About ACS

As a non-profit scientific organization with more than 145 years’ experience, we are a champion for chemistry, its practitioners and our global community of members.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a non-profit founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. We are one of the world’s largest scientific organizations. Our mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. Our vision is to improve all people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry. 

What We Do

  • More than 145 years after our founding, we remain a champion for chemistry, its practitioners and our global community of members. 
  • We’re recognized as a leading publisher of authoritative scientific information. Our 80+ peer-reviewed journals are ranked the “most-trusted, most-cited and most-read.”
  • We empower our members to advance chemistry, elevate their career potential, expand their networks, inspire future generations, collaborate globally and build communities that provide scientific solutions.
  • We provide broader networks that facilitate connections and open doors in a way no other professional organization can match!

What We Value

What We Advocate For

We work to promote public policies that advance the chemistry enterprise and its practitioners. In the U.S., we work in these four policy areas:

Our Impact, By The Numbers

200+

Branches Worldwide
(U.S. Local Sections & International Chapters)

3,800+

Current & Former ACS Scholars

8,700+

Publications by Chemistry Nobel Laureates

280M+

Unique Substances and Sequences

How We Support, Advance & Empower

We provide information, education, career services, professional development and engagement programs to help our members and scientists thrive in an everchanging global economy. We also support teaching and learning for students of all ages through grants and scholarships, and we encourage investments in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, research and innovation.

In keeping with our commitment to be a catalyst for international innovation, the readership and authorship for ACS Publications spans more than 6,000 institutions in 75 countries. More than 25% of our members reside outside the U.S., representing 140 countries.

Our Family