Ciba Travel Awards in Green Chemistry

This annual green chemistry award sponsors the participation of students (high school, undergraduates, and graduate students) residing in the U.S. to attend an American Chemical Society (ACS) technical meeting, conference, or training program, having a significant green chemistry or sustainability component. The applicant must demonstrate research or educational interest in green chemistry. The awards are funded by interest income from the Ciba Green Chemistry Student Endowment which was established in 2009 and is awarded by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®. The award amount is based on estimated travel expenses, up to $2,000. 

High school, undergraduate, and graduate students residing within the U.S. are eligible for this grant. 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.” 

Applicants are responsible for meeting the abstract deadline dates of the meeting they want to attend. The student should be prepared to give an oral or poster presentation on his/her interest area during the conference, if feasible, and submit a report to ACS GCI on his/her experience after the conference.

Deadline

The deadline for the 2020 Ciba Travel Awards in Green Chemistry is 5 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, October 11, 2019. Please send your application in a single PDF file to gci@acs.org with “Ciba Travel Award Application – [your last name]” in the subject line.

Application Instructions

Applications must be 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, in a single PDF file:

1. Cover page (no more than one page), including:
   • Applicant’s name, department, institution, 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. Reimbursement for food/entertainment is not allowed.
      
2. Brief (no more than one-page) essay 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. Include your intention to present during the conference (giving an oral or poster presentation is expected).
   
   
3. A curriculum vitae or résumé no more than two pages in length, including:
   • Applicant’s name, department, institution, 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 another measure of class standing, and work experience (if any)
   • List of recent presentations and publications (if any)
      
4. Letter of nomination 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 & Award

Notification of the award and award amount will be made on or before November 15, 2019. 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 2019 Ciba Travel Awards in Green Chemistry Application.

Beginning in 2010, on an annual basis, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^® (ACS GCI) awards several Ciba Travel Awards in Green Chemistry. The awards are funded by interest income from the Ciba Green Chemistry Student Endowment which was established in 2009. 

Questions about the Ciba Travel Awards in Green Chemistry should be directed to the ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®: Email gci@acs.org; Tel (202) 872-6102.