For students, researchers, and educators who are exploring molecular modeling, SAMSON can be a powerful partner in your work. But did you know that SAMSON offers academic access that unlocks additional features and discounts?
If you’re affiliated with an academic institution, you may be eligible for free extensions and up to 90% discounts on advanced SAMSON Extensions. This can significantly broaden your modeling capabilities without stretching your budget. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to obtain academic status, explain how it works, and what to do if something doesn’t go as expected.
Why Academic Status Matters
Gaining academic status on SAMSON Connect allows you to access a wide variety of extensions from the Marketplace either for free or at significantly reduced prices. These extensions add functionalities such as specialized simulations, molecular editors, visualizations, and more. For researchers especially, this can increase productivity and make complex modeling tasks more accessible.
How to Qualify for Academic Status
To qualify, register on SAMSON Connect using your academic or institutional email address (e.g., ending in .edu, .ac.uk, etc.). Once you’ve registered, academic status is typically granted within 1–2 working days.
If you’ve done this and still haven’t received confirmation of your academic status after a couple of days:
- Double-check that your email is correctly entered and comes from a recognized academic domain.
- Contact SAMSON support at contact@samson-connect.net with your registration details.
What If You’re in Academia but Don’t Have an Academic Email?
If you are a student or work in academia but lack an institutional email (e.g., you’re at a smaller institution or transitioning), you can still request academic access. Simply reach out to the SAMSON team via email at contact@samson-connect.net and explain your situation. They may be able to verify your status by other means.
What Happens If You Change Your Email?
If you switch from a personal email to an academic email after registration, make sure to:
- Update your account email on SAMSON Connect.
- Reinstall SAMSON with your updated credentials.
SAMSON relies on email identification for access rights and licensing, so accurate credentials are important.
Once your academic status has been granted, you’ll be able to browse and add eligible extensions with discounted pricing—or at no cost at all—from the Marketplace.
Extra Tip: Check Your Confirmation Email
Gmail users, take note—sometimes confirmation emails for registration may take longer to arrive or could land in your “Promotions” or “Spam” tabs. If you’re waiting for verification, it’s worth checking all your folders.
For more information on the registration process and academic status, visit the official FAQ page.
Academic access can open doors to new modeling possibilities, whether you’re working on molecular dynamics, protein-ligand interactions, or nanomaterials. If you’re eligible, it’s well worth the small step to unlock big potential.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.