The Unconventional Research Grant Program
Terms and Conditions
Application Period: April 1, 2026 to August 20, 2026. You may apply via unconv.ai/grant/application.
General: The following Terms and Conditions govern each participant’s (“Participant” or “you”) participation in the Unconventional Research Grant Program Selection Process (the “Application Process”) run by Unconventional Inc. (“Unconventional”). Each Participant’s participation is subject to his or her acceptance, without modification, of all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Application Process and consideration for the Grant (defined below), you must (a) register with Unconventional to participate at unconv.ai/grant and submit your application (“Application”) within the Application Period; (b) be 18 years of age or older as of the date you participate in the Application Process; (c) be a professor at a university or degree-granting research institution in the United States (each, a “University”) and (d) be a legal resident of the United States and a state where this Application Process is not legally prohibited. Unconventional employees and consultants and members of their immediate families are not eligible for the Application Process. THIS APPLICATION PROCESS IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO JURISDICTIONS WITH LAWS THAT WOULD REQUIRE REGISTRATION, DISCLOSURE, FILING, TRUST ACCOUNT, OR POSTING OF A BOND, OR ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS, THAT ARE NOT SATISFIED BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS APPLY.
Winner Criteria and Notification:
The winner(s) of the Grant will be decided based on which Participant(s) submit, through the Application Process, the best proposals for groundbreaking research in Unconventional computing paradigms for generative AI (text, images, and video) that (a) operate highly efficiently, and (b) can be tested in theory and simulations over the course of a one-year timeline.
The winning Application(s) will be determined by Unconventional, in its sole discretion, based on the above parameters. Unconventional may decide that no Participant’s proposal adequately meets such parameters (in which case, no Grant shall be awarded), and/or may decide that multiple Participants have met such requirements (in which case, additional Grants may be made). The decision of the Unconventional judges is final.
Unconventional will notify the winning Participant(s) via email. If such winner does not respond by accepting the Grant within five (5) days of being notified, Unconventional reserves the right to select another Application as the replacement winner, and rescind its original Application winner selection.
Announcement of the Winners
Unconventional will publicly announce and identify the Grant winner(s) in any manner it deems appropriate, on or before August 20, 2026.
Award of Grant
Subject to all restrictions herein, for each Application that Unconventional selects as a winner, Unconventional will grant a $100,000 research grant, to the University where the applicable Participant is employed and engaged in the research described in such Participant’s Application (the “Grant”). For clarity, a Grant will be made solely to the applicable University(ies), not to any individual Participant. A Grant will not be awarded to a University if the Participant is no longer employed with such University at the time the Grant is to be made.
Each University must, as condition to receiving the Grant, sign (a) any applicable forms required by tax authorities (and comply with all applicable tax laws, rules and regulations) and (b) a grant agreement, and affidavit of eligibility and release, between University and Unconventional, to be provided by Unconventional at the time the Grant is to be made. The University to which a Grant is made is responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes associated with the Grant. Each University is only eligible to win one (1) Grant.
Applications Not Confidential; Publicity and Promotion
Unconventional receives pitches and ideas from many sources. Accordingly, all information (including the contents of your Application) provided to Unconventional in connection with the Application Process is provided without any expectation that it will be held in confidence or that Unconventional will be in any way restricted with respect to such information, and Unconventional may use, disclose and/or exploit anywhere and in any manner whatsoever any such information without any liability or obligation to you. You represent and warrant that you are not violating your obligations to or any rights of any third party by providing information pursuant to the foregoing.
Without limiting the foregoing, by submitting an Application, you are granting Unconventional permission, should your Application be selected as a winner, to use your name, photograph, likeness, voice, area of residence (city and state) and testimonials, as well as the contents of your Application, in all media, in perpetuity, in any manner Unconventional deems appropriate, for publicity purposes without any compensation to you, or any review, approval rights or permissions.
General Terms
A Participant may be disqualified from the Application Process, if he or she fails to comply with each provision of these Terms and Conditions, as determined in the sole discretion of Unconventional. Participation in the Application Process is at your own risk. Unconventional reserves the right to modify, suspend, cancel, or discontinue the Application Process at any time for any reason, including without limitation to comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to take any actions Unconventional deems necessary, in its sole discretion, to protect its users, business partners, or business or the public, or if any virus, bug, technical failures, unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond Unconventional’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Application Process. In the event of such cancellation, termination or suspension, Unconventional will use reasonable efforts to post a notification thereof on unconv.ai/grant and, if winner(s) can be selected among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to such time, winner(s) may still be selected.
Unconventional shall not be liable for: (a) failed, returned or misdirected notifications based on inaccurate information provided by Participant in connection with an entry; (b) entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind; (c) any electronic miscommunications or failures, technical hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Application Process; (d) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer on-line system, computer equipment, software, program malfunctions or other failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human, mechanical or technical in nature, or any combination thereof, in connection with the Application Process.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING ELSE HEREIN OR OTHERWISE, UNCONVENTIONAL AND/OR ITS AFFILIATED ENTITIES, PARTNERS AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR OBLIGATED WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OR UNDER CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY FOR (I) ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF REVENUE, GOODWILL, OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS), (II) DATA LOSS OR COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, AND/OR (III) ANY MATTER BEYOND SUCH PARTIES’ REASONABLE CONTROL.
By entering the Application Process, you agree to and hereby do release and hold harmless Unconventional and its affiliated entities, partners, and agents, from any damage, injury, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability that may arise in connection with your participation in the Application Process. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with the Application Process may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Unconventional reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions in any way or at any time. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions thereof. By participating in the Application Process, you agree that any dispute or litigation arising from or relating to the subject matter herein shall be determined by binding arbitration only in Palo Alto, California, by and under the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures of JAMS, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Unconventional may seek equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is held to be illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms and Conditions otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable.