The American Chemical Society

To be considered for a scholarship through the ACS Scholars Program, candidates must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent U.S. resident

• Be African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian (please see below for more details)

• Be a graduating high school senior or college freshman, sophomore or junior. Seniors can apply for their fifth year.

• Intend to major or already major in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, chemical technology, or another chemistry-related science AND plan to pursue a career in a chemistry-related science as well (please see below for more details)

• Be a full-time student at a high school or accredited college, university, or community college

• Demonstrate high academic achievement in chemistry or science (Grade Point Average 3.0 or higher)

• Eligible and Ineligible Racial and Ethnic Categories for the ACS Scholars Program

Eligible Categories:

• In the application you should select the race/ethnicity that you MOST identify with; use the “Other” field to provide more context (for example your tribe, family’s country of origin if you know it, or other races you are mixed with)

• Hispanic or Latino — A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American culture or origin, regardless of race

• American Indian or Alaska Native — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition

• Native Hawaiian or Native Pacific Islander — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands that are U.S. territories

• African-American/Black — A person having origins in any of the black, indigenous, racial groups of Africa

• More than one race – A person having origins in more than one of the above racial categories.
  Ineligible Categories:

• White — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East

• Asian — A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent. These areas include, for example, China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippine Islands

• Definitions have been adapted from the NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistical Tables NSF 15-321 published in May 2015 and Women, Minorities, and Persons with
• Disabilities in Science and Engineering, NSF 17-310 published in January 2017.

• Why are White and Asian Ethnicities Ineligible?

• The ACS Scholars Program was started in 1995 to address what the National Science Foundation (NSF) identified as “historically underrepresented racial minorities”. At the time, NSF found that Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans received a significantly lower percentage of all Bachelor degrees as compared to their respective populations in the US (as defined by the U.S. Census data). That gap for STEM degrees, and particularly Bachelor and Doctoral chemistry degrees, persists to this day.

• This data, along with data for previous time periods, can be found at the National Science Foundation website (https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/degreerecipients/). (Science and Engineering Degrees, by Race/Ethnicity of Recipients: 2002-12; Detailed Statistical Tables | NSF 15-321 | May 2015).

• The ACS Scholars Program aims to minimize that gap by providing financial and mentoring support.

• Examples of eligible majors:

• Chemistry

• Biochemistry

• Chemical Engineering

• Chemical Technology

• Materials Science

• Petroleum Engineering

• Environmental Science/Engineering (chemistry-based)*

• Biomedical Engineering (chemistry-based)*

• Forensic Science/Chemistry

• Toxicology

• Food Science (not nutrition)

• Paper and Pulp Technology

• Pharmaceutical Chemistry

• Agricultural Chemistry

• Nanotechnology or Nano Science

• Ceramic Science / Chemistry / Technology

• Industrial Chemistry

• Examples of eligible career goals:

• Chemist

• Biochemist

• Chemical Engineer

• Chemical Technician

• Forensic Chemist / Investigator

• Chemistry / Biochemistry / Chemical Engineering Teacher / Professor

• Patent Lawyer

• Science Journalist

• MD/PhD (research physician)*
  *Please note that students intending to enter Pre-Med programs or pursuing a degree in Pharmacy or Nursing are NOT eligible for this scholarship.

*Majors that are starred or otherwise not listed above should have the four following core chemistry courses included in your course curriculum (required coursework for your major) in order for it to be approved. Please submit a copy of your course curriculum via email to scholars@acs.org after you have started or submitted your online application:

• General Chemistry (sometimes referred to as beginner Inorganic Chemistry)

• Organic Chemistry

• Physical Chemistry (or Thermodynamics)

• Analytical Chemistry (or Quantitative Analysis)