Committee on Patents and Related Matters

What We Do

The ACS Committee on Patents and Related Matters (CPRM) is a Joint Board–Council Committee. The committee’s purpose is to support intellectual property through advocacy, education, and awards.  

Both the Board and the Council call upon CPRM to study and make recommendations on matters of importance to the ACS, especially as it relates to patents and related matters. Innovation is a major component to the health and growth of the U.S. chemical enterprise and intellectual property rights are an integral component to innovation.   

CPRM focuses on four main areas:

1. Educating ACS members about intellectual property issues important to the chemical enterprise;
2. Monitoring legislative and regulatory developments influencing intellectual property;
3. Disseminating information about the role of sponsored research and technology transfer; and
4. Nominating chemists and chemical engineers for national awards. 

Who We Are

The CPRM consists of four subcommittees:  Awards, Education and Outreach, Legislation and Regulation, and Technology Transfer and Sponsored Research. CPRM meets semiannually at each ACS National Meeting.

For more information about the Committee, contact CPRM’s staff liaison, Eric Slater.

Highlights

The Patent Committee Helps Increase Recognition for Chemists and Chemical Professionals

CPRM seeks to highlight and acknowledge the intellectual property contributions of chemists and others working in the chemical enterprise. To this end, CPRM recommends nominations chemists for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. To suggest someone for these honors, please email CPRM.

CPRM congratulates ACS members recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame: Marvin Caruthers, Sumitra Mitra, ACS Central Science Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Bertozzi, and Margaret Wu. We welcome your suggestions for future nominees.