American Chemical Society Scholars Program
The American Chemical Society, the largest membership organization devoted to the study and advancement of a single science, provides scholarships for qualified applicants who want to enter the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering or other chemically related fields such as environmental science, materials science or toxicology. Students interested in two-year college programs for chemical technology may also apply for scholarships. The program is designed to encourage African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students to pursue degrees in the chemical sciences and chemical technology.
Eligibility
To qualify, candidates must be:
American Chemical Society
Department of Diversity Programs
1155 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
How to Apply
To apply, students must complete an application form, provide the financial need document referred to as an SAR (Student Aid Report), and submit transcripts and required letters of recommendations. Only complete application files will be considered by the Selection Committee. The deadline for submitting applications is March 1, annually.
An application form or other information is available by calling 1-800-227-5558 ext. 6250 or by sending an email to scholars@acs.org . To answer more specific questions, Robert Hughes, Program Manager, is available at rhughes@acs.org .
Selection
An American Chemical Society Selection Committee is comprised of members from the minority groups that the scholarship program is designed to attract and college professors. They meet in May each year to consider the academic record for candidates, evidence of leadership ability, participation in school and community activities and level of student interest in the chemical sciences as a career. Announcement of awards occurs in June.
Awards
Scholarships are for up to $2,500 for freshmen and up to $3,000 for sophomores, juniors and seniors per academic year. The scholarships are renewable for all four or five years of an undergraduate degree so long as the student maintains a GPA of 3.0 in an approved major. Renewal forms and transcripts are required each year.
Mentors and Internships
ACS seeks a volunteer mentor for every student in the program. Mentors are identified from among the Society’s 159,000 members, from the academic community and from corporate contributors. ACS Scholars are strongly encouraged to be responsive to their mentors and keep the program office informed. Zaida Morales-Martinez serves as the mentoring coordinator and may be reached at moralesz@fiu.edu . Whenever possible, ACS helps Scholars identify summer internship opportunities. Mentoring and research are keys to success in chemistry.
ACS Scholars Program
Demographics to Date
The Scholars Program has identified 1600 scholarship winners since inception in late 1994 as follows:
|
910 female |
57% |
|
690 male |
43% |
|
886 African American |
55% |
|
615 Hispanic/Latino |
39% |
|
99 Native American |
6% |
Majors:
|
586 Chemistry |
37% |
|
586 Chemical Engineering |
37% |
|
193 Biochemistry |
12% |
|
20 Chemical Technology |
1% |
|
215 Related |
13% |
Graduates — 660 as follows:
|
387 female, 273 male |
59% and 41% |
|
375 African American |
57% |
|
258 Hispanic/Latino |
39% |
|
27 Native American or American Indian |
4% |
Follow-up:
|
255 are currently in the chemical work force |
48% |
|
274 are in graduate school |
52% |
|
(96 in PhD programs and 22 have earned their PhD) |
|
Retention Rate:
Student retention in the ACS Scholars Program 80%
Recognition:
The Program’s success was recognized in 1997 by the American Society of Association Executives with the prestigious “Associations Advance America Award.”
In 2001, the program won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
In 2003, the BEST Initiative, a congressional mandate to broaden the base of the U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce, named the Scholars Program one of the nation’s exemplary efforts to improve access to and preparation for science education for members of minority groups.
ACS Scholar, Julia A. James, a biochemistry major at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, was one of 32 Americans chosen as Rhodes Scholars in 2004. Ms. James is pursuing a doctorate in HI immunology at Oxford University.
ACS Scholars Program Contributors:
Founding Partner— Donor of $1 million +
PPG Industries Foundation, Inc.
Sustaining Partners – Donors of $200,000+
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.
GlaxoSmithKline
The Procter & Gamble Company
Partners — Donors of$ 100,000+
3M Foundation
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Bayer Corporation
Dow Corning Foundation
DuPont Central Research
Schering-Plough Corporation
Xerox Corporation
Contributors
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Amgen, Inc.
Arkema, Inc.
BASF Corporation
Cambridge Isotope Labs
The Dow Chemical Company
Eastman Chemical Company
FMC Corporation
Ford Motor Company
Geneva College
Genzyme Corporation
Great Lakes Chemical Company
Hach Scientific Foundation
Occidental Chemical Corporation
Rohm and Haas Company
Shell Oil Company Foundation
Societe de Chimie Industrielle
Strem Chemicals, Inc.
Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association
Tripos, Inc.
Wyeth Research
ACS Central Texas Local Section
ACS Chicago Local Section
ACS New York Local Section
ACS Northeastern Local Section
ACS North Jersey Local Section
ACS Philadelphia Local Section
30 individual donors have contributed $2,500 or more and 63 Scholars Program Alumni have given back to the program.
Contributions and ACS matching funds currently exceed $5.5 million.
For information on supporting the ACS Scholars
Program, contact Kathy Fleming at
800-227-5558, ext. 6132 or k_fleming@acs.org
