APIs (institutional)

What is this?

Institutional API access provides programmatic access to LLMs through services that are connected to university or national research infrastructure and governed by institutional policies.

Unlike public APIs, these services are typically integrated with identity management, usage policies, and data governance frameworks.

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How it works (simple explanation)

You request access through your institution or a national provider. Once approved, you receive API credentials and connect your scripts or applications to approved LLM endpoints.

Requests are routed through institutional infrastructure, where usage may be logged, monitored, and subject to governance policies (e.g., data handling, quotas, or approved use cases).

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Concrete examples (tools/platforms)

• SURF AI Hub / WiLLMa (pilot phase): A SURF initiative providing researchers with access to LLM APIs via national infrastructure. Originally developed as the WiLLMa pilot, it offers programmatic access to multiple models through a centralized platform. The system is designed to support experimentation with LLMs while maintaining control over data flows, usage, and compliance. It is evolving toward a broader AI Hub service that integrates with institutional access and governance.

  • Access onboarding (pilot): Sign up here Researchers can register interest and request access as part of the pilot program, subject to availability and institutional affiliation.