Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship

Each year, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^® (ACS GCI) awards one or more Dr. Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowships. The award sponsors the participation of a young international green chemistry scholar in a green chemistry technical meeting, conference or training program. The amount of the award is based on the estimated cost of travel, accommodation, and fees associated with the event, up to $2000 USD. If two Breen Fellowships are given in any one year, one of the awards will be given to an undergraduate student and the other award to a graduate or post-graduate student.

“Young” international scholar is defined as undergraduate students and above, but below the level of Assistant Professor and within the first seven years of a professional career. Applicants residing both within the U.S. and internationally are eligible for this award.

The travel must be to a green chemistry technical meeting, conference or training program. Students should consider attending the 25^th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference, to be held June 14-16, 2021, in Reston, VA. Award funds cannot be used to attend the ACS Summer School on Green Chemistry and Sustainable Energy.

The applicant must demonstrate research or educational interest in green chemistry. Green chemistry for this purpose is defined as “the discovery and design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.”

The fellow also must give an oral or poster presentation on his/her interest area during the conference as well as submit a report to ACS GCI on his/her experience after the conference in order to receive reimbursement.

Deadline

The deadline for the Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship is 5 p.m. EDT (GMT-4) on Friday, October 9, 2020. Please send your application in a single PDF file to gci@acs.org with “Breen Fellowship Application – [applicant’s last name]” in the subject line.

Application Instructions

Applications must be a single PDF file, no longer than six, 8½-by-11-inch pages, written in font no smaller than 11 point, with margins of at least 1 inch and should include the following:

• Cover page (no more than one page) including:
  • Applicant’s name, department, institution (or company) and field of study.
  • Name of applicant’s faculty advisor (or supervisor) and contact information.
  • Name, date and location of the conference or meeting the applicant is requesting funding to attend.
  • Estimated budget for travel expenses, up to $2,000 (including conference registration fees, travel, and accommodations) to participate in the meeting. The award will be mailed as a reimbursement check after the conference takes place.  Meals/food is not a reimbursable expense.
• Essay (no more than one page) by the applicant concerning his/her interest in green chemistry, including any previous experience with the field, how he/she will benefit from participation in the selected conference, and why he/she should be selected to receive the award.
• A curriculum vita or résumé no more than two pages in length including:
  • Applicant’s name, department, institution (or company), and faculty advisor (or supervisor).
  • Applicant’s mailing address, telephone, and email.
  • A few sentences on the applicant’s green chemistry teaching or research interests and career plans.
  • Field of study, degrees (including month and year earned or expected), education experience, including GPA or other measure of class standing, and work experience (if any).
  • List of recent presentations and publications (if any).
• Letter of recommendation from the applicant's faculty advisor, supervisor or department chair (no more than two pages in length). The letter may be sent separately or included with the other application materials.
   

Judging

A panel of experts selected by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^® will judge the applications. This panel might include members of the scientific, educational, industrial, governmental, and environmental communities.

Notification and Award

Notification of the award and award amount will be made on or before December 18, 2020. The award will be mailed as a reimbursement check after the conference takes place.  To receive the reimbursement, a 1-page written report and travel expense receipts will be required.

Downloadable Application

For a printable version of this application, please download the Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship Application.

The ACS established the Dr. Joseph Breen Memorial Fund through the ACS International Endowment Fund in 2000. Dr. Joe Breen was the first director of the Green Chemistry Institute (prior to the Institute becoming part of the ACS) and was instrumental in establishing the green chemistry movement. This fund commemorates Dr. Joe Breen’s commitment and accomplishments for the advancement of green chemistry. 

Questions about the Breen Memorial Fellowship should be directed to the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®: Email gci@acs.org; Telephone +1 (202) 872-6102.