Heroes of Chemistry
Award at a Glance
Purpose
The Heroes of Chemistry award, established by the ACS in 1996 and sponsored by the ACS Board Committee on Corporation Associates, honors teams of industrial chemical scientists whose work has led to successful commercialized products that benefit humankind.
Description
This award celebrates the creativity and perseverance of scientists and engineers who have significantly contributed to modern life through their advancements in chemistry. Winners are recognized annually at an in-person award ceremony.
Eligibility
Who Can Nominate:
Any individual from a private or publicly owned for-profit company, on behalf of the team.
Who Can Be Nominated:
Teams consisting of more than 1 person, and at least 1 active ACS member who are chemists, chemical engineers, or allied professionals involved in the development of a commercial product with significant impact on humanity.
Nominees can include individuals from other companies, government or academic labs, incubators, or other organizations.
Former and deceased employees can also be included.
Deadline
The 2026 nomination period for Heroes of Chemistry is open from November 1, 2025 until February 1, 2026.
Selection Process
A panel of judges from the Committee on Corporation Associates will select the Heroes of Chemistry on the basis of:
- Technical Merit: Demonstrate the innovation's technical excellence, including the talent and foresight of the nominee(s).
- Financial Performance: Provide evidence of the product(s) commercial success such as market share, financial performance, and other commercial impact measures.
- Human Impact: Highlight the product's positive impact on lives and its benefit to humankind.
The selected winners, along with executives from each winning company, will be invited to attend a black-tie dinner ceremony.
Nomination Instructions
- Create an account online nomination system by using your email address as the username.
- Select “Apply” at the top of the page.
- Select “2026 Heroes of Chemistry Nominations” to preview and begin your nomination.
- Enter and submit the required materials for this nomination. If any materials are not available in electronic format, use the Fax-to-File feature in the top navigation menu to convert them to PDFs. You may edit your nomination until the February 1 submission deadline.
- Select the "Submit Application" button to complete your nomination. Saved drafts are not considered complete.
Nomination Package
Each submission must include the following items:
- Descriptive Summary: Provide a detailed narrative addressing the product’s commercial use, its benefit to humanity, chemistry's central role, and the involvement of the nominee(s) in developing and commercializing the product(s). Use clear, non-technical, concise language in this section; this information will be used to draft press releases, web content, and other materials, which will later be vetted with winning companies.
- Impact: Summarize the market success, societal impact, and economic impact of the nominated product(s) in a financial summary.
- Biography or Resume/CV: A short biography or resume/CV (max. two pages) should be submitted for each nominee.
- Supporting Materials: Any brochures, articles, or press releases, etc. that describe the impact of the nominee(s) and/or the product being recognized are highly encouraged.
- Nominee Contact Form: Include all relevant contact information for each team member being nominated on this contact form.
Note: Please carefully and properly fill out the contact information of each team member. This information may be used to contact winners and for sending important information such as invitations, awards, and promotional materials. At least one team member must have an active ACS membership. Please indicate which team member(s) have active ACS membership(s).
Sponsor
Committee on Corporation Associates
Corporation Associates member companies may prepare nomination packages, but their employees may not serve on the Award Selection Committee in years when their companies are nominated. The Award Selection Committee deliberations are confidential. The number of Heroes of Chemistry Awards vary annualy as determined by the Awards Selection Committee.
Contact Information
Email: chemhero@acs.org
