Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Recognition Program

Purpose

To recognize talented graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the chemical sciences who demonstrate leadership in mentoring, inclusion and belonging, research safety, science outreach and engagement, and science advocacy.

Description

ACS invites graduate programs in the chemical sciences and departments with postdoctoral appointments to select graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who’ve demonstrated exemplary achievements in any of the five categories:

• Leadership in Mentoring
• Leadership in Inclusion and Belonging
• Leadership in Research Safety
• Leadership in Science Outreach and Engagement (NEW)
• Leadership in Science Advocacy (NEW)

This recognition enables graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to be formally acknowledged for their contributions by their universities, organizations, and the American Chemical Society. 

Eligibility

To qualify for this recognition, the nominee must be a current graduate student or postdoctoral scholar in the chemical sciences at the time of submission.

Individuals may only be nominated and recognized for one category in a given year. 

One graduate student AND one postdoctoral scholar may be recognized per category each year. Departments are not required to nominate individuals in all five categories. Graduate students or postdoctoral scholars cannot self-nominate themselves for this recognition. 

"ACS defines a postdoctoral scholar as an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue their chosen career path. We acknowledge that while the duration of postdoctoral training varies, typically, this period is between two to five years. Training occurs in and prepares postdoctoral scholars for careers in academia, industry, nonprofits, government institutions, or to engage in entrepreneurship around the world (adapted from NSF/NIH)."

Deadline

The nomination period for 2026 will open on March 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET! The deadline for submissions will be May 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Requirements

Departments in the chemical sciences with graduate students and postdoctoral researcher appointments globally may nominate a graduate student and/or postdoctoral scholar who has demonstrated outstanding efforts in any of the five categories:

• Leadership in Mentoring: This recognition category highlights outstanding efforts and impact in research and safety mentoring, broadly defined. Mentoring may involve peers in their own research group as well as outside groups, undergraduate/high school researchers, and participants in short-term research programs (e.g. summer programs, REUs, international exchanges).
• Leadership in Inclusion and Belonging: This recognition category highlights outstanding efforts that promote inclusion and belonging in the program. Activities may include engagement in impactful conversations that strengthen the culture of inclusivity and efforts to identify and eliminate inequities in the department and institution.
• Leadership in Research Safety: This recognition category highlights outstanding efforts to promote safety in research environments, broadly defined. Activities may include exemplary service as a safety officer, participation in efforts to enhance safety culture and awareness, and leadership in promoting safety in areas outside of the wet laboratory, including safety issues associated with computational and theoretical chemistry.
• (NEW) Leadership in Science Outreach and Engagement: This recognition category highlights exceptional leadership in promoting chemistry through outreach and public engagement. Activities may include coordinating science outreach events, visiting community organizations (e.g., schools, assisted living facilities) to teach the public about chemistry, and participating in initiatives to raise science awareness (e.g., science fairs, science bowls, Olympiads).
• (NEW) Leadership in Science Advocacy: This category recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing the chemical sciences through science advocacy. Nominees use their scientific expertise to make evidence-based decisions, address community needs, and engage in efforts that strengthen public and policymakers’ understanding and support for the chemical sciences. Activities may include community-focused initiatives, collaboration with schools or organizations, public outreach, and engagement with governmental or public institutions at any level to support science policies and programs. Learn more about ACS science advocacy.

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars cannot self-nominate themselves for this recognition. Departments that nominate individuals for recognition in any of the five categories must provide their selection criteria as to why the individuals were nominated. This can come in many forms and can include, but is not limited to, recommendation letters, evaluative rubrics, or other evidence-based supplemental documents. 

If your department needs additional support in nominating graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, ACS is providing an optional sample rubric that departments can use if they wish to. The criteria outlined in these rubrics are designed to serve as a framework for the behaviors associated with leadership in each of the five categories. Departments are not required to use this optional rubric in their selection processes and may choose to create their own set of nomination criteria and guidelines.

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Recognition Program Sample Rubric

Recognition Process

The nomination process is handled entirely by the individual academic institution or department and is carried out as follows:

1. The Department provides nominations for one or more of the recognition categories listed above. Departments may submit nominations for any of the five recognition categories (Maximum one graduate student and one postdoctoral scholar per recognition category).
2. In the nomination, Departments will include their own criteria and evidence-based practices used to select the nominee(s). 
3. ACS will review submissions and department criteria. 
4. ACS notifies Departments if nomination(s) are approved, and recognition certificate(s) will be emailed to the Departments for distribution to those being recognized. 
5. The names and institutional affiliations of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars receiving recognition will be highlighted on the ACS website.

*ACS may request additional information from the recognized individuals.

Sponsor

Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Development, Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Advisory Board, Society Committee on Education

Contact Information

graded@acs.org or j_yu@acs.org