announcement does not provide an application-review timetable or explain how places will be allocated if demand exceeds the first 10,000 seats.
Anthropic is also widening its AI for Science program, which provides free credits for scientific projects. The initiative had largely supported biological sciences, but the company now plans to consider researchers in other fields, including projects with substantial computing requirements. Any researcher can apply separately for up to $50,000 in credits per project when standard or premium plan allowances are insufficient.
The subscriptions and project credits sit alongside Claude Science, a product Anthropic introduced in June. According to the company, Claude Science integrates tools commonly used by researchers, produces auditable artifacts and provides flexible access to computing resources. Anthropic presents subscriptions, AI for Science credits and Claude Science as distinct ways of supporting research work.
Restrictions remain for sensitive scientific fields. Biology and chemistry researchers are currently limited to Opus-class models, while Claude Fable models will continue blocking professional biology and drug-development queries because of potential dual-use risks. Anthropic is separately working with the US government on access to Mythos-class models for life-sciences research and development; the first participants have enrolled, but no schedule for broader access was given.
Practical context: In practice, the programs create two levels of support: a verified laboratory leader can secure a one-year team subscription, while researchers needing more capacity can pursue separate project credits. This reduces the initial subscription cost for participating laboratories, but it does not remove model restrictions in sensitive fields or guarantee approval of additional credits.
| Option | Eligibility and access | Support offered |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Claude seat | Through a verified laboratory leader at an academic or nonprofit institution | Free for one year |
| Premium Claude seat | Through the same team-plan verification process | $15 per month with five times the usage limit |
| AI for Science credits | Separate application available to any researcher needing additional usage | Up to $50,000 in credits per project |
Sources
Event date: 2026-08-27. Primary source date: 2026-08-27.
