ACS Petroleum Research Fund
The Petroleum Research Fund is an endowed fund, managed by the American Chemical Society that supports fundamental research directly related to petroleum or fossil fuels at nonprofit institutions (generally colleges and universities) in the United States and other countries.
ACS Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) grants are intended as seed money, to enable an investigator to initiate a new research direction. The investigator should not have published or received financial support from another funding agency for the proposed research. Also, proposals that the ACS PRF Committee feels are a logical extension of an investigator’s previous research may be denied as “not a new direction.”
Since the first ACS PRF grants were approved in 1953, several grant programs have evolved to serve segments of the scientific community, including “new investigator” grants and grants to support researchers in departments that do not award doctoral degrees.
Scope of the Fund
Proposals must be for fundamental research in “the petroleum field,” which is defined in our founding document as “petroleum, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands and like materials.” Fundamental research encompasses the properties of these materials, whereas the petroleum industry undertakes “applied research,” which is outside the scope of ACS PRF. See our list of Research Topics that are supported and not supported by ACS PRF.
- About ACS PRF
History of the fund, research areas supported, recent grantees and FAQ’s. - Grant Types
Information for principal investigators on grant programs and eligibility criteria. - Information for Applicants
If you are thinking about submitting a proposal, please read this first. - Proposal Requirements: Formats, Budgets, and Submission.
- Grantees: Manage Your Grant
Information and forms for grantees to manage PRF grant requirements. - Reviewers
Information for peer reviewers asked to evaluate proposals submitted to PRF. - Contact Us
ACS PRF Staff.
Proposal Submission
We are currently accepting research proposals for ND, DNI, UR, and UNI grants to be considered at the May 2021 ACS PRF Committee Meeting. All proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. ET Friday, October 16, 2020. The PRF Proposal Submission System and Forms will change in 2021. Please contact PRFSupport@acs.org for more information.
Celebrating 65 Years of Awarding Research Grants
Recipients of PRF Grants were invited to share their PRF stories
In celebration of 65 years of Petroleum Research Fund (PRF) Grants, the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) has published a special open access virtual issue. This issue is a retrospective featuring articles recently published in JACS by established chemists who have at some point in their career received PRF funding.
Webinar Recording (July 7th) Grant Talks
View recorded presentation by four professors from PUIs (primarily undergraduate institutions) who have been successful in obtaining research grants. The presenters discuss the nature of their research and provide tips on achieving funding success. This event was co-sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).
Grantees in the News
ACS PRF grantees receive award recognition for their significant contributions to science. Read more
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